- > This isn’t to say that time blocking is a perfect solution, however. In fact, there are a lot of reasons why you wouldn’t want to block out your daily schedule: It takes a lot of time and effort. Scheduling each minute of your day means… scheduling every minute of your day. It’s a much more labor-intensive system than just writing out the 4 or 5 tasks you need to complete. **Few of us (if any) have the same schedule every day. **Time blocking is _much _easier when you have a clear set of tasks. However, most of us need to constantly adapt to requests and demands.
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- > **We’re bad at estimating how long tasks will take to do. **We all have a tendency to be overoptimistic with how much we can get done in a day (psychologists call this the Planning Fallacy). It can be disheartening (and stressful) when you feel like you’re constantly behind your schedule. Constant interruptions and “urgent” tasks can destroy your system. Relying on upfront planning means that when one thing goes wrong, the whole system breaks down. Flexibility is key in most workplaces. You can’t tell your boss that you won’t be able to get that urgent fix out today because it’s not on your calendar. A strict schedule like this doesn’t always jive with the demands of your workplace. You can lose sight of the bigger picture. Focusing just on each day can sometimes make it harder to think about making progress on your long-term goals.
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- > Place buffers in between tasks. We all have what’s called “Attention residue” after completing a task that can take anywhere from 10–15 minutes to get over. If you assume you can switch gears on the spot, you’re going to end up frustrated and behind schedule.
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- > Schedule your breaks (not just lunch). We’re not machines. Make sure you set aside time throughout the day for a quick stretch or walk to give your brain (and your eyes) a rest
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- > Put in time for downtime, relaxation, and learning. The most productive people pair work with rest. Give yourself the time you need to relax, let loose, and even learn new skills. You don’t have to be 100% productive 100% of the time.
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- > Set an “overflow day” to stop you from feeling overwhelmed. If you’re constantly falling behind on tasks, you’ll want to set aside an overflow day dedicated to getting caught up
