April 8, 2025 • 16 mins
https://lestallion.com/collections/journal-notebook-for-time-blocking
Feeling perpetually overwhelmed, with endless to-do lists that never seem to get done? You're not alone—and there's a solution hiding in plain sight. Time blocking transforms abstract tasks into concrete appointments on your calendar, creating protected space for focused work and dramatically reducing the chaos of modern life.
Unlike traditional to-do lists that simply catalog what needs doing, time blocking establishes clear boundaries around your activities. It's the difference between writing "draft presentation" on a list versus blocking 10-12 PM with your phone silenced and notifications paused. This simple shift creates what we call "a meeting with yourself"—and just like you wouldn't casually skip a meeting with someone important, you learn to honor these commitments to your own productivity.
The research is clear on why this approach works so powerfully. Time blocking minimizes distractions by establishing psychological boundaries around specific activities. It enables deep work by eliminating the constant task-switching that fragments attention, helping you achieve that elusive flow state where your best work happens. It conquers procrastination by breaking intimidating projects into manageable chunks with specific time allocations. Perhaps most importantly, it improves your awareness of how you're actually spending your time, revealing insights about your work patterns and efficiency.
Tools like the Listallion journal enhance time blocking through thoughtful design features—thick premium paper, numbered pages, weekly spreads, and flexible layouts. The physical act of writing creates stronger commitments than digital alternatives, cementing your intentions and making the entire planning process more enjoyable.
Ready to transform your relationship with time? Start by identifying your priorities, dividing your day into focused intervals, and including buffer time for unexpected developments. Remember to schedule breaks, resist overloading your calendar, and regularly review what's working. The payoff extends far beyond productivity—reduced stress, greater control, and a more satisfying relationship with both work and personal time await.
What would change if you stopped letting your day happen to you and started intentionally directing your attention where it matters most?
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LeStallion offers premium PU leather journal notebooks for writing, dedicated to all those who are pursuing their dreams and goals, or nurturing their personal development and mental health.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, so you've sent over a ton of stuff this
time around and like it seemslike there's this like kind of a
recurring theme and all that,that feeling of just like being
overwhelmed, right Like there'stoo much to do and not enough
time and you just know there'sgot to be a better way, right
Like you're looking for moreefficiency, I guess.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah, less, chaos.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, like less chaos , more, like just like getting
things done and feeling goodabout it Right Getting things
done.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Feeling good about it Right Getting things done.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Not just having them on the list?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, exactly, and it's interesting how much of
what you sent kind of comes backto this idea of time blocking.
Have you heard of time blockingbefore?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Oh yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, it's not a new idea, but it's one of those
things that if you actually likedo it and do it right, you can
really change how you approachyour day.
Yeah, right, so we're going tolike really dig into how it
works and why it can be sopowerful, because, like, when
you're feeling overwhelmed, Ithink sometimes, like structure
is actually like a relief.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Absolutely yeah, it's like almost a comfort in a way.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, like you know what you're supposed to be doing
when you're supposed to bedoing it, and that can actually
like calm the chaos.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Right, and you know I noticed one of the things you
said was about this journalnotebook for time blocking by
Lestallion and it reallyhighlights that time blocking
it's not just making a to-dolist.
It's not just a list, it'sabout actually taking those
tasks and like giving them theirown time swats.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, giving them an appointment on your schedule.
Right, exactly, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So let's get practical.
Like what does that actuallylook like in action?
Like how do we time block?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well, so you know how you make an appointment in your
calendar to go to the dentist.
Yeah, you would do the samething for your tasks.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
So instead of just having on your to do list right
presentation, you would actuallyblock off maybe like 10 am to
12 pm.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Oh see.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And say presentation draft no emails, phone on silent
.
You're giving it that protectedspace in your day.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Interesting, so like it's a meeting with yourself
basically.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, absolutely A meeting with yourself.
And you know how you wouldn'tjust blow off a meeting with
somebody else.
You've got to show up foryourself.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Oh that's interesting , yeah, okay.
So then what makes that so muchmore effective for actually
getting stuff done?
Because I think we've all madeto-do lists and we're like, okay
, I'm going to get to this, andthen something else comes up.
