Time to block your time
What is Calendar Blocking?
Calendar Blocking (or Time Blocking) is a planning technique that involves defining specific time blocks for the tasks, events, and activities in your life, and then scheduling them against your calendar. You can schedule and follow time blocks for both business and personal tasks.
Fun fact: this technique is or has been used by the human epitomes of success such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk or acclaimed author and professor of computer science Cal Newport.
At SOLID Potential we aim to teach our Employees how to do it, as efficient planning proves highly beneficial in the dynamic consulting environment.
How do I use Calendar Blocking and why should I do it?
The day has only 24 hours (unfortunately) and more often than not we find balancing the activities in our schedules to be an issue. In a highly dynamic environment such as IT it’s crucial to manage your time in the most efficient way to “find it” for everything and keep on track with your tasks and deadlines. There is a lot of frustration that can build due to a crushing amount of work that needs to be done. However, when you plan it ahead and block specific slots in your calendar you can disperse it throughout the day in a way that allows you to comfortably manage and maintain a healthy balance with other activities. Furthermore, when you’re aware of what you’ll be actually able to get done on a certain day you are able to inform your manager or colleagues when a certain task will be completed, allowing them to plan as well and coordinate your work environment.
That’s where Calendar Blocking enters the picture! This technique is quite simple, no more complicated than something you’re probably already doing to plan your daily activities and plans - but probably far more effective! Here’s how to do it step by step:
Add all your daily or weekly tasks to a to-do list. You can use an app dedicated to this specific purpose. Check time blocking apps.
The default calendar app on your phone or a paper notebook and calendar. Planning ahead is a great way to organize your day and ensure certain tasks are completed before a deadline.
✔ Select specific time slots in your calendar and reserve them for tasks or activities. It creates a visual representation of the already occupied time period to spend on a certain undertaking and you can clearly see where you can find an empty slot to squeeze in something more. This not only allows you to almost effortlessly manage your time but also aids in managing in a positively self-focused and assertive manner - when you have your time reserved and “blocked” to stay attentive to one thing you know when to refuse accepting additional tasks in that moment.
✔ Work on the tasks during the prescribed time blocks, and aim to complete them before it’s time for the next time block. Working in that way helps the internal and external organization of your day but also allows you to plan ahead more effectively and stay active in different areas of your life. During a busy day filled with more and more assignments coming in it’s likely to forget about a little “you time” to practice self care or nurture personal relationships. Ensure remembering about that by blocking a specific slot in your schedule - for example 20 minutes midday to do some stretching to relax your back or call a friend for a next day coffee appointment.Balancing various areas of life by planning and reserving your time is easier than you think! Also, one more thing: remember to put 5 or 10 minute breaks between the blocks - you won’t be very productive when you forget to stay hydrated, have some snacks and go to the toilet.
How we do it at SOLID Potential:
One of the most challenging parts of working in Cloud Consulting (and IT in general) is to acquire the ability to balance the time for your tasks and staying in the best physical and mental shape to perform them in the best way possible. Calendar Blocking allows you to find and use the time for both. We suggest that our Employees divide their 8 hour work day to preferably 6 hours for working for the Client (which is always the priority) and 2 hours for their self-development (perfecting their skills, development tools and environment improvements, acquiring new certifications or courses) - of course by blocking specific slots in their schedules and dividing them further to specific tasks. By doing that not only the Client-related tasks get the required amount of care and attention from our Employees but the Employees themselves are allowed to develop as Cloud specialists and perform their assignments quicker and more efficiently which is further beneficial for the Client.
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