When I came upon Chaunie Brusie’s post on time blocking, I didn’t know that I had already used the technique under a different name. Essentially, time blocking means that you set aside blocks of time to do one task or another. Perhaps you set aside 30 minutes to blog, 30 minutes to work on a requested rewrite, and 30 minutes to do e-mail. During each time block, you work on that particular task and no other.
It is a great way to encourage productivity especially if you find that you can spend an entire day writing and not actually write. Instead, you open your file, draw a blank and check e-mail. Then you pop over to Facebook for a second, then back to the manuscript, then open Chrome to search for information on whatever it is you’re writing about. A day spent drifting from screen to screen is often a day where no writing gets done.
I had used time blocking in the past but didn’t have that term for it. I used the Pomodoro technique. This time management system is based on the kitchen timer. You set the timer for 25 minutes, work through that time, and then take a five minute break. Follow this with another 25 minutes of work and another break, and so on.
The Pomodoro technique challenges you to:
- Figure out, accurately, how many Pomodoro (25 minute time periods) a task takes.
- Work on concentrating, ignoring outside distractions, for one Pomodoro at a time.
- Block out the time that you need to get a job done.
- Work these time blocks into the time you actually have available to work.
This week, I thought that I would be finishing up a manuscript to turn in on Friday. Monday, a rewrite request on the previous manuscript dropped into my in box. Desired deadline? Friday, of course. Fortunately it is for the same publisher, same head editor. Quick negotations led to a new set of deadlines for both projects. Rewrite first. Complete the other draft second.
I’d love to get these done early so that I’m not working two weekends in a row but that means being super productive. Time blocking to the rescue.
So if you’ll excuse me, this Pomodoro is nearly done. I need to get this post up, take my five minute break and then jump into my next Pomodoro.
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 