Chapter Content
Okay, so let's talk about managing your time, specifically, how to use time-blocking. It's all about control, you know, taking charge of your day. And, uh, it's funny, but we can actually learn a lot from the past about this. Like, I was reading about Benjamin Franklin the other day, and in his autobiography, he actually laid out his whole daily routine. It was super structured, using this technique called time-blocking. Essentially, you just block out chunks of time for specific things.
So, Franklin's day was basically split into six blocks. First, he'd wake up, you know, around 5 AM, get washed, do some reflecting, plan out the day, and have breakfast. Then from 8 AM to noon, it was all work. Midday, noon to 2 PM, was for reading, checking accounts, and having lunch. Then, back to work from 2 PM to 6 PM. Evenings, 6 PM to 10 PM, were for tidying up, supper, maybe some music or conversation, and then reviewing the day. And finally, sleep from 10 PM to 5 AM.
Okay, look, I know that routine doesn't exactly fit most people's lives these days. I mean, childcare, home stuff, it's a lot. But, we can still learn from the structure. The core idea of time-blocking is that you set aside specific time slots to work on specific tasks. Instead of just, you know, having a to-do list that you're always chasing, you're actually managing your life through your calendar. And the cool thing is, this actually works because you're setting an intention for your time. That planning part is key to actually making progress. It helps you focus, avoid distractions, and actually feel like you have control over what you're doing and when.
Personally, I use time-blocking for my professional stuff. I like to leave my personal time a little more open. I don't want to feel like I'm scheduling every single family dinner or workout, you know? But for work, I've got this model I use. I basically split my professional time into four categories: management, creation, consumption, and ideation. Let's break those down.
Management time? That's what a lot of us spend most of our work lives doing. It's like, meetings, calls, presentations, answering emails, managing teams, you know, the whole shebang. It can be productive, sure, but it can also make you feel like you're just spinning your wheels.
Then there's creation time. This is where you're actually, you know, writing, coding, building, preparing stuff. This is where the real progress happens. Organizations that are doing well really focus on this, making sure management stuff doesn't totally eat it up.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Consumption time is one of the often-forgotten ones. This is where you're reading, listening to podcasts, studying, taking courses. To paraphrase James Clear, author of "Atomic Habits," everything you create comes from something you consume. So, this is about feeding your brain.
And finally, ideation time. The other forgotten one. This is brainstorming, journaling, going for a walk, reflecting. Just thinking. Most of us don't make time for that stillness. So, we're just making linear progress instead of, you know, having those "aha!" moments that come from creative, nonlinear thinking.
So, how do you actually figure out where your time is going right now? Here's a simple exercise. Start on a Monday, and at the end of each day, look at your calendar and color-code everything. Red for management, green for creation, blue for consumption, and yellow for ideation. At the end of the week, just look at the whole picture. What color is everywhere? Are there any chunks of green for creation time? Is it all just scattered randomly? This will give you a pretty clear idea of where you stand. And then, you can start to make some changes.
Here are a few tips to help you get a better balance. First, batch your management time. I know, easier said than done, but management stuff can really take over if you let it. Meetings and emails can fill up every second. So, try to create specific blocks of time for them. Like, one or two blocks for emails, one or two for calls and meetings. The goal is to keep that red from spreading all over your calendar, creating space for other things. And hey, I get it, this is easier to do the further along you are in your career. If you're just starting out, even small improvements can make a big difference.
Second, boost your creation time. This is what helps you move forward, get involved in cool projects. As you're batching your management time, carve out time for creation. Block it on your calendar and don't check your email during it. Just focus on creating.
And third, make space for consumption and ideation. These are the forgotten ones, but they are super important for long-term growth. All the successful people in history made time for reading, learning, thinking. So, start with just one short block per week for consumption and one for ideation. Stick to the purpose of those blocks. And then, once you've got that down, you can start to increase the amount of time you spend on them.
Give these tips a try. You might be surprised at how quickly you start to feel the benefits.