Making goals and maximizing daily time using time blocking especially for daily rituals can help you because it designates time to the most important tasks you have to do

If you were to be graded by a school teacher, would you get a passing grade for making goals or maximizing your daily time? What about goals you’ve made? Have you reached some goals this year?

Maximizing Daily Time can be done a few different ways. Today I am focusing on time blocking. Do you know what Time Blocking is? Why is it worth spending time doing? Time blocking means the most important things are done first.

Over the years I can honestly say I have tried to maximize my daily time. Usually it works, but honestly I didn’t always know what the best way to maximize was so I lost direction and got tangled up somehow. Daily rituals are in place.

Usually I blocked my time like most mothers would when their kids are little-

Morning – getting ready and dressed for the day.

Breakfast.

Naps – Little ones go down for a nap in the morning time.

Do Basic chores and fulfill responsibilities. Chiefly getting chores done, loading the dishwasher, doing a load of laundry, cleaning off the table after breakfast, paying bills or get them ready to mail, or paying online, etc.

My morning and daily routine were often pretty basic with little ones at home. There was a lot of eating, snacking, cleaning up and changing diapers. Time blocking revolved around what toddlers needed at the time.

When I went to work outside of our home, I scheduled home type activities early in the morning, because the late afternoon always revolved around sports, dinner and then homework before bedtime. Again, the time blocking goals were according to our kids during the school season.

However when I was making goals, my hope and desire was to be organized at home. That often meant the ability to find things!

With this in mind, laundry had to be done so kids would have school clothes and then even more important was the ever important football and soccer uniforms for games.

In view of making realistic goals, time blocking was more a necessity when our kids were younger, because certain things had to be done to be ready for practices, school projects, church activities, and the list went on and on.

Surely getting out my goal and productivity planner out would help redirect me in making goals and maximizing my day. I make one each year because I am often making goals. If you would like a a basic printable productivity planner I have created one here Click on picture below to go to Productivity & Project Planner.

I block my time very simply now.

5:00-7:00 Coffee, devotions, prayer, planning my day, writing down my schedule in my planner

7:00-8:00 get ready, shower, or dress, maybe go to the gym.

8:00-8:30 breakfast, more coffee

8:30-9:00 (this is firm) I straighten the house so I am not distracted during the day by small messes, dishes, dirty clothes on the floor, etc.

9:00-12:00 First I check emails, make phone calls, check inventory of products. Begin listening to to soft or quiet background music. I seem to do better with soft instrumentals, etc.

Lunch Break

1:00-6:00 I type, write, create content for a website, do inventory (there is a lot of inventory)

I finish up with a list, or notes, to do list for myself where to start the next day, things I need to finish up.

Presently this is my blocked time.

I wanted to look back to the beginning of the year and see how much progress I’ve made with my goals. It was alarming and surprising to say the least.

Making goals is an ongoing process and always part of my thinking. It happens daily. Making goals is also important in that the goals aren’t just a To Do list. It is more that that. Goals for life, it starts with each days’ habits.

“The first thing to remember is that over time what is scheduled each day will lead to what goals are accomplished.”

But I found that as I had progressed into this year, several new goals had evolved and had changed from the original goals. I have too many goals, big and small to list here but there were quite a few.

Making goals may not necessarily be hard but they may be challenging to make steps towards actually realizing them.

Making Goals – Making Small Steps

As soon as I realized I was heading in a different direction than I had anticipated (recent major job change) I found that I needed to re-structure my time, changing some daily rituals, my activities that lead to goal making and completing.

I honestly thought to myself I will just restructure my day to accommodate my new work schedule. Making small steps seemed like a good plan. But the plan has had some challenges!

I have found that my time seems to be pulled in different directions. In reality going to an office and working a full 8 hours and then coming home, my time now starts at home. It starts early in the day, goes all day, and often into the evening. Generally speaking, working from home, I am now struggling that not all my tasks are completed. Even the most important ones!

Furthermore, I am finding that I have been taking on more responsibilities, more things to get completed, and that has caused me to miss several not just a few, several deadlines. I am back to making some new goals, with a new plan.

I cannot believe I am having to do what I am about to tell you and maybe it might help you but I am planning my day by Time Blocking which is organizing by time slots/appointments. There have been times that I have even set a timer for myself to stay on track a few times. I am confessing this and it has been shocking to me because I thought I was so organized. I am carefully planning what I do each day so that I can meet deadlines, write specific articles and complete m

I know being organized isn’t enough.

Equally important, I find if there are too many activities, articles to write, inventory deadlines, and not enough time, then the day will run off a cliff at some point, and all the things won’t get done.

Making Goals- Most Important Tasks first

Time blocking. I am using time blocks, and scheduling my day according to the most important tasks and deadlines first.

This is helping me. I found that trying to do too much in a short amount of time can be like trying to fit too many clothes in a very little closet. It won’t work.

The size of the closet will necessitate removing clothes that aren’t as important as the main ones you need to wear all the time.

Putting all my thoughts together, and my plan and my ideas for my own time blocking (for my workday at home)

I have created an outline so that you can also use these ideas to possibly help you schedule your day with a plan. You are not able to add time to your day but you can keep from losing time with unimportant activities, or activities done at the wrong time. If I have a deadline for work, it isn’t a good plan to start laundry, the dishwasher, pay bills or scroll social media!

Time Blocking Outline to help you organize your work day at home:

1. Set a Morning Routine:

   – Wake up at a consistent time.

   – I like to take a shower first thing, get dressed, and have breakfast.

   – Allocate some time for exercise or devotions to get yourself going. The devotionals I use HERE

2. Plan Your Day:

   – Create a to-do list or use a task management app to prioritize your tasks. (I use my planner and you can use one too! See the one I use HERE)

   – Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable ones. (My important tasks I do first. If my tasks take more time, then I give them more time rather than not getting them done and missing my deadlines.)

   – Allocate specific time slots for each task throughout the day. This is key. It is also important to KNOW how much time your activities really take. Wasting important time slots is like spending your rent or house payment money on frivolous things.

3. Set Up a Dedicated Workspace:

   – Choose a quiet and comfortable area in your home.

   – Set up a desk or table with all the necessary equipment and supplies.

   – Ensure proper lighting and a comfortable chair.

4. Manage Distractions: This goal will have big returns

   – Eliminate distractions. Minimize interruptions by turning off notifications on your phone or computer.

   – Communicate your work schedule with family members or roommates.

   – Use noise-cancelling headphones if there are external distractions. Or play office music type playlists softly in the background. I do this I find it helps me more than having complete silence.

5. Take Regular Breaks:

   – Schedule short breaks throughout the day to rejuvenate and avoid burnout.

   – Use these breaks to stretch, twist, walk around, touch my toes, or do a quick relaxation exercise.

   – Avoid spending excessive time on social media or other non-work-related activities during breaks.

6. Prioritize and Focus:

   – Start with the most important tasks first.

   – Avoid multitasking and just focus on one task at a time.

Multitasking can be good, and necessary. It can also lead to distractions. I often Go in one room to print something, not to mention I never loaded the dishwasher and then got even more distracted.

My small step in goal making is I now spend 1/2 hour to one hour first thing in the morning power cleaning (which is rapid cleaning, not deep in depth cleaning.). I have found this helps me. I load the dishwasher, take out the trash, make the bed, gather dirty laundry and place in the hamper, wipe down counters, and do basic tidying. This just makes my thoughts stay focused better on work.

Below is a free printable for you to click on, save and print out. Frame or use for fall decor in your home. I created this to add a little fall beauty to your home!

One small goal I have made out of necessity, is tidying my home briefly in the morning. Home is home and needs maintaining. I don’t work well if there is clutter and my surroundings are messy. I am more intentional now too about putting things back where they go rather than just setting them down.

   – Utilize productivity techniques – working in focused blocks of time if it suits your workflow.

I check emails and only respond to work emails. I do not do personal chit chat, or shopping type emails.

Listen to training, or audio books that help train me in my new line of work which is a lot of content writing.

Do activities like inventory, charting and content development. I write notes as thought starters and use post it style notes to remind myself what I am working on and or where I left off.

Debbie Booth

7. Stay Connected:

   – Use communication tools like FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, video conferencing or instant messaging to stay connected with colleagues. This is a wonderful way to meet, touch base and talk to a real person.

   – Schedule regular check-ins or virtual meetings to collaborate and discuss progress. I meet with the person I work the most with who is in another state, weekly for a staff meeting to go over everything. I make notes all week long so I can go over any questions, ideas and projects I am working on.

   – Maintain a balance between independent work and collaboration with others.

8. End your Work Day: Make a starting and ending time. Do what you realistically will follow.

   – Set a specific time to end your work day. (Right now this is the biggest struggle I have!) Have a time for yourself, to think, wind down, redirect your thoughts and fill yourself back up after you spend all day pouring out or pouring into others.

   – Wrap up any unfinished tasks and review your accomplishments. ( I write an end of day note/charting where I finished, what needs to happen first the next day, and an outline of all the moving parts that need to come together.) Furthermore I make notes on my phone in a note app usually at night because I am often laying in bed remembering things and I don’t want to get up, turn on the lights, write down everything I just thought of.

   – Clean up and organize your workspace for the next day. ( I have created flat type baskets to just lay papers in that I am working on or need to finish. And file folders that section the different topics I may be writing on.)

In conclusion, I have a running list of ideas, tings I need to get for my new office at home, and or videos I need to watch that have ideas that are useful to me, that I know I need to watch. I will need to schedule time to watch those, read, and process the new information I am needing for my new job.

If you have ever struggled with being organized, not getting distracted and reaching your goals, I encourage you to start today. Use some type of planner, or app on your phone to assist you. Do something to move towards having better days.

I also created a Fall planner last year that I wanted to use for my daily schedule. click Here

You might enjoy it, it has fall all over the pages!

Be sure to see more of my encouraging articles, suggestions and help here