Time blocking has been... a revelation

This might be the biggest lesson I've learned in recent years!

I made a bunch of decisions about Mark Ellis Reviews at the end of 2022. You may have done the same (for your own business, obvs). If so, you’ll know how cathartic it is; looking back at your achievements and missteps and discovering stuff that would have otherwise remained hidden is a great use of your time.

It’s also the perfect time to make changes. Not for change’s sake, either - that would be daft. Instead, it’s an opportunity to act on those lessons you learned during the previous 12 months.

For me, a few things became abundantly clear during my review of 2022. It didn’t take me long to realise that for 2023 I need to:

• focus on getting back to basics when it comes to content planning and production;

• ensure the first cohort for my brand-new Medium Academy is the only focus of 2023 Q1 - beyond my regular content;

• get help (of the external, contracted kind); and

• become a master of my own time.

That last lesson is what I want to talk about today, because for the first time ever, I’ve been time blocking my working days.

The initial signs suggest it was a rather brilliant idea.

Even if I say so myself.

It might sound odd for someone in my position to suggest that my time isn’t my own. After all, I’m running a business with just me in it (bar some external support).

I’m the boss.

I set the rules.

I have no one to answer to but myself.

So, why didn’t I have full control of my own time last year?

The answer is pretty simple, and it might chime with your own experience if you too have made the switch from regular employee-based work to that of a solopreneur.

It’s damn hard to get yourself out of the ‘my time isn’t my own’ mindset.

Bear in mind that I escaped from the daily grind in 2015 - nearly eight years ago. Yet, I’ve still spent those years of independence feeling as though something or someone else is always vying for my attention. Sometimes, that has absolutely been the case - whether it was a client, partner, or, more recently, the impending deadline for a sponsor content review.

But most of the time, no one is waiting on me… but me. That’s why time blocking has finally forced itself into my working week.

My approach to time blocking

I think there are a couple of ways to approach time blocking. The first is to literally sketch out your day, hour by hour.

That doesn’t work for me; it feels too restrictive. I flirted with that approach last year, but I felt as though, once again, I was simply chasing my tail and switching between far too many disparate tasks.

So, instead, I’ve decided to time-block entire days.

This is the result:

It should be noted that there are two things missing above. The first is the time I spend between 6am and 9am, which is related to admin, blog publishing (not writing!), and community management. The second is the all-important gym time, which typically takes place halfway through the day.

I’ve played around with the tasks assigned to each day, but as you can see, I’m devoting entire days to either video, writing, digital products, or business planning. I’ve essentially divided the constituent elements of my business and placed my entire focus on one at a time.

It works!

Weirdly, I feel like I somehow have more time on my hands. That’s impossible because I’m doing just as much work, but focusing on one thing at a time has removed all the worries I had previously about neglecting tasks or running out of time.

This might seem obvious to you. In fact, I wouldn’t blame you at all if you’re sitting there nodding and thinking to yourself, “I’ve done this for years - why has this guy only just caught on?”

I’m a latecomer to time-blocking, but if you’re in the same boat, I urge you to give it a go. What’s more, I strongly believe that blocking entire days for specific tasks is the right approach for most solopreneurs, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. It allows you to maintain focus on one thing at a time and avoid the perils of spreading yourself too thinly.

I’ll report back, but 2023 really is off to a flying start at Mark Ellis Reviews HQ. I just need to ensure I address the other three bullet points above!