All small business owners have to juggle many tasks each day which can be so difficult, not only do we have to find the time for our money-making tasks but our business admin, bookkeeping as well as social media pages.
How do we manage it, being a Virtual Assistant, organisation is key for my business to survive, so I thought I would let you into a little secret and that is 'Time Blocking'. This is how I manage to organise my clients' work as well as my own. This method means I am on top of my 'must do' admin as well as my money-making tasks and I even have time to walk my dog each day 😁 plus I make some gorgeous homemade soup today, and I must say my Butternut Squash Soup was delicious - happy to share the recipe if anyone would like it, just ask.
Well, let's get back to talking about 'Time Blocking', it is a time management method which asks you to divide your day into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task or group of tasks. Instead of having a long list of tasks which you will get to when you can, you will start each day with a concrete schedule which lays out what tasks you will do and when you will do them.
See the example below of what a time block calendar looks like.
The key to this method is to prioritise your list of tasks in advance - I do this weekly on a Sunday evening or Monday morning for the week ahead once I know what tasks I have to complete, I then start to time block by task priority and by client deadlines. Then at the end of each day, if there is anything I did not manage to complete or any new tasks I need to add, I will add it to my time blocks for the rest of the week.
Since my tasks are time blocked it helps me to stay focused on one task at a time instead of worrying about all of the tasks I have outstanding and with each time block completed you will have a sense of accomplishment knowing that you are on track.
With all your tasks time blocked in advance, you will not have to go through a list constantly trying to work out which task to tackle next, all you need to do is follow your schedule. If you do get off-task or distracted which is very easily done, simply look at your schedule and go to, whichever task you blocked off the time for. Make sure you allow time to have breaks, in between each time block I have a little 5-10 mins break to take a little walk around to get away from my PC screen which helps you stay focused and helps with eye strain.
I use Google Calendar to time block by creating lots of different calendars within my account. I then have a different colour for each of my clients as well as certain tasks so I can tell each client/task apart on my calendar by just glancing at it which makes it easier for me to stay on track, if you would like any help in setting up a time block schedule, just get in touch at hello@creativeedgevaltd.co.uk
Has much as I love and always use my Google calendar, I also have my 'Time Block your Day Planner' next to me on my desk so I have no excuse not to stay on track. I designed the planner, especially for myself, it has a section for time blocking, a section for you to add your to-do lists with tick-off boxes plus pages for your notes. Since I loved it so much, I decided to design a few of them to help you get organised too so pop over to Amazon to have a look at what I use.
If you would like your very own Time Block Planner designed by me, then check out the listing on Amazon, just click here
Did you know that in a 40-hour time-blocked workweek; you can produce the same amount of work as a 60+ hour workweek which has not been structured? So it is worth seeing if the time-blocking method would work for you and your business.
Even though time blocking can benefit many business owners by making them more productive if your workload is just too much for one person or there is a task you struggle to do because you either just hate doing it or you struggle to then outsourcing is a must. I bet you just rolled your eyes then; thinking here she is trying to sell her services to me now 😁🤣 well I did give you my secret and you can't blame a girl for trying...
Don't take my word for it, ask anyone who has a good Virtual Assistant how much hiring one has helped them. Feeling less stressed and gaining more precious time to work on the money-making side of your business helps you grow your business plus makes you gain a better work-life balance and everyone wants that, right!
If you need any help or advice please drop me an email or book a chat with me by clicking here.. remember to bring up cuppa!!
Heidi - Dubsado Specialist VA
Creative Edge Ltd