Glossary

Time blocking

Time blocking is planning a day by giving each task its own slot on the calendar, instead of keeping a list and hoping everything gets done. Each block says what you will work on and when.

Why a slot can work better than a list

A block is a small version of what psychologists call an implementation intention: a plan that names when and where you will act. A meta-analysis of studies on these plans reported medium-to-large effects on reaching goals (Gollwitzer and Sheeran). Blocks also expose a common problem early. People tend to underestimate how long their own tasks take (Buehler and colleagues), so a day of blocks often holds more than the day can.

A blocked morning, as an example

  • 09:00 to 10:30: draft the quarterly report.
  • 10:30 to 10:45: gap for overrun, water, the walk to the meeting.
  • 10:45 to 11:30: team meeting (fixed).
  • 11:30 to 12:00: replies that can wait until now.

The fixed meeting went in first. Everything else was placed around it.

Keeping blocks realistic

Put fixed commitments and meals in before flexible work, base durations on how long things took last time, and leave gaps between blocks. When a block overruns, move the rest of the plan rather than abandoning it. CHADD suggests setting a regular time each day for planning and checking the planner several times a day (CHADD).

How Flowo handles this

Flowo blocks the day with fixed rules: it places your tasks around the events, meals and sleep you set, and when a block runs over you can ask Recovery to rebuild the rest of the day. Read how re-planning works.

Sources