You're Bad at This
You're Bad at This
Time management is a bi**, but it has a simple solution
You are disorganized, you feel you don’t get enough things done in a day, you feel or are told that you don’t manage your time well, you are always late and you don’t know why, you get distracted and off track all the time, and by the time you realized all of that, the full day is gone. You repeat the next day, and the day after.
Feels familiar? if so keep reading. If not see you next time.
Now, there’s a simple solution to that. This is something I struggled a lot with for a long time. Now I know why.
Not so long ago I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism (in my 40’s). But despite that, I manage to get around all of that, and be always the most effective person in the room when it comes to time management, and making decisions fast.
Or at least faster than anyone else I’ve met.
But how? For me simplicity is king. I apply a very simple rule every day, and I’ve been doing it for the past 20 years. Here is how, I call it Time Blocks
Tempus Fugit
Time flies and we all know that. And when on top of all you have any attention disorder it’s very hard to get things done. You travel between times of hyper focus to times of chasing butterflies, where nothing at all gets done.
Time and tasks are connected, so if you organize them in sequence and you follow that sequence, you’re tuned in for the day.
Might be obvious, but it’s hard to achieve, as you get distracted all the time. Calls, meetings, ad-hoc slacks, family calling or the dog wants to go out. And if you don’t work from home, lunch, coffee breaks, the annoying talkative person in the office, etc.
Most you can’t control, but I learned that If I just focus on the things I control I can get a lot done.
Time Blocks™
Time Blocks™ for me are the answer. As a neurodivergent with ADHD, I know, after reading lots of studies, why I organize the things the way I do, why I buy the same clothes and why I go to the same places. I do it to be more effective, to waste less time thinking about it.
If simplification is king, repetition is queen.
Moving fast through the day in Time Blocks requires coordination, concentration and focus; all necessary trades. Therefore, if I want to move fast, make decisions fast, there must be a sequence.
What I mean by that? For example when I find a song I like, I repeat the same song in a loop, over and over and over again, and then I can hyper-focus. For me schedules, are like songs. If they repeat, I can hyper-focus.
That said":
For me the sequence is divided in Time Blocks of 90 minutes (or 1,5 hours).
If we look at the day as a song, each one of mine will have 16 “notes” or Time Blocks, each note will serve a purpose in a day.
Assign anything to the blocks, it can be 16 different things. I’m effective with 8.
The point is that it can be sleep, work, meetings, gym, lunch, breakfast, etc. But can also be Sleep, Client A, Client B, Art School, etc.
Once a block is assigned to a task, I don’t change it, unless I can optimize something. I stay with it for weeks, and weeks. Focus and repetition.
For example: each day I assign 5 Time Blocks for sleep, 1 Time Block for sports, 1 Time Block for food, 6 Time Blocks for work, 2 Time Blocks for Leisure, and 1 Time Block for Projects (more on weekends)
I get better at predicting what’s next, I can organize better, say “No” to things that don’t align.
What works for me, might not work for other. It’s up to you if you chose your blocks to be 30 minutes or 180 minutes or something else.
The point is, plan ahead. Identify what works for you. But most important, it will show you your limits. And this can be applied as well to smaller sub-blocks if you need it.
What I’m saying might seems obvious, but surprisingly everyone has blocks, but no-one plans them, they let others plan those for them. There lies the problem.
Just say NO
Time Blocks by itself are not a big of a deal. It’s an organization method. But my secret weapon was learning to say “No” even when I really want to do the stuff I’m being proposed. Here is why.
Let’s say I have plans for a training session on a Saturday, and because it’s sunny outside (in The Netherlands it’s a big deal) and I’m being planning a picnic. I’ll say Yes. There’s a net positive trade-off, one can even go and train in the park.
But if instead I’m proposed to go and see, let’s say Deadpool3 (haven’t seen it yet), I’ll say No. As I can go to the movies at any time.
There are two very obvious examples, but. 99,9% of the time people will say no to point A, and yes to point B. Just based on who is asking. Again, there lies the problem. Someone else is controlling the time.
Plus some things can be moved.
Needless to say, that for example if you are being asked to work on a Saturday, No is your default.
… Just say No, it’s ok.
Conclusion
In short, organizing your time in Time Blocks you control, learning to day “no” when does not fit that schedule, or avoid changing pre-planned schedules will be helpful to stay organized.
If you have to change to a new Time Blocks, drop what you are doing and just do it. Or you’ll never get things done.
If you are working (“work” Time Block), and you get distracted by a someone with some extra tasks. Take mental notes, put it in the queue, keep with the current task till it’s completed.
If it’s priority change, then take some time to close the current task, as much as possible not to loose any mental maps. Then move to the priority, and after back to the original.
It’s super simple, stay on track. If something don’t compute, just say no.