I want to share the importance of getting your book done and how time plays a part in it.
When I completed my FIRST book, I had mastered the art of blocking off time. I gave up my lunch breaks at work to write, and consistently every evening, I would come home from work and write. I went on to prove I was good at time management by erecting a bulletin board (in my bedroom) which mapped out completing my book month by month.
Where did my organization go over the last ten years?? LOL
Anywhooo… I wanted to share these tips with you to blocking off time in order to get your book done: NO MORE EXCUSES!!
Hour Blocking: The Secret to Effective Time Management
Time management is an essential skill, and hour blocking is an easy and powerful way to master this skill. You can use it to block off hours in your schedule and get more things finished. It enables you to take control of the minutes in each day.
Follow this process to take advantage of this valuable technique:
- Start with planning. Make a list of all of your important tasks for the week.
Then, narrow this list down to three to five essential tasks.
-Be realistic about your planning. Avoid thinking that you can do a million
tasks in one day or week. - Block your hours. After you have a short list of tasks, block the hours on your
schedule. This is called time blocking and essentially requires you to take each
hour and assign a task or item to it.
-Clump related tasks together and add them to specific blocks of time.
-Remember to schedule lunches and breaks. Taking time to rest your
mind and body is important! Your breaks allow you to get back to your
tasks with renewed energy. - Reduce distractions. Hour blocking demands that you eliminate distractions, so
you don’t lose focus.
-Figure out what your main distractions are. Do you waste time on social
media or constantly check your phone? Do you spend hours in your email
inbox and respond to every message instantly?
-Eliminate or reduce these distractions. You may want to set aside a specific chunk of time each day to handle your social media, email inbox, and other tasks that distract you from your more essential actions. -Also, when you’re working, let others know that you’re busy so they can limit their interruptions.
- Keep the time blocks flexible. Unless you know the exact amount of time each
task will take, it’s important to keep the time blocks flexible. This will also
enable you to take care of other important things that come up with a minimum
amount of stress or changes to your schedule. - Review your time blocks regularly. Make adjustments as needed. If your tasks
change, or you find that they take more or less time than you thought, modify
your time blocks to take the new information into account.
-Reviewing your time blocks will also give you the chance to see when
you’re most productive. If you do your best work in the morning, schedule
more important tasks during these hours. Reviews will help you evaluate
your productivity levels and decide which parts need attention.
-Another advantage of doing reviews is that it gives you the chance to see
if your reminders are working or if they need to be changed. Use alerts on
your phone or computer, sticky notes, or traditional alarms to remind you
that it’s time to move to the next task. The key is to find something that
works for you.
Effective time management can help you finish more tasks each day and feel more
accomplished. Hour blocking is a useful method for anyone who is interested in
greater productivity, either at home or at work.
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