What is Time Blocking, and How Can it Make You More Productive?

What is time blocking, actually? And how can it help you focus and get more done each day? In this article, we’ll dive into both—plus, I’ll also give you a free daily time blocking template so you can put this method to use toward accomplishing your goals + tasks on a daily basis. Ready to party? Let’s dive in.

What is Time Blocking?

Time blocking is a productivity technique that involves breaking up your day into specific blocks or chunks of time—each dedicated to a specific task or activity. Time blocks range in length from as little as 30 minutes to as much as 4 hours, depending on what you’re working on.

Why Time Blocking Works

The real purpose—and power—of time-blocking is this: it helps you become more productive + effective by focusing your attention on one task/project/goal at a time, while also giving you a clear sense of how much time you’re spending on each task. When you use time blocking, what you’re basically doing is creating a structured daily schedule that helps you minimize distractions, avoid multitasking, and stay focused on what matters most.

Time Blocking + The 1-2-5 Method™

The 1-2-5 Method™ is a simple productivity technique I created to simplify daily task accomplishment. Hundreds of thousands of folks use it every day to get more done – and starting is easy. Each day, you list:

• 1 Big Thing (your #1 priority for the day),
• 2 Medium Things (important, but not urgent actions), and
• 5 Little Things (quick wins, errands, admin stuff, and other small tasks).

Look, using The 1-2-5 Method™ alone will improve your productivity significantly. But when you combine it with time blocking, your ability to focus and accomplish your tasks will be so far beyond what you’ve experienced in the past, it’ll feel like you’re in another stratosphere…

You’ll be cranking away like a machine. Your awareness and concentration will sharpen.

You’ll also get a higher quantity of work done while simultaneously enjoying higher quality outputs from the work that you put in.

In other words: you’ll get more shit done, and it’ll be better too.

Your list of 1-2-5 Priorities (daily actions organized by importance) will eliminate any guesswork about what to work on. And your time blocks will eliminate any guesswork about when to work on it.

In the steps below, I’ll break down exactly how to apply what I’ve explained above in your own life — so you can stop putting off your most important work, and start taking the actions you need to succeed.

Let’s get into it…

How to Structure Your Day for Peak Productivity with Time–Blocking + The 1–2–5 Method™

TLDR: Combine time blocking with your 1-2-5 priorities to set the stage for maximum achievement. Start each day with a 1-2-5 List, then organize your day by blocking time to work on each action/task on your list.

1.
Write down your 1-2-5 Priorities

Start each day by jotting down the one most important thing you need to get done today, followed by two medium-priority tasks, and five smaller tasks:

• 1 Big Thing – Your #1 priority of the day. Usually a large project or goal you’re working on that takes an hour or more to do.
• 2 Medium Things – Important, but not urgent actions that take about 60 minutes or less to do.
• 5 Little Things – Quick wins, errands, admin stuff, and other small tasks that take around 30 minutes or less to do. (Some people like to leave this section blank and populate it as tasks come to mind throughout the day.)

2.
Create your time blocks

Allocate time blocks to work on each of your 1-2-5s. Then, create time blocks for the rest of your day, including meetings, Zoom calls, exercise, and everything else you’ve got going on.

There are several ways to create time blocks; you can use: the calendar app on your phone or computer, the free time blocking template I’ve included for you in this guide, or the physical 1-2-5 Time Block Planner (available in Large and Medium).

As far as creating the actual time-blocks—it’s as simple as drawing a box, as shown in the image below:

Or, you can also choose to use brackets rather than boxes:

3.
Make it a daily ritual

All you need is 5 minutes to write down your most important actions and block time to work on them. Start each morning by designing your day, and the productivity gains you experience will astonish you… Think of it as a daily ritual for high-performance living. 

***
Hope this was useful,
— Dean
PS: Get your free time blocking template below

The 1-2-5 Time Block Planner

A physical companion for your digital tools that helps you prioritize + focus on your most important tasks.

Shop now →

1–2–5 Time Block Planner (Large)

The 1-2-5 Time Block Planner is the daily productivity tool you’ve been waiting for. Beautiful layout. Space for your most important tasks. Undated. Perforated. With time-blocks in 30-minute increments from 5:00am – 9:00pm.

Highlights

– Size: 8.5″ x 11″
– 40 perforated sheets
– Premium paper (90 GSM)
– Clean, minimalist design with lightly dotted pages
– Time blocks on the left, 1-2-5 priorities on the right
_{Made in California, USA, with eco-conscious printing processes.}

1–2–5 Time Block Planner (Medium)

Highlights

– Size: 5.5″ x 8.5″
– 40 detachable sheets
– Premium paper (90 GSM)
– Clean, minimalist design with lightly dotted pages
– Time blocks on the left, 1-2-5 priorities on the right
_{Made in California, USA, with eco-conscious printing processes.}

Shop now →