What are the best tools for time blocking to improve productivity?

One of the most important lessons I was taught was to have the settings in the calendar to open on that page as opposed to emails. This avoids immediately diving into emails and allows a perspective of the day ahead. It’s also important to block travel time!

Excelente ferramenta para organizar e gerenciar nosso tempo! O calendário digital facilita a organização da agenda, auxilia na gestão do tempo e principalmente evita o conflito de agendamentos simultâneos.

Two things I have found helpful are a digital calendar and a timer. They both help me stay accountable, so I feel accomplished at the end of every day. It is easy to get distracted; however, both of these tools help drive my productivity.

Use a digital calendar to establish set DND time. Treat this time just like an appointment. Use the time. This means no calls or interruptions are permitted. Best

Using a digital calendar is the first step towards implementing time blocking for increased productivity in an efficient manner. Dynamic tools are available to allocate specific time slots for tasks, meetings, and focused work on platforms such as Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar. Setting priorities, keeping a structured day, and managing commitments are all made easier with the help of the visual representation of time blocks. Including notifications and reminders guarantees that the allotted time slots are followed. Digital calendars' adaptability and ease of use enable users to synchronize their schedules across devices with ease, encouraging a proactive and well-organized approach to time management.

A timer is an essential tool for efficient time blocking and productivity. Timer apps such as Focus@Will and basic methods like the Pomodoro Technique can be used to create focused work intervals that are interspersed with short breaks. This technique makes use of time constraints to increase focus and reduce burnout. Through dedicated work periods, people can improve productivity and sustain a healthy work-life balance. For maximum productivity, the timer acts as a concrete reminder that promotes a balance between focused work and restorative breaks.

As a manager, I found setting a specific time limit for a task essential in being more productive. As a matter of fact, the timer creates a structured and defined work period which sets a specific time limit for a task. More specifically, to prevent burnout I use the Pomodoro Technique in order to create a rhythm that optimizes my workflow throughout the day. Timers can be an extremely useful tool that keeps us on track by incorporating timed intervals and breaks!

Here’s another deep work technique, my coachees found value from: POMODORO! Named after the tomato shaped kitchen timer, POMODORO is about short spurts of deep-work laced with short breathers to peak your productivity. If you often find yourself distracted by emails and calls, consider this technique. Find a 2 hour window in your day/week dedicated to deep-work. Set the timer for 25 minutes, close all other work-tabs/emails/set phone aside and focus on the activity/concept you want to focus on. After the first 25 minutes take a 5 minute breather and then go back to another 25 minute POMODORO cycle. Repeat this for 2-3 cycles before you reward yourself with a 25 minute break. You can customise this to your attention-span and time.

Setting a timer allows you to pace and predict outcomes without being overly prescriptive with your exact tasks. This works particularly well with projects that have an element of autonomy or creativity.

Penso que não exista uma única ferramenta, mas um conjunto de soluções que colaborem com o desempenho. Uma boa organização de atividades correlacionado com limites de distração será um excelente começo para aumento de produtividade. Daí existem vários APP que cumprem esse objetivo. Mas acredito que para alem de aplicativos, a técnica promodoro promove uma excelente mudança de hábitos.

Utilizo o Trello para organizar e gerenciar, acho um ótimo recurso para o monitoramento do desempenho das tarefas diárias. Além disso, ele ajuda na organização e priorização, aumentando a produtividade do dia a dia.

Procrastinar, distrair-se com facilidade, fazer várias tarefas ao mesmo tempo, não ter objetivos definidos e subestimar o tempo de execução das demandas são alguns erros que podem ser alguns erros cometidos na gestão de tarefas.

Uma maneira eficaz de gerenciar suas atividades diárias é criar uma lista de tarefas. Priorize as tarefas mais importantes, defina prazos realistas e tente não sobrecarregar seu dia. Considere também a possibilidade de utilizar aplicativos de gerenciamento de tarefas para ajudar a organizar suas atividades. Além disso, é importante reservar um tempo para pausas e descanso, para manter um equilíbrio saudável.

One thing I found helpful to increase the productivity by the task manager, through this tool you can easily define complete and allocate to complete the task and increase productivity. A task management tool is used by an individual, team, or organization to complete projects efficiently by organizing and prioritizing related tasks. Task management tools come in many forms, like basic spreadsheets or online project management applications.

A task manager is instrumental for time blocking as it allows you to break down projects into smaller tasks, assign priorities, and set deadlines. It helps organize and visualize your workload, ensuring that time blocks align with your goals. Regularly updating and reviewing your task manager enhances accountability, promotes efficient scheduling, and contributes to improved productivity by providing a clear roadmap for your activities.