So what does the research sayabout what are the actual
advantages of doing it this way?
Like, what are the actualadvantages of doing it this way?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, there's quite a few benefits that are
highlighted in the material thatyou sent over.
First off, distractions.
Huge, yeah Right.
So when you know you have aspecific block of time dedicated
to a specific task, you're wayless likely to get distracted.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Makes sense.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So those emails, those text messages, the social
media, whatever they're notgoing to like, tempt you as much
because you know this is mytime for this thing Right, like
it's kind of like you set upthis mental boundary.
Yeah, you have, it's a mentalboundary.
This is focus time, right?
This isn't for anything else.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
It's almost like you're giving yourself like
these mini deadlines throughoutthe day, Right Like.
Ok from 10 to 12,.
I'm doing this.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Absolutely yeah.
And that leads right into thesecond benefit, which is being
able to do deep work, deep work,that's where the magic happens.
So when you're not constantlyswitching between tasks and
you're able to really focus, youget into that flow state, you
produce higher quality work andyou're more efficient.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
And that's that flow state that people talk about,
where you kind of lose track oftime and you're just like in the
zone.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Exactly You're in the zone You're present.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
You're not worried about what's next on the list,
you're just there.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And then there's procrastination, which we all
struggle with.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Yeah, that's a big one.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Right Time blocking can really help with this,
because it makes those big tasksfeel less daunting.
So instead of like, oh my God,I have to write this whole
report, you're thinking?
Ok, from 2 to 3.30, I'm goingto work on the introduction.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
I see.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It breaks it down into smaller chunks, right, so
it feels more manageable.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So it's almost like you're tricking your brain into
thinking it's not this hugescary thing, it's just like a
small, manageable thing.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
It is, it is.
It takes the scary out of it.
Yeah, and then finally timeblocking, really improves your
awareness of how you're spendingyour time.
That's a good one, becausewe're often terrible at
estimating how long thingsactually take.
Yeah Right, so when youactually schedule your time and
then you track it, you start toget a much more realistic
picture of your day.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Right, like where your time is actually going.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Exactly when is it all going, and that can be
really eye opening.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, and I like that .
It's not just about likeproductivity, it's also about
like self-awareness.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
It is yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Right Like understanding your own habits
and patterns.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
You know we talked about some of the things in the
research about, like, the reallycommon obstacles to good time
management.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Right Like why people struggle with this.
So how does time blocking likehelp us tackle those specific
problems?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It really does address those things head on.
Procrastination, like we justtalked about breaking things
down into smaller chunks, makesit way less likely you're going
to put it off.
But another biggie ismultitasking.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, multitasking, the myth of multitasking, the
myth, right, like I feel likeI'm one of those people who's
like, oh, I can do like fivethings at once and then I'm like
, wait, I didn't actually do anyof them.
Well.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, exactly, and you're exhausted.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
And you're exhausted, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So how does time blocking help with that?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
It forces you to focus on one thing at a time.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
So no more answering emails while you're trying to
write a report.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Right, Like actually scheduling separate time for
email is revolutionary.
I think it is.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
It is, and I think a lot of people feel like, oh, I
have to be constantly checkingemail.
That's actually not true.
You can designate specifictimes to check it and then you
can focus on other things.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, and I think there, but it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, and I think that's something that's hard for
people to let go of, but it'sso freeing when you do.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
It is it is.
Another thing is just lack ofstructure.
A lot of people just kind of gothrough their day reacting to
whatever comes up.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
I'm definitely guilty of that, right.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Time blocking gives you that framework.
It's like a roadmap for yourday.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Okay, so instead of like letting the the day happen
to you.
Exactly You're like okay, Ihave a plan.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
You're in control.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Right, I like that.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
And then there's the over committing thing, which I
think is a huge one for a lot ofpeople, like saying yes to too
many things without actuallythinking about do I have the
time for this?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, you want to be helpful, you want to say yes,
yeah.
But when you see it all laidout, you're like, oh, wait a
minute.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I actually don't have time for all this.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I don't, yeah.
So time blocking can reallyhelp with that, because it
forces you to visually map outyour schedule.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
So you can see, okay, if I say yes to this thing, am
I actually going to have thetime to do it?
