When scheduling out your week, there are two huge techniques that you can use to simplify the task. The first was briefly mentioned in the last post and it’s time blocking. The second technique is to have theme days. I personally use both of these techniques and they have helped me immensely.
Time blocking can be very helpful for flexibility in the overall schedule. By scheduling a 3-hour chunk of time for studying, you change your perception of the task. The schedule is no longer rigidly 2 to 5. If you start a little late, you can still accomplish the 3 hours. You just use some of your buffer time. More importantly, by seeing it as a block, you can move it around your day or even your week. The hope here is that you do not skip the task completely. Instead, you move it and complete it at a different time.
It’s important to note that not all time blocks have to contain a task. In fact, you should have at least one daily block that is empty. You should also have one larger block for the week that is empty. These can be used for the occasions when time blocks need to be moved or unexpected tasks are added. When these things happen, adjust and make notes so that you can improve your ideal 168-hour schedule.
The second technique is to create theme days. This lets you focus on similar topics within a day. It could make it easier to switch between tasks. For instance, you can do math and science on Mondays and Wednesdays. You can do English and History on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can dedicate Fridays to a foreign language or administrative work.
Another idea that is available, is to create theme days based on work load. For instance, if English and History both have long reading assignments, don’t also schedule email tasks that day. Also, think twice before you put two difficult subjects or two subjects that you dislike on the same day. You may be different. I found it hard to stay motivated all day if every task seemed daunting. It was also hard if I didn’t want to do the tasks.
These are two really simple techniques that can be extremely useful when you are creating your weekly schedule. These time blocks and theme days can help you start a productive routine. They also can help you stay flexible which will make it easier to continue your new habit of scheduling.
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