Using distraction blockers can be quite effective. For instance, I have a sign on my door indicating "Come in" or "Thoughts in process" to prevent unwelcome interruptions. Turning off email notifications on your desktop or laptop is another effective strategy. It's also beneficial to block out time in your calendar for personal use, whether it's to eat, pray, or simply recharge. However, one of the most crucial barriers you might need to set up is against your own tendencies to veer off towards simpler tasks or procrastinate.

Top performers who don't look tired out by the end of the day have a few things in common about managing time and productivity, ie, - a) set some time in the day when you'll only take disturbance (emails, calls, meetings) from your 5 most important stakeholders b) to get more done, starting the day early is way better than staying in late c) set aside some time every once in a while during the week where you do only 1 thing that you love or is really important d) set aside some time every once in a while during the week to fight procrastination, by pushing forward hitherto avoided stuff or by delegating to or involving others in them or by simply asking for help

I‘m a huge fan of a service mentality and high availability, but with the fast moving world and additional technical availability (mobile phone, Teams, WhatsApp,…) I learned that - I like to call them „Focus accelerator“ instead of „disturbance blocker“ - are a easy, available and applicable way to increase your focus and accelerate your outcome. It accelerates your time/speed and your quality! I also feel better and I‘m more present with a emptier desk and less under pressure, which also is a huge benefit in my overall performance. Being balanced leads to better decisions, you listen better and you become a better communicator! #Focus4Growth

Très utile pour tout travail nécessitant concentration et effort intellectuel. Sinon pour des tâches de routine où l'esprit peut se permettre un peu de distraction, il pas de mal à laisser un peu de place à des activités ludiques qui aerent l'esprit tels que music ou radio

Atenção não se perde, desvia-se por diversas razões: fome, sono, preocupações e claro, notificações do celular! Bloquear as distrações, seguindo a técnica Pomodoro concomitante com o temporizador e deixar o aparelho longe do nosso alcance no momento de realizar tarefas, impede a dispersão... Faço isso e super funciona!

Keeping a journal can significantly improve our productivity, especially when we take the time to evaluate at the end of each day what went well and what could be improved. This reflective approach is key in allowing us to gain important information regarding our daily habits, patterns, strengths and weaknesses. For instance, through this method I realized that by reducing time spent in social media, I gained valuable time to read. This introspective process make us self-aware and simultaneously serves as a roadmap for making informed adjustments to our daily routine.

I prefer to write my day schedule in details blocking time and then marking the tasks done during the day. Now we also have the facility of blocking digital calendar when collaborating with a team mate and is very effective tool to mark recurrent and important tasks

Hand written journaling, writing my to do list has been a habit for many years. I always find a great sense of satisfaction in getting to the end of the day knowing how I’ve moved forwards. Writing tomorrows to do list as the last task of the day works well for me

I love the use of journal! I think this one is a must to everyone especially if we have tons of work! Having a journal will really impact your work as you're able to identify the priorities vs the non-priorities.

I like having a physical calendar on my desk or somewhere I can see it. I use it with a journal to note down what needs to be done. It helps me have an overview of the day and week so I can know which tasks are important and how much time I can allocate to them. I use digital calendars most for appointments, virtual meetings and keeping track of my team's availability.

An example is putting personal blocks up. Two days out of the week, I will make sure I do not allow my work to run past 5 pm. I leave my work phone, laptop and iPad in my office and enjoy activities with my family or friends. It is important to build this end to keep you well rounded and do no allow professional life to take time away from personal. When my sons was younger it helped them to know my family time was just as important. I also do shut down on Friday at end of day and do not allow work devices in until Sunday at 9 pm when I am preparing for following week. I do not send emails after hours. I will put them on delay to set the tone for others.

While I appreciate the tools listed above (it is generated by AI, after all), they are just tools. Item #1 should be shifting your mindset to be **less busy** so you can be **more productive**. Too many organizations are still counting "busy actions" as a mark of productivity ("how busy are they?") instead of measuring quality outcomes as a mark of productivity ("did they produce?"). As the saying goes, "a fool with a tool is still a fool," and every tool listed above has easy hacks to work around them because they are only tools. Want to be more productive? Attend to your mindset first: focus on the objective, get comfy with the bare essentials, and place high value on your time. (then use tools to support your productivity mindset)

I schedule a ‘Monday Hour One’ and ‘Friday Hour Done’ - I take an hour at the beginning and end of week to block time in my diary to complete tasks and write a ‘3 priorities’ list for each day. If I can get my top 3 crossed off the list I know I’m making progress.

Additionally Time management is not ‘one size fits all’, it’s unique to each person. And most importantly needs discipline and prioritizing, also making time for what anchors us. If our Anchor of what we want o achieve and contribute, and be is clear time management will become easier and not a task, but something we do that makes us happy.

Don’t schedule “back to back” meetings, you need time in between to take a break, debrief your notes, etc. Turn the “no” to interruptions into “not now, Let’s schedule for later”. Don’t install WhatsApp in your computer (sorry) or block notifications!