Well, and if not, then maybeit's time to say no.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Or delegate or something.
Or delegate, or you know,figure out a different solution,
right?
Okay, so we've talked abouttime blocking as a method.
Yeah, and one of the resourceswe have is this Listellian
journal notebook for timeblocking.
So can you talk about why aphysical journal like that
actually enhances this wholeapproach?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I think that's so important.
There's something about aphysical notebook it's tangible,
it's visual.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And you can actually structure your day or your week
or even your month in it.
It's like this concrete thing.
It's not like a bunch of notesthat are scattered around, right
, you know digital notes or youknow whatever it's not like on
your phone, where it's likecompeting with a million other
things, exactly.
Yeah, and there's alsosomething about the act of
writing things down.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I don't know if you're like this, but I feel
like when I write something down.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
I'm the same way.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It like, cements it in my brain more than if I type
it.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yes, totally Like.
It feels more intentional.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Intentional yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Like it's a commitment.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
A commitment, exactly , and the cool thing about a
physical journal is that you cango back and review it Right, so
you can see oh, this is what Iplanned, this is what I actually
did.
Did it work, did it not work?
You can reflect and adjust.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Well, that's interesting.
So it's like you're actuallylike analyzing your time.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah.
Right and how you're using it,and then you can make changes
based on what you learn.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Yeah.
Now the List allian journal hasall these like kind of specific
design elements.
It does that seem reallyhelpful?
Yeah, so can you talk aboutsome of those key features and
why they actually matter fortime blocking?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
absolutely so.
One of the things I love aboutit is the paper, the paper, the
paper.
It's this thick, premium paperthat prevents ink bleed through
oh and it might seem like asmall thing, but when you're
writing and you're planning, youwant it to look nice.
You don't want your ink to besmudging all over the place yeah
, it's got to be like a pleasantexperience it does.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
It does because if it's annoying, you're less
likely to do it totally like ifyou can't even read what you
wrote because the ink isbleeding through yeah, so that's
one thing I really appreciateabout it.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Another thing is that the pages are numbered.
Oh, that's, helpful so you caneasily like log and track your
tasks and your schedules.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And you can refer back to specific days or weeks.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Yeah, like if you're trying to like find something or
remember what you did like amonth ago.
Exactly, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And it also has a built in table of contents.
Oh, that's fancy.
It is fancy.
Ok, so you can quickly accessdifferent sections, like your
weekly planning pages or yourmonthly goals or whatever.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So it's like organized.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It's organized.
It's like a brain for yourjournal.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And then the layout is really cool too.
It's a two page spread, oh, Ilike that.
Yeah, so you can see your wholeweek at a glance oh, that's
helpful yeah, so you can see allyour commitments, you can see
how much time you actually haveright, and it really helps you
to balance everything like itgives you that big picture view.
It does, it does, and then thepages are dashed, lined, which
(09:49):
gives you a lot of flexibility.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So you can create whatever kind of time blocks
work for you.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Right, like different sizes.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Different sizes.
Some people like to do hourlyblocks, yeah.
Some people like to do halfhour blocks.
Some people like to do biggerchunks for, like, deep work.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
It's really up to you .
Speaker 1 (10:07):
So it's customizable.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And then it also has a back pocket, which is really
handy.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
A pocket.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
A pocket yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
What do you put in there?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
You can put little notes, you can put reminders,
you can put things that you needto reschedule.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Oh, like stuff that didn't get done.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, stuff that didn't get done.
Okay, important things youdon't want to forget.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Right, like a little catch all.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
A little catch, all yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
OK.
So for someone who's listeningto this and they're like, ok,
this sounds great, time blockingwith a journal.
Yeah, I want to do this.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
What are the steps they can take to actually start
using it effectively Like?
What does that look like inpractice?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
OK, so the first thing is define your priorities.
What are the most importantthings you need to get done this
day or this week Right?
Once you know what those are,then you can start creating your
time blocks.
You're going to divide your dayinto intervals.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And you're going to assign specific tasks to each
interval, right, and don'tforget to include time for
breaks.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yes, breaks are important, they are.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
They are, and then use that two-page spread for
weekly planning so you can seeyour whole week at a glance.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Right, like we talked about with the listallion.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Exactly and don't overload your schedule.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
This is a big one.
A lot of people when they firststart time blocking, they're
like, okay, I'm going to crameverything in yeah, I'm going to
be so productive I'm going toget so much done and then it
just backfires because becausesomething always takes longer
than you expect- Right, or likelife happens.
Life happens, so be sure toinclude some buffer time.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Buffer time.
That's a good tip.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It is, it is.
It's like a little cushion, soif something runs over or
something unexpected comes upyou're not totally thrown off
Right.
And then finally track andadjust.
So review your journal entriesregularly, See what worked, what
didn't work and make changesaccordingly.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Right, so it's an ongoing process.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
It is.
It's not like you do it onceand you're done.
Yeah, it's something that yourefine over time, right as you
learn more about yourself andhow you work best.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah, I like that, and you know, the research also
talks about some of the commonmistakes that people make when
they're first starting out withtime blocking.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Oh yeah, for sure, right?
Speaker 1 (12:10):
So what are some of those and how do we avoid them?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Well, we already talked about overloading your
schedule, so that's definitelyone to watch out for, but
another big one is just notsticking to the plan.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Oh, yeah, that's me Right.
I'm like, oh, I made thisbeautiful plan and then
something shiny comes along andI'm like, ooh, I want to do that
instead, exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
So the key here is to treat your time blocks as if
they were appointments withother people.
Oh interesting, yeah, youwouldn't just like blow off a
meeting with your boss, right?
So give yourself that samerespect.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Right, like actually honor those commitments you made
to yourself.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Interesting Okay, what else?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Another mistake people make is not taking breaks
.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah, I think that's a big one, Like I used to think
that being productive meantworking all the time.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
But I've learned that that's not true.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
It will backfire.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
It will backfire, you'll burn out.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So it's important to schedule in breaks throughout
the day.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Right, like actually put them in your schedule.
Yes, like make them anappointment.
Make them an appointment, yeah,okay.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Even if it's just for 10 minutes, 15 minutes.
Get up, stretch, walk around,get some fresh air, do something
that's not work related.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
And then come back to your work, refreshed.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Yeah, I think that's so important.
You can't expect your brain tojust be on all the time.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
No Right.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Like it needs time to rest and recharge.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
It does, it does.
And then the final mistake Isee people making is not
reviewing their progress.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
That's a good one.
So you create this beautifultime blocking schedule, but then
you don't actually take thetime to see how it's working.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Right, Like did I actually stick to it Did you
stick to it.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
What Take the time to see how it's working.
Right Like did I actually stickto it?
Did you stick to it?
What worked, what didn't work,yeah, and this is where that
back pocket in the Lestallionjournal comes in handy, because
you can just jot down a fewnotes at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Right, like a little reflection.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
A little reflection and then you can use those notes
to adjust your schedule for thenext day.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Right, it's like this constant feedback loop.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
It is, it is, and that's how you make it a habit
that actually works for you.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, that's so important, yeah, so big picture.
Now, like what are thelong-term benefits of actually
doing this?
Like why should we bother withtime blocking and a journal and
all of this?
Like what's the payoff?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The payoff is huge.
It's not just about gettingmore done, although that's
certainly a nice perk.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But it's also about feeling less stress.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Oh, that's a big one.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Like less overwhelmed .
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Less overwhelmed, more in control of your day
Right, more focused.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
And you actually start to develop good habits
around time management.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Oh, I see.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So it becomes less of a struggle.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
So it's not just about like the day to day tasks,
it's like actually changingyour relationship with time.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
It is it is and you start to really understand how
you spend your time and whereyou can make adjustments.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Right, so it's like a skill you develop over time.
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
And the cool thing is , when you use a journal like
the Listallion, it actuallymakes the whole process more
enjoyable.
Oh that's interesting Becauseit's a beautiful journal.
The paper is nice, it feelsgood to write in it.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
It's well designed.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So it's not like a chore to actually use it.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
It's not a chore, it's a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Yeah, okay.
So to sum it all up, what's theone thing you want our listener
to take away from this wholeconversation about time blocking
?
Speaker