How time blocking will change your life

Part Four of my simple and practical guide to making time for the things that matter most.

[This is the final part of my four-part guide to making time for matters most using the practice of time blocking. Here’s where you can catch up with Part One, Part Two and Part Three.]

So here we are, Part Four. Why have I spent time (a loooooong time 🤣) writing this guide? Why do I think you should read it?

Because time blocking isn’t just another ‘time management’ tool…it can help you change your life. Which is a bold claim, and one I have evidence to back up.

I’ve helped many inspiring people to re-craft their lives into something more fulfilling, more full of joy, more…. alive. Each person’s journey has been as individual as they are, of course — yet there are common elements that every person has needed to work on:

• getting real about where you are now
• dreaming big about where you want to be
• making a (first, loose) plan to bridge the gap between the two
• uncovering hidden expectations and beliefs
• creating space for the new, by saying no and letting go

Time blocking underpins every single one of these elements. It grounds us in reality instead of that alternate, fantasy dimension in which we love to live (see Part Two). It gives us the information we need to take action. And it give us a tangible measure of success (how we’re spending our time is not the only measure of ‘re-crafting-your-life’ success, of course — but it is an accessible, tangible one).

Time blocking grounds us in reality, gives us the information we need to take action and provides us with a tangible measure of success.

Let me show you.

Defining where you are now, where you want to be, and how you might bridge the gap

When I start working with a client, we embark on a journey of discovery. What’s life like now? What’s your biggest, truest dream for yourself? What’s important to you? What are your deepest values? At some point I ask them to draw a circle, representing their time in an average week. They divide it roughly into slices…