Time Blocking for Beginners – Small Business Bonfire

Here is my step-by-step guide for getting more done in 12 weeks than most people get done in 12 months.

Step 1: Create Your 12-Week SMART Goals

Let’s begin with the end in mind, the famous words of Stephen Covey.

When creating your 12-week SMART goals, picture where you want to be by the end of the period.

Remember

• Be specific – don’t just say, “I want to grow my business”; instead, aim for “I want to write 30 blog posts.”
• Remember to keep it measurable so you can track your progress.
• Ensure it’s achievable; if you’re a one-person team, don’t set a goal to conquer the global market in 12 weeks.
• Keep these goals relevant to your overall vision.
• And finally, time-bound them to 12 weeks—time to roll up your sleeves and dive into the ocean of productivity.

Step 2: Break down your 12-week SMART goals into weekly chunks.

Think of it as slicing up a productivity pizza.

Each slice represents an actionable, bite-sized task you can munch on weekly.

So, if your 12-week goal is to start a blog and write 30 blog posts,

Your weekly tasks may look like this:

• Week 1: Set up a blog
• Week 2: Research blog topics
• Week 3: write 3 blog posts
• Week 4: write 3 blog posts, etc.

Step 3: Write down your weekly goals in a Trello checklist

Step 3 is all about putting your weekly tasks into something tangible and visible – the Trello checklist.

By jotting down your weekly goals, you can easily track your progress and tick off completed tasks.

Think of it as your personal cheerleader, celebrating every small victory with you and keeping you motivated.

Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about checking off a task, isn’t there?

Here’s my Trello Checklist. I have several for each one of my goals.

Step 4: Time Block Your Tasks

Now that your goals are neatly broken down into delicious, bite-sized morsels, it’s time to bring in our secret weapon: time blocking.

Here’s the deal: Time blocking isn’t just about slap-dash scheduling. No, siree!

It’s about assigning specific slots to your tasks, making them feel all special and important.

It’s like saying, ‘Hey, task, you’re not just another item on my list. You’re a VIP, do you want bottle service?”

So, open up that Google Calendar and start plugging in your tasks, allocating ample time for each.

Tips on time-blocking

• I like to setup my weekly schedule on Sunday night
• I like to include all my business tasks (and most personal tasks) in my time-blocking schedule
• I like to include some buffer space between tasks, so I can find my flow and get into the zone.
• Most importantly, MOVE ON from a task when the block is over.

Here’s a picture of my calendar from this week.