Most of us need to get through a mile long to-do list every day. But no matter how dedicated you are to your to-do lists, does it still feel like you can’t focus? Or, that your productivity levels are always lower than you want? If that’s the case, you should consider time blocking – an easy way to both increase your focus and boost productivity.
So, what exactly is time blocking? Time blocking takes your to-do lists and goes one step further. Instead of just having a bunch of tasks to complete, with time blocking, you schedule out specific time periods in which you do those tasks, and those tasks only.
Each time block can be as long or as short as you see fit. For one task, an appropriate time block might be 20 minutes. For a more intense project, you might need to schedule two to three hours.
The key thing to remember is that during each time block, you allow yourself to work only on the task at hand, free of distraction.
This means, turning off notifications, putting your phone on airplane mode, signing out of your email accounts and closing all the tabs on your screen.
By doing these things, you can start to produce high-quality work.
Why? Because according to Georgetown University Professor and author of “Deep Work”, Cal Newport, “distraction is necessary to enter a state of deep work.”
What’s more, “if you can increase your focus, you’ll get more done in less time.”
So, give it a try. Schedule out specific and strict time blocks in which you focus only on one task. Chances are, you’ll boost both your focus and your productivity.
