Why Time Blocking Feels Like a Straitjacket (And the Simple Fix)

Let me guess…you’ve heard that time blocking is the answer. You tried it. It felt like a straitjacket. And now you’re somewhere between “maybe I’m doing it wrong” and “this just doesn’t work for me.”

Here’s the thing: time blocking probably isn’t the problem. The problem is treating it like a pass/fail test on day one, when it’s actually a hypothesis you build and refine over a few weeks. That’s a completely different thing. And once you understand that, the whole experience changes.

What time blocking actually is

Time blocking is a planning method where you break your day into chunks of time and assign a specific focus to each one. Blocks can be anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours long. And if “15-minute increments” already sounds exhausting, you’re not wrong to be skeptical. That level of rigidity is not what we’re going for here.

Time blocking tends to be especially useful if you:

• Do a wide variety of different task types on any given day

• Struggle with work bleeding into every other part of your life

• Have difficulty focusing because interruptions keep pulling you off track

• Tend to prioritize reactively instead of intentionally (the inbox wins every time)

• Consistently postpone your actual goals because more “urgent” things keep appearing

• Battle procrastination

What the research actually says (and what it doesn’t)

It turns out a lot of the “facts” people quote about planning and performance are actually urban legend. Ever heard that it takes exactly 21 days to form a habit? It’s actually a myth.

If you’ve tried to build a time blocking system on advice like that, no wonder it felt like a straitjacket. This is a science-first space, so let’s be real about what we know and what we don’t. This is a science-first space, so let’s be real about what we know and what we don’t.

Sponsor

The Future of AI in Marketing. Your Shortcut to Smarter, Faster Marketing.

This guide distills 10 AI strategies from industry leaders that are transforming marketing.

• Learn how HubSpot's engineering team achieved 15-20% productivity gains with AI

• Learn how AI-driven emails achieved 94% higher conversion rates

• Discover 7 ways to enhance your marketing strategy with AI.

Outpace your competitors by mastering AI.

Get Your Free Guide

More Actionable Breakdowns

Did you miss one of our previous breakdowns? Here are some you might find helpful.

Future-Proofing You: Adapting to Thrive in the Age of Distraction

Are you constantly battling between productivity and distraction in the digital age? As a business owner or freelancer, your smartphone is your lifeline, but could it also be hindering your success? Discover how the digital revolution is rewiring our brains and transforming our behavior. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to master your digital tools and unleash your full potential in the modern business landscape.

Think Smarter, Not Harder: How to Implement Lessons Learned For Business Growth According to Neuroscience

Your daily experiences, interactions, and projects are shaping your mind and influencing your success. By understanding how your brain decides what to remember, forget, and transform into core skills, you can harness the power of experiential learning to skyrocket your business and optimize your life. Learn how to train your brain the right way to think smarter, not harder.

How “Vacation Mode” Unlocks Your Prioritization Ninja (Hint: it’s not about self-care)

I have to admit that I don’t remember where I read the actual term “vacation mode” for the first time but suffice it to say I did not invent it. We could even call it the “vacation phenomenon”. I know most think of “vacation mode” as that feeling of being on vacation and that’s not what I mean here…but whatever you want to call it, I am capitalizing on it now and it also just came up in a discussion in virtual coworking in the inner circle. PLUS, the great news is you don’t need a postponed wedding to use this trick…So let’s get to it. 💪

As a reminder, you’re getting this twice-weekly newsletter because you opted in to receive awesome productivity and systems tips through one of these methods:

Doer Entrepreneurs, Doers Express Newsletter, Productivity Stacks, Success by Rx, ClickUp Facebook Group, Productive & Successful Translators Facebook Group.

If you’re not interested in improving your and your business’s productivity so you’d like to break up, that’s definitely a bummer. But, you can always use the unsubscribe link at the bottom if you do not want to get these tips — but keep in mind I am hyper-focused on making these twice-weekly emails as valuable as possible.

Got a tip? Hit reply!

I hope you found this valuable!

Wishing you much productivity!

- Jenae :)