Time Blocking: Make the Overwhelming Manageable

Time Blocking: Make the Overwhelming Manageable 

Have you ever promised yourself “I’ll get to it” and never really did? I’ve used time blocking for 4 years in my corporate role. Then I used it to create time for the two different side hustles and 4 businesses. Here’s how you can use it too.

Lesson #1: Set Clear Boundaries

For time blocking to work, you need to have clear boundaries between your full-time job and side hustles.

Ask yourself these questions and write down the answers:

• What is the maximum number of hours you want to spend on your full-time job?

• What time during the day is off-limits for tasks related to your full-time job?

• If you have to work overtime on some days, how can you “convert” hours from the full-time job to your side hustles in your calendar?

Let’s call the answers as parameters & try to stick to them as much as possible.

Lesson #2: Have Daily Themes

Your first schedule attempt might look like this:

• 4:45–8:00 am: Morning Routine

• 8:00–9:00 am: Write for Coaching — Side Hustle

• 9:00–6:00 pm: Work

• 6:00–7:00 pm: Dinner

• 7:00–8:00 pm: Write for Blog — Side Hustle

• 8:00–9:00 pm: Content for Social Media — Side Hustle

• 9:00 pm onwards: Evening Routine and Sleep

You are jumping from one nature of tasks to another, also known as context switching.

Every time we context switch, we pay a little “productivity” currency. Our brain can take as much as 40% of our productive time to make the switch because of “brief mental blocks.” Frequent context switching also leads to a drop in our cognitive function and ability to focus.

So minimize context switching as much as possible by assigning days a theme. 

At the time of writing this essay, I have a clear theme for every single day of the week to guide me on the primary task I should be working on:

• Monday: Consumption (reading, taking notes, revising, etc.)

• Tuesday: Writing for LinkedIn & linkedin conversations

• Wednesday: Client Time 

• Thursday: Breakdown for other social media

• Friday: Clientele building 

• Saturday: Writing for Blog

• Sunday: 3R (Review, Recreation, and Rest)

Lesson #3: Make Time for Yourself

Include your morning and evening routines as non-negotiable. 

These activities are performance boosters. Yes, being productive matters, but our physical and mental wellness is more important.

When you are scheduling tasks into your calendar, allocate time to your morning and evening routines, as well as habits you’re trying to build.

Lesson #4: Leave Gaps Between Tasks

When I decided to adopt time blocking to boost my productivity, I got excited and used up every slot on my calendar.

It was a wrong move. I didn’t have breathing space going into another task right after completing one. For some of the more creative tasks like writing, I was forced to move on despite being in the coveted flow state, which can be frustrating.

The solution I came up with is to have breaks of around 15 to 30 minutes between tasks.

Doing so gives me room to freshen up and regain my focus. It also provides more flexibility to move things around when something unexpected comes up or more time is needed for a task.

Lesson #5: Pick Strategies Based on Your Available Hours

After identifying your boundaries and blocking out your calendar for daily routines, you are now ready to fill in the blanks with side hustle tasks.

Before filling your calendar up with random items, spend some time thinking about the right idea to work on and the best strategies to grow your side hustle, knowing the number of hours available to you.

There are many things you can do to make money on the side. You can also grow a business in many different ways. But you don’t have all the time in the world to do everything, especially when you cannot afford help yet.

Try to fully utilize the hours you have for your side hustle. Prioritize tasks that move the needle the most.

For example, I only have 2 to 3 hours a day for my projects, I decided to only maintain an active presence on Twitter and LinkedIn while writing on LinkedIn .

Should I create content for Instagram? Yes, but only when my schedule frees up.

Lesson #6: Optimize, Optimize, Optimize

Time blocking may sound like the perfect method to finally have control over your day, but it really is an iterative process.

During the first few weeks of trying out your new time blocking schedule, pay particular attention to your energy levels and how you feel when performing specific tasks.

Every month, review all recurring tasks on your calendar. Ask yourself whether they are still relevant to achieve the goals you have for your side hustles.

With those insights, you can then optimize your schedule to make it easier to stick to. Owning your time and owning your calendar will allow you to accomplish much more than you ever thought possible. Never used time as an excuse to accomplish your dreams.

If you need help achieving your goals and optimizing your time to do so, please reach out to me I’d love to go over my tips and suggestions to make your dreams a reality.

Martin J. Fisher

Marty is a Life Results Coach with a proven track record as a health care professional and corporate executive. He left that all behind to follow his calling to serve clients to create fulfilled lives they love. His expertise in health & wellness, pivoting & developing careers, and life patterns unite into the perfect holistic approach when creating your new life. 

For more info or support send me a message on any of the following platforms!

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