And most importantly, how many times do we try to multitask like that in a single day?
Why do we multitask?
We all are on an eternal quest for saving time and try hard to get things done in lesser periods of time.
Multitasking might seem like a time-saving tactic, but it only decreases your productivity by a whopping 60%!
That's because your brain is continuously engaged in switching from one activity to another so it makes it highly plausible for nerve cells to lose information on the way.
This means more mistakes, lesser retention of what has been done and ultimately more time is wasted.
In our fast-paced, hurried lives, time is money. It is not only the satisfaction of completing tasks in lesser periods of time, but also trying to pull out some free-time for ourselves that forces us to resort to multitasking
So before you even think about saving time, think about quitting multitasking.
Try to focus on a single activity at a time and be conscious of your movements and actions, even if they are conditioned by habit.
Calendar blocking helps you to do just that by assigning a place and time to a single activity.
Why should you calendar block?
Let me introduce you to calendar blocking, which is basically allotting amounts of time or 'blocks' in the day (and sometimes place) to activities and tasks. There are fairly good reasons why you should calendar block:
Frees up mental space
When you have all your tasks in some place, it relieves the mind from trying to remember all of them.
Having a list or a plan always helps to make sure you get the things done.
In fact, using check-boxes (yes, simple check-boxes!) is considered one of the most effective methods in increasing productivity used even by space engineers while building space shuttles!
Utilize time efficiently
Sometimes we allot too much time unnecessarily to things that don't need much attention and that may result in degrading the quality of the work that actually requires it.
Calendar blocking helps you to literally 'see' how much time goes into each task. It provides you with a visual representation of your entire day.
Sometimes, you can just look at tasks and ask yourself, 'Do I really need to do this?'. Remember that something that cannot bring benefit is not worth your time.
That seems quite obvious but we all do it - checking e-mails more than twice a day, hesitantly accepting invitations to social events like parties even if you really don't want to and things that you commit to at your own cost.
Master the art of saying a straight 'NO' when you know you will have to struggle with too many commitments.
Gradually, you will start doing things out of passion, not obligation.
It is not wrong and I am not endorsing obnoxious behavior, but the cold, honest truth is that nobody knows the value of your time more than you do.
Cost-effective
Some of us plan-aholics spend money on pretty stationery and other 'gear' for planning.
That is not necessary at all and you can get a different experience altogether with the unique aesthetics of calendar blocking.
The only thing you need for calendar blocking with Google Calendar is a free Google Account, which almost all of us already have.
Eco-friendly
Again, analog planning does take a lot of manual work on paper which can be easily made eco-friendly by switching to digital planning.
I understand some of us just love the touch and feel of paper, but I can assure you that with time, it will be easier to get used to calendar blocking.
I have some more tips for you on saving paper right here - How to Cut Paper Usage and Not Trees
Versatile and Flexible
This is perhaps the most important advantage of calendar blocking.
You can easily postpone tasks and blocks of time without any hassle, effortlessly add and delete tasks, invite others to collaborate, set up online meetings, color-code similar tasks, add reminders and goals, access all your notes in the same place and suit it to your needs.
Without further adieu, let's get straight into it!
Google Calendar
Here's some preliminary knowledge: Google Calendar is a time-management and scheduling calendar service developed by Google.
And it's free!
It is not that hard to reach there.
When you search 'google calendar', the first search result you will see is Calendar - Google.
Once you're there, you would see this interface:
But obviously, you can use DigiCal, Fantastical or any other you want to. I personally like to use Google Calendar.
Looking at this empty calendar alone gets me excited to fill in with colors! Now comes the actual 'planning' part.
Priorities in Calendar Blocking
Let's go into the order of things to put up first on your digital calendar.
Work/School
The time of the day that you are unreachable to others. Things that you must do and will face direct consequences if you do not.
Studies show that people who work for more than 4-5 hours a day have decreased productivity, so try to work less to get more things done.
Sleep
Sleep for at least 8 hours a day. Supermodels sleep for 9-10 hours to get the typical glowing and toned skin.
According to Top 10 Benefits Good Nights Sleep, a good nights sleep can make you smarter, more productive and focused.
Wake up preferably 2 hours before work or school to give you a head-start to your morning routine. Once you lose an hour in the morning, you will be searching for it the whole day.
Morning routine is something I am curious to know about from you. What is your morning routine - prayers, meditation or journalling? Comment down below!
Necessary Breaks
This is subjective and varies from person to person, so it is completely up to you.
I recommend using the Pomodoro technique, in which you work for 25 minutes and take a break of 5 minutes. You can extend it as much as you want - 50 minutes work and 10 minutes break, and so on.
But this is a step whose importance I realized myself so I would truly encourage you to be generous to yourself.
Miscellaneous
Meeting with friends? Watching movies? Game night with family? Put it all in there.
Mistakes I made while Calendar Blocking (and you shouldn't!)
I made terrible mistakes starting out with calendar blocking that may have made me counter-productive than productive in the early stages.
I really, really wish I had realized these mistakes or someone just told me about them earlier! Please don't do these mistakes!
Mistake #1: Obsessing over schedules
Checking your schedule too many times unnecessarily is undoubtedly a wastage of time.
Calendar blocking is supposed to help you live your life the way you want to; don't allow it take control of you and decide the way you should live.
To avoid this, I would recommend sitting with the calendar at the beginning of the week on one day for only 15 minutes so that you can look back at the previous one and think about what to improve, and also be mentally prepared to face the challenges of the new week.
Mistake #2: Upsetting over missed events
I expected everything to be perfectly going hand in hand with the calendar but that did not happen always.
Some things might not go according to plan and that shouldn't let you down.
You can always reschedule, postpone and move things around. And lucky for you, calendar blocking can get that done for you effortlessly.
Mistake #3: Not taking breaks
You can forget your house address or phone number but please do not do this mistake.
It is so, so important to take breaks and however tempting it might be to completely fill up your day with work, just don't do it.
My biggest mistake was to stare at the white spaces in the calendar and ask myself, 'Do I have to be free then?'
You should take a moment to breath and rewind at least once a day. You won't show better results nor any progress without recharging when it is necessary.
I have enough health problems already from doing this mistake.
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst
- William Penn
Conclusion
Now, if you look at your calendar and see how much 'white spaces' or free-time you have, you might be dumbfounded by how little it is.
But that is the truth - time and tide waits for no one.
Some of the productivity tips I mentioned were from an international bestselling book - Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
I love talking about this subject mainly because just like everybody else, I want to be as productive as I can and I have made so many mistakes along the way.
I don't mean to contradict myself, but to lead a happy life, you have to forget about time. Just imagine a day without a clock or a watch to tell you what time is was.
Impossible.
You would have to live like an animal - doing what you want to, when you want to.
We may not have the ability to stop time, but we do have the ability to stop ourselves and live life slowly so that every moment lasts an eternity.
Good work Azhar, well written, good structure and language. Keep it up.
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