How to Save Hours in Your Day with Time Blocking: A Virtual Assistant's Guide to Productivity

Are you constantly juggling tasks, feeling overwhelmed by the never ending to do list as a virtual assistant? Do you find yourself losing track of time and unable to focus on important projects? It sounds like it's time for a little ~productivity makeover~ for you. Let me tell you all about time blocking and how it can be the game changer for you that it was for me. I'll give you a few reasons it's beneficial and also a few tips for sticking to it.

The Power of Time Blocking

Time blocking essentially. means assigning tasks to certain times of day. This means physically putting "events" into your calendar to make sure that you are working on specific events during specific pre-determined times. By assigning dedicated time slots for each activity, yes I'm talking down to 15 minute increments, you can eliminate distractions and procrastination, allowing you to fully focus on the task at hand. By assigning set times fo rhtings, you are not only guaranteeing that it gets done, but also making sure that you aren't spending time doing other things (I'm looking at you doom scrolling) during this time. This focused approach not only makes you more productive, but also ensures that you make steady progress on your projects and tasks.

Setting Up Your Schedule

To make the most of time blocking, start by setting aside a specific time at the beginning of your day or week to plan out your schedule. I like to chunk things out on Monday to make sure that I'm set up for my week. I'd allow 30-60 minutes to write down all the things that you want to do for the week and to assign them a time chunk. Pro Tip: as you go through your current week, start writing down tasks that you need to do for the next week if you think you'll forget. This allows you to already have a list on Monday to go off of so you're not sitting there thinking, "What was I supposed to do again?"

To set up your schedule, block out chunks of time for essential tasks, such as responding to emails, client meeting or calls, and working on client projects. Remember to factor in breaks to avoid ~burnout~ and make sure you're able to work on that task for the ENTIRE time you've allowed (unless you complete it early).

If you have really small tasks that you'd like to account for (less than 15 minutes), use Google's "task" feature to assign it to a day in general instead of a time of day. It will then show up at the top of the day and then any subsequent day if you haven't physically marked it as complete (thanks Google for following up and keeping us on our toes).

If you are working with multiple clients and struggle to know when you should be doing work for each one, you can also color code your calendar. This helps to know what times of day you will be working with each client and also helps you to make sure that your mind stays focused on only one client at a time.

Stick to the Plan

Once you've established your time blocks, it's really important to stick to your schedule. Avoid the temptation to multitask or answer a "quick" email. Don't stop to doom scroll on social media when scheduling a post. Don't respond to an email when you're writing captions. Stay disciplined and fully committed to the task, knowing that you have allocated time for other tasks later in the day. This is FOR SURE the hardest part, but that's okay. It will start to get easier the more you practice.

Embracing Flexibility

While time blocking provides structure to your day, it's important to remain flexible and understanding with yourself when things come up. You just pivot and adjust your schedule as needed. I like to plan to end my day at 3pm every day. This way if something comes up or a task takes me longer than expected, I know that I really have until 4 or 5 to finish all of my tasks for the day. I also typically don't plan a lot for Friday so that I can move events to then if I didn't finish them. Although time blocking seems like it should be super rigorous, it doesn't have to be the end all be all.

Maximizing Virtual Assistant Productivity

As a VA, your role demands a high level of multitasking and time management. By using time blocking you will be able to get more done in your week and finally create that work life balance you've been craving.

cheering you on

laura