Feeling Disorganised? Try Calendar Blocking

Time Management

To talk about calendar blocking we should first speak about what time management is. Time management, according to Meriam Webster, involves using the time available to you in a useful and effective way. It’s about getting activities, especially the most important or priority tasks, effectively and efficiently completed. In order to better time manage, a lot of people use tools and mechanisms to ensure they are able to get all their tasks done. One such tool is calendar blocking.

What is calendar blocking?

Calendar blocking is a time management and scheduling tool that involves blocking off activities in a calendar for specific time periods. It can involve a physical or digital calendar and provides you with an idea of what your day, week or month will look like for practically every instance of the day. Apps like Google Calendar, iCal and Microsoft Calendar are often used to calendar block though some people use specific apps like Plan and other time blocking tools that help users set up their schedule.

The great thing with calendar blocking is that it provides a reference for everything you’re going to be doing in a day, week, month, or even a yearrrr (sort of, I’ll admit I more used that last one for the Friends reference). I’ve used calendar blocking on and off again at different points in my life. So let’s talk about my experience with it, what I liked, what I didn’t like, and whether or not this is something that can work for you.

My experience with calendar blocking

I like calendar blocking, I just don’t think I’ll be using it all the time. For one, my schedule is usually pretty boring and predictable, with only occasional disruptions in my routine. For me, in building out a routine, I write out the list of activities I need to get done during a week, followed by what points during the day I would like to get them done. After figuring that out I write out a proposed schedule that I follow for a week or so and tweak as I go along, maybe switching one activity for a different time because it works better.

This is something I’ve tried to tie to calendar blocking in the past with mixed results. While at the start of building a routine it was helpful in getting me into the groove of things, I didn’t find it more helpful than my regular system and definitely not something I needed after a few weeks of a routine being established.

I’ve also used calendar blocking on a busy month that brought a large disruption to my regular routine. In that month I wasn’t only studying for my MSc, but was also involved in other programmes and short courses. I was thus a lot busier than I normally would be and calendar blocking helped in my adjustment to that new routine and ensured that I got the necessary things done.

Personally, I think I’ll only use this time management tool when I have a radically different routine from my normal one. Generally, though, I won’t be using it and will stick to using my calendar as a reminder for meetings or events that I have rather than as a tool for listing all of the activities I will be doing.

While calendar blocking doesn’t always work for me, I see the value in it and can definitely see it working for others, especially people with varied routines, or who lead busy lives with lots of different meetings and activities to work around.

Benefits

So, let’s get to it, what are the benefits to calendar blocking? Calendars are a great reference for knowing or remembering what activity you’re supposed to be doing at that point during the day. With digital calendars, you can be sent messages telling you that at 1:00pm you’re meant to be reviewing flashcards and thus prompting you to get ready to do said activity. Reminders for meetings and other events can be especially helpful if you’re a little forgetful and also, when people need to make plans with you, you have a reference point for answering in your calendar. So if someone says, “Hey, you wanna go out?” you can say, “No, sorry, I’m scheduled to take a very important nap at that time.”

Calendars also help people stay on track with a routine, especially when starting something new and needing a push to stick with it. It can be helpful if you have a hard time keeping up with your schedule and feel overwhelmed at the very thought of all the things you have to do. The very act of placing things in their appointed time during the day can be anxiety reducing for some, making them feel like the week ahead is manageable. The key thing here is to plan for the week or month ahead when in a good frame of mind. Calendar blocking before the work week starts, like a Sunday or even Friday evening, instead of frantically on a Monday morning before starting said activities can be useful.

Things to note

• Calendar blocking might not be immediately helpful as there is a learning curve.

After calendar blocking for a while, you get an idea of what kind of activities line up with each other. For instance, maybe after calendar blocking for some time you realise that you work better looking through emails in the morning and studying in the afternoon. While this can be a useful thing to learn about yourself and how you work, the process of getting to that place might be a bit frustrating as it may take some time of realising what does not work for you, to figure out what does work for you. So, be patient and open to the adjustments that will occur.

• Different colours can line up with different activities (it also just looks pretty)

Calendar blocking generally involves using different colours to match different activities. For example, yellow can match with administrative activities, and meetings can be signified in orange. The association of the activities with certain colours helps tie things together, making the system more cohesive and understandable.

• Physical Calendars

If not using a digital calendar, but rather a physical calendar, ensure that it is placed in an easily noticeable and easily accessible place. For instance, placing it on a wall in your bedroom and/or in your office tend to be the most convenient places. Wherever you place it, ensure it’s not likely to be destroyed or trampled upon. Calendar blocking can also be done in monthly planners with activities and colour coordination being done with pens and highlighters.

• Digital Calendars

There are many different kinds of calendars that you can use to calendar block. Google Calendar is a great option, as well as iCal and Microsoft calendar. For digital calendars, which are the types of calendars we’ve been mostly speaking on, having both the desktop or web version and the mobile version of the app are essential. Having the calendar app on multiple devices helps with easy access and input. Using integrated apps like google keep or todoist are also great as they provide you with the to-do list function that a lot of people (like me!) crave when using a calendar system.

• Take Breaks!

For some, scheduling breaks is helpful in ensuring that they’re not all work and no play. Resting and making time for hobbies is definitely important. If you’re more likely to work through your breaks, simply block off time in your calendar so that you will be reminded to stop working at certain times and rest.

Why it might not work for you

So for all the positives, why might a tool like this not work for you? First of all, while a great system, we all have our preferred organisation systems and so what works for one person might not work for another. The bullet journaling system I use works great for me, but someone else might find it unhelpful.

Calendar blocking is perfect if you have a tough time starting things or knowing the right time to get things done but if you’re already good at those things it’s not as necessary. And if you’re someone who likes to be consistent but also have flexible systems, something like a bullet journal might be better suited to you. That said, for some people calendar blocking might be perfectly flexible, especially with digital calendars where it takes little to no time to adjust a changed schedule. Just make sure, if it’s something you’re now starting that you don’t give yourself unrealistic standards or timeframes. Better to give yourself two hours to finish something and finish it in one, than to give yourself fifteen minutes and take an hour to actually finish it.

Alternatives

So, if you find that calendar blocking does not work for you, what can you do instead?

Some other organisational and scheduling tools are:

• Time blocking
• Time Batching
• Timeboxing
• To-do lists
• Bullet Journalling

Overall Thoughts

Overall, calendar blocking is a useful tool that persons can use to assist in their time management efforts. That said, persons should use this tool in a flexible rather than rigid way as it can easily become a source of anxiety if not careful. If tasks change or you’re not able to complete all the tasks within the timeframe you initially set out, be kind to yourself. It may just be that you have underestimated the amount of time a certain activity takes to get done, or you’re attempting to do too many tasks within one day. It is possible to be disciplined while being kind to yourself. Find the balance in building a routine while also being flexible to what life might throw at you.