Time Blocking + Key Focus Areas

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Time Blocking is a "sexy" term in the productivity realm. What is Time Blocking? Basically, it's the practice of setting up "time blocks" throughout your day to focus on specific tasks. The block of time can range anywhere from 10-minute intervals to hours at a time.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most well-known time blockers, and in our opinion, created a process that looks a LOT like many of the "best self" calendars out there:

Benjamin Franklin and his daily schedule (Wikimedia Commons)

Now, here at Axn Planner, you will not see a physical daily calendar anywhere - literally anywhere - within our Axn Planner. Why? Well, for many reasons:

• They take up too much space: If you've ever used a more rigid day planner with each hour blocked off, you'll notice that you probably left most of the page (and thus by the end of it all, most of the planner) completely empty.

• They can actually ADD to your stress: For some people (including some people like our Axn Planner founder who are constantly dealing with both anxiety and perfectionism pressures), time blocking every single task including when you will eat, when you will sleep, and when you can take a break can actually set off a whirlwind of anxiety throughout the day. Why? Most people do not have the luxury of setting their own schedule, and let's face it, what we believe will be our schedule at the beginning of the day probably changes by 10am!! Things often pop up that throw our pristine time-blocked schedule completely off-course.

• Many people use a digital calendar nowadays: some people still use physical calendars, but more and more people and companies are switching to completely digital calendar scheduling.

So, if Axn Planner doesn't include a calendar, why are we talking about Time Blocking? Let's reiterate what an Axn Planner Key Focus Area is. Not every task you have to do every day is a Key Focus Area. Key Focus Areas are the top 1-to-3 things that you want or need to do that day above all else. Everything else after completing your Key Focus Areas is bonus!

Time Blocking + Key Focus Areas

If you would like to follow in Ben Franklin's footsteps and Time Block everything in your day, go for it! Our Axn tip is the following:

If you time block nothing else for your day, block off 10, 15, 60 minutes (or however much time you'd like) during a time of the day when YOU have the most energy and use that as your "Key Focus Area" time. Treat this as a solid, firm meeting that cannot be moved. If your boss or someone else tries to take this time, remind them that you are using this time to do the most important thing you have to do that day. They might not listen, but at least you are protecting your Key Focus time. After your Key Focus Areas, everything else is bonus!

Bonus tip: Many times, once we get started working on something, we want to keep going but run out of time. Schedule a SECOND optional block of time directly after your Key Focus Area block. This way you'll be able to keep up the momentum if you'd like, or you can stop after the main block is over and move onto something else.

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Do you use Time Blocking?

• Yes, I time block all the time!
• Sometimes.
• No, I prefer not to time block.
• I had no idea what this was until now.