Life has been lifing so hard lately. I have felt like I am spinning around looking at all of the things I need to do without being able to engage them.
I made a to-do list – I’m not sure if it helped or just made me feel even more overwhelmed. How do you figure out what to do? How do you take care of yourself?
I asked that question in a group I’m in, and one person recommended time blocking. Time blocking is setting aside blocks of time for each of the tasks you have, instead of multitasking or stopping to read each new email or message as it comes in.
Start by identifying your tasks (that to-do list I mentioned would work). Then you prioritize them by importance and urgency — the Eisenhower Matrix is a great framework for that.
Once you’ve prioritized your tasks, you can start setting your time blocks:
- Create and schedule your work blocks. Allocate 1-2 hour blocks for the most important tasks. More time than that can cause you to be less productive. Make sure you have a block for dealing with email, text, etc. so that you can feel free to ignore them while you are working on other things.
- Balance your schedule. Leave time for meals, stretch breaks, and/or errands. If you take breaks you will find that you are refreshed and more efficient afterwards.
- Evaluate your day. At the end of the day, take time to reflect on what went well and what you need to adjust. Also glance over what you have scheduled for the next day and make any needed adjustments to cover things that may not have been completed or changes that have been made to your tasks.
Time blocking is a great idea, but I told this person that I have MS (multiple sclerosis), so I never know how much energy I will have at any moment. So she suggested that I do energy blocking instead. To do that you prioritize your tasks (same as preparing to time block), and then separate them into high energy and low energy tasks. When I am feeling well I can tackle the high energy ones, and when I’m not I can either rest or choose from the low energy tasks. It’s really a good idea for everyone, actually. If you’re at your best in the morning, schedule your high energy blocks then. Then schedule the things that you need to be sharpest for during those high energy blocks.
She also recommended the book The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. I need to check that one out! I’ll add it to my task list, lol.
But when it comes time to prioritize things, think hard about what is most important. Check out my short video to see what I mean:
If you can let go of all the things that fall in the “Not Important, Not Urgent” block of the matrix, you’ll gain time and peace of mind. If you delegate all the things that you can in the “Not Important, Urgent” block then you’ll have even more time to practice good self-care. And if you let go of striving for perfection, well, you really can feel good about how you are treating yourself.`
In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown says, “Healthy striving is self-focused: ‘How can I improve?’ Perfectionism is other-focused: ‘What will they think?’” Ask yourself why you push so hard for perfection? Who are you trying to impress?
For most things you do, done is good enough. Before you push yourself to polish and edit and sweat over something, check in with yourself and see just how important the task is. Will putting in the extra effort really make a difference? Save the extra work for those few places where it makes a big difference.
If you can loosen your hold on producing things that are perfect, and hold on more tightly to the things that enrich your life (the things that fill your joy tanks, like family, friends, hobbies, volunteering), you will be a much happier and healthier person.
So it’s ok to turn off the computer and spend time with family instead of perfecting that report or workbook. Do the things that will make good memories in the years to come. By all means – time block and energy block if it helps. But don’t let that be your whole life. Take time to really live, too.
"So many of us believe in perfection, which ruins everything else, because the perfect is not only the enemy of the good; it's also the enemy of the realistic, the possible, and the fun."
Great suggestions on how to life when it’s hard. Your book suggestions are spot on.
I’ve also used the Eisenhower Matrix. I think this is a tool we can all use for so many areas of our lives.
Claudette
Great ideas and reminders Conni. The Eisenhower Matrix is new to me. I struggle with time blocking. My best excuse is my daughter who requires full time care and attention. That said, she is likely not the real reason, instead it is my inability to honor my schedule and stick to it. I set a schedule and then fail to check it. The most likely way for me to accomplish something is setting an alarm – I’m definitely in a habit of doing the thing that is right in front of me rather than the thing that will most move me forward! Energy blocking is something that sounds both appealing and manageable. I just need to face my day with intention and respect for myself and the things I truly want to accomplish. In truth, while my daughter does need me, she is happy just being by my side while I focus on the things that need doing provided I take breaks to engage her and care for her physical needs. Thank you for the thoughtful way that you take on skills that can move me forward!
The idea of energy blocking is not something I had heard of before (very familiar with time blocking, though) and I really like the idea of this and may give it a try myself – perimenopause has been zapping my energy lately and I’m finding it harder to block time for the reason you mentioned – not knowing what my energy will be like throughout the day (today I had to nap because I just couldn’t keep my eyes open). And it sure seems like life is lifeing for so many of us these days! Hang in there 🙂