{"id":353,"date":"2021-04-09T16:34:57","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T14:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/papervideo.co.za\/blog\/?p=353"},"modified":"2021-04-12T11:10:50","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T09:10:50","slug":"time-blocking-student-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/papervideo.co.za\/blog\/time-blocking-student-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Time Blocking Guide for Students to Accelerate Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world can be a busy and distracting place, lucky for us techniques and strategies like time blocking, timeboxing and task batching exists to help find calm amid the chaos and accelerate our productivity.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Time blocking? Surely the average to-do list with a few boxes to tick would suffice. Time blocking is almost like a time-saving strategy, but instead of saving time, it helps you dictate exactly how to spend it more efficiently. Sure, task lists are good to have, but instead of improving productivity they only outline what needs to be done and this can make a day seem even more daunting, especially if learners aren’t able to tick off all their boxes. Time blocking tells you what you should be doing and when you should be doing it. And it’s a technique that some of the world\u2019s greats swear by.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time blocking helps you get the most out of your daily schedule and helps you control what your day-to-day looks like. And with pioneers like Elon Musk and Bill Gates, who run empires while playing tennis with Trevor Noa and the pros, we think there\u2019s something to be said when it comes to swapping out the to-do lists for time blocking.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is time blocking?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, time blocking is a time management method and is especially helpful if one has different projects, school activities and days that are chock-a-block or if the person tends to get distracted easily.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a strategy that helps track time in conjunction with all the projects on your plate and it allows you to plan out days and weeks in advance. Days are divided into defined slots or chunks and each chunk is then dedicated to completing a specific task or a group of tasks. You would need to gauge how much time is needed for each activity and divide your day-to-day up according to these timings.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The technique was made popular by Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, where he unpacks focus within an increasingly distracted world. Newport explains that he dedicates 10-20 minutes every evening to time blocking. It\u2019s a task in itself, but one that ensures other things and people can\u2019t steal his time. \u201cSometimes people ask why I bother with such a detailed level of planning. My answer is simple: it generates a massive amount of productivity. A 40-hour time-blocked work week, I estimate, produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour work week pursued without structure,\u201d writes Newport.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of time blocking<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The strategy is designed to combat something known as Parkinson\u2019s Law \u2013 a theory (or law, if you will) that suggests that the amount of work expands to the time available for its completion. This law states that however long you work on something depends almost entirely on the amount of time you have to do it. In response to this law, time blocking highlights that the stricter you are with the time you allocate to each task, the more results-driven and focused the output.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strategy\u2019s aim might be to counteract one law, but it certainly boasts a few other benefits:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

1.<\/span> Provides an environment for \u201cDeep Work\u201d<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Instead of spreading your attention and thinking across multiple projects, time blocking helps with what\u2019s known as \u201csingle-tasking\u201d \u2013 a pretty self-explanatory term. Focusing on one task at a time can make you up to 80% more productive than splitting your attention across multiple tasks. Your brain can focus all of its mental resources on one thing and the structure helps your brain think better. \u201cSingle-tasking\u201d also helps in building mental muscle which will, in turn, help you focus more deeply and leave no room for distraction.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.<\/span> Improves your workflow<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Having a plan or blueprint in place helps you follow through with whatever it is you\u2019ve set out to achieve \u2013 fewer distractions, less procrastination, more time to be productive. A publication by Harvard\u2019s Behavioural Science & Policy Association found that having a concrete plan can help people see their intentions through more effectively and time blocking helps you see the bigger picture so you can limit distractions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, distractions are inevitable: \u201cIn this day and age you cannot call something distracting unless you know what it\u2019s distracting you from,\u201d says Nir Eyal, behavioural designer and writer of Wallstreet Journal\u2019s best-seller Hooked: How to build habit-forming products. Time blocking helps your brain identify what you need to be focussed on. The technique is not only about what you are doing at any given point, but also about what you\u2019re not doing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.<\/span> Creates a sense of control<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There isn\u2019t a lot we can control in life, so when we get the change to carve out our path we jump at the opportunity. Time blocking allows you to set out how you would like to group times and tasks. Not only that, but you also become accountable for your workflow and you\u2019ll find that you come up with fewer excuses like \u201cI just haven\u2019t got time to exercise and eat properly.\u201d Instead, these change to \u201cI haven\u2019t decided to make time for exercise and proper eating.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will lead you to take control over your time and everything you do with it, for each new commitment you\u2019re forced to find a little physical slot for it, which in turns helps you prioritise what you fill your time with. The cost of saying yes to things now comes with a little more thought, and the act of saying no can become a lot easier.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.<\/span> Makes you more efficient<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The time blocking method encourages you to schedule challenging tasks first allowing you to reserve your energy and willpower. The flip side of doing the big and important stuff first means you get really good at doing the distracting and tedious work faster.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The technique also makes perfectionism and procrastination difficult to execute, yes \u2013 perfectionism isn\u2019t always your friend. Since there\u2019s a time limit attached to daily responsibilities there\u2019s less time spent tweaking and obsessing over details; good eventually becomes good enough. If you are working on a task that you know requires a bit more attention to detail, then schedule it in and be selective about the task that gets all of your time.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Time blocking is great technique that helps learners stay the course and enjoy a little flexibility.<\/span>
<\/strong>Paper Video<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>gives learners the freedom to be flexible with their tutoring time, which means they can slot their extra online classes in anywhere in their schedule. With online resources and past exam papers that cover Maths, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Accounting learner can take advantage of brushing up on much-needed revision wherever, whenever \u2013 all online<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a recipe to time blocking?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no right or wrong way to start your time blocking strategy, but there are a few key things to keep in mind, especially if you\u2019re using the technique to make working or studying more efficient.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

1. Group smaller tasks into a bundle<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Schedule challenging tasks first and group easier, tedious and distracting task into one bucket. These tasks are also known as \u201cshallow work\u201d \u2013 think of them as admin tasks, they\u2019re important, but usually require clicking out or jumping between platforms \u2013 this becomes an easy pitfall for distractions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you group tasks like these together you minimise having to switch platforms constantly throughout your day. Make sure you batch all of your shallow tasks together in a dedicated time block or two, and you\u2019ll be able to power through them more efficiently and protect the rest of your schedule for work that requires a bit more concentration.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Be aware of your time<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Your first few time blocking iterations might not pan out quite the way you hope, and you\u2019ll get better at estimating how long tasks take over time. Until then it\u2019s best to block off too much time as opposed to too little. Be mindful and pay close attention to your first few time blocking schedules; keep an eye on tasks that require a bit more attention than others and focus on how you spend your time during the first few weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you need to add a 10\u201315-minute buffer? Should you make room for prepping or getting ready for the next task? These are all things you\u2019ll only learn as you start doing. If something is difficult or frustrating, use shorter work intervals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Set goals or milestones<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The great thing about time blocking is in and of itself, it can be seen as a goal mapping tool and should be used as such. Create milestones for yourself within your schedule. If not to finish a task, use it to elaborate to yourself how far you would like to get within that scheduled block.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned before scheduling tasks and goals creates a higher chance of you following through with your intentions. Don’t position time blocking as a means to help you schedule in work, but as a road map to help you get to different goals and milestones. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Breaks are important too<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re not machines, we\u2019re not made to work and study back-to-back hours which is why your time blocking recipe should always include breaks. We\u2019re not talking about lunch, but dedicated blocks for learning, stretching and even colouring – you get to decide how you spend your mental break.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Common time blocking mistakes<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Time blocking should be seen as a framework for thinking about your day and not as a set of laws that you can\u2019t break. Life happens and unexpected tasks might pop up, the key is to not let them derail you. instead, see it as an opportunity to deal with the unexpected as they come your way.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

1. You\u2019re not flexible<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Being too rigid with time blocking can land you in hot water, things will come up and ruin your plans and your time blocks should be seen as a flexible way to challenge yourself. Always see this strategy as a means to help plan your day, not a binding contract.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even productivity expert Cal Newport edits his plans and sees it as a game: \u201cThis type of planning, to me, is like a chess game, with blocks of work getting spread and sorted in such a way that projects big and small all seem to click into completion with (just enough) time to spare.\u201d If you can\u2019t bear to let the unpredictable get the better of you create a block every week to \u2018catch up’.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Planning to relax is counterintuitive<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Not just for your workflow, but for the leisure of relaxing. Imagine \u201cscheduling\u201d relax time. It almost makes it sound a little unpleasant. While our greats (remember Elon and Bill) break their days down into 5-minute increments \u2013 next level we know, overscheduling leisure is a self-defeating exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can become tempting to block out every hour of every day, but rather keep blocks empty so you can spontaneously decide what to do with them \u2013 or call off scheduling at a certain time i.e. 7 PM your calendar is a big block of emptiness. Keep the spontaneity of leisure sacred and give yourself a little freedom to do with your time what you want \u2013 not everything is about control.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Underestimating available time<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll get better at estimating how long tasks take over time but until you\u2019ve honed your instincts, err on the side of blocking off too much time for tasks rather than too little. Pad your schedule with extra time to complete and transition between tasks. You can even create \u201cconditional blocks\u201d of time you can tap into if you fall behind.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how you integrate Time Blocking into your school calendar<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For students time blocking can be a bit more flexible than that of a normal working day, after all, learners are often most likely dependant on other individuals\u2019 schedules: parents, teachers, coaches. Nevertheless, when it comes to prioritising school-, revision or study work time blocking can be an effective tool that helps learners control a little bit of their day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s putting some of what we\u2019ve mentioned into actionable steps for an everyday school calendar.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Identify tasks that require focus<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Whether you need to sharpen up on mathematics, aim to get a higher score on your tests or simply aim to hunker down and get work done, it\u2019s important to be intentional and understand what your priorities are.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about all the task you have and factor things like school sport, extra classes and chores in – things that will affect your day. Once you\u2019ve identified your tasks you might find that a number of them might not be a priority right now \u2013 a test in the distant future or a project that’s due later in the week, aim to limit your daily schedules to 2 priority tasks per day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Associate time variables to each of these tasks<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Get your layout ready \u2013 a calendar or diary with which you can break down each day into individual hours. Use the blocks as guides and start allocating tasks to each block. Think about the time you think it will take to complete each task or how much time you would like to spend on different activities. Remember the first few weeks won\u2019t be perfect. You\u2019ll find your balance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colour code your tasks according to different subjects or activities (much like you do your school timetable.) Using colours to show each category gives you a great visual picture of where your time is being spent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n