Time Blocking: A Habit That Can Change Your Life!

A Virtual Assistant's Take on Time Blocking and How It Can Change Your Life 

As a Virtual Assistant for many companies who need me to be on my A++ Game at all times to help them organize their businesses and run day to day operations efficiently, it’s super important for me to keep my own tasks organized. The concept of Time Blocking was introduced to me by my coach and it has changed the game for me! Time Blocking helps me keep all of my tasks organized for my clients, helps me to stay on top of deadlines, and most importantly? Time Blocking helps me keep family and personal life at the top of my priority list. Being a Virtual Assistant and helping small business owners stay organized is my passion, and Time Blocking helps me keep things done on time, every time. 

What is Time Blocking? How Do You Start? 

Time Blocking is the simple concept of blocking out chunks of time in your day and week ahead of time to complete tasks. To start a time blocked schedule, you first need a great calendar system. Google Calendars is a great option for many small business owners because it is easy to use, compatible with most other software, programs, etc, and it’s super easy to take a quick look at your day, week, or month from your phone or desktop. So how do you get started? Make a list of the things you need to get done for the week and for the month, also take a look at all of your appointments (don’t forget to schedule personal appointments and time with family or friends). You want to organize your tasks, appointments, and projects according to importance and allot a specific amount of time for each thing. Put that on the calendar, along with drive time if needed to and from in person appointments, and then you can color code your blocks according to importance. Only things that are deemed less time sensitive can be moved. Make sure to include prospecting time if you’re in sales and important things like budget meetings or time to review reports. Here are a few items you might consider putting on your calendar: 

• Dinner with your family

• Time or activities with family and friends 

• Doctor’s appointments and events

• Work meeting

• Time to finish or work on specific projects well ahead of the due dates

• Buffer time prior to a project due date to finish up on time

• Open times for client meetings 

• Budget meetings or financial planning meetings

• Prospecting or marketing time

• Networking events

Make sure to treat your Time Blocked Calendar like it is set in stone. Sure, things happen and schedules shift, but the more dedicated you are to your schedule and the more you adhere to it, the more it will become a habit and the more organized and manageable even the busiest of schedules will become!

Time Blocking Is a Time Saver

When you have specific time scheduled to complete a task, something magic happens. When I’m organizing Virtual Assistant tasks for my clients, I always put a time limit on the task at hand. I am always reasonable when choosing a time limit, and then I stick to it! Instead of delaying, procrastinating, or worse getting sucked into other little tasks while working on a big project, I focus fully on the task on my calendar and work to accomplish my goals within the allotted time. Having this structure will help you save time in the long run! Set up tasks to complete in 30 minute or 1 hour blocks and watch as your schedule transforms into a manageable succession of small, easier to complete  tasks vs a long to do list that can feel a little bit intimidating!

Time Blocking Helps You Stay Organized 

Creating small, manageable goals for your day helps you stay organized. Have you ever looked at your to do list, scanned it quickly and then realized at the end of the day you didn’t get the MOST important thing on the list done because you were so busy completing small, less important tasks? It happens to the best of us! As a Virtual Assistant, it is VERY important that I prioritize tasks and make sure deadlines are always met for tasks. Staying organized through Time Blocking has helped me change the way I work and helps me to keep things done on time. I spend a little time at the beginning of each week (or sometimes the end of the week if I’m ahead of the game) prepping for upcoming tasks and making a Time Blocked plan for the week to come. I review all of my tasks and appointments and even standing appointments to ensure everything is set and organized. It’s a great time to send out confirmation emails for any upcoming meetings or reminders about due dates on projects to team members, clients, or assistants as well. By taking time to pre-load my schedule with specific times set for completing tasks or taking meetings, I stay organized and reduce the stress through the week that sneaks up sometimes. I know what I’m doing and where I need to be at all times, even personal things! It makes everything easier to manage and more organized, a must for a busy VA like myself!

Time Blocking Creates More Work Life Balance 

When you own your own business, Work Life Balance is a tricky subject at times. It’s hard to turn your brain off at the end of the day, and unfortunately it becomes easy to skip the family time or the dinner that was planned with friends when work deadlines are coming up or there is work to still to be done. And if you own your own business? Well, there’s always more work to be done. Can I get an Amen?! That’s why scheduling family time is a priority. In fact, family time and personal appointments are the FIRST things I schedule when working on my Time Blocking. I was told when I first heard about Time Blocking, that if you don’t prioritize your personal life, your personal life will become harder to manage. And it’s true! It’s hard! But having things like a standing weekly date with your significant other, or a few hours a week to hang out with the kids doing something that’s purely FUN is a great way to stay present and engaged despite how busy you are. Work will be there when you’re done! You have it time blocked, too, remember? Take the time you deserve and remember why you’re working so hard. It’s so you can create a life that is beautiful and filled with family and friends. The REALLY important stuff. For more tips about creating a work life balance, check out my Blog post about work and life and making the two WORK TOGETHER. (Link the other post there, post work life balance post first). 

Time Blocking Helps You Crush Goals

Setting goals is important. The business of every day tasks can sometimes get in the way of hitting those big or stretch goals, thought right? Can you relate? I know that if I have things scheduled appropriately including time to work on my bigger goals for my business, I am more likely to achieve everything that I need PLUS grow my business. When you’re a small business owner, getting everything done AND growing/thriving can be like walking on a tight rope, super difficult! But Time Blocking is a great first step to creating the organization and time freedom you need to make sure you’re getting it all done. However, sometimes? You just have too much on that schedule. That’s when a Virtual Assistant like Lissie Lu Virtual Assisting can rejuvenate your business and give you more room on your calendar for blocking out important things like goal setting and goal CRUSHING. A Virtual Assistant can take many of the smaller tasks, or even larger projects, off your plate to free up more space on your personal calendar. If you’re working on Time Blocking (or thinking about it) and already feeling overwhelmed, let Lissie Lu Virtual Assisting help you take back your time. I'll add those calendar blocks to MY calendar and we can work together to grow your business. If you find yourself adding dozens of tasks to your lists each week that you find monotonous, or less goal oriented, it’s time to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant to take things off your plate so you can get back to BUSINESS. 

Time Blocking can change the game for anyone interested in taking control of their calendar and their to do lists, and it’s a very simple habit to put into practice. Start small, and be realistic when setting your time blocks. Assess your calendar weekly, or even daily at first, to ensure that you’re staying on top of things and being fair to yourself when choosing how long things will take. Overwhelm is avoidable when you stay organized and keep your schedule in check. If you find yourself with a little too much on the list each week, consider setting up a one-on-one with me to find out how Lissie Lu Virtual Assisting can help. 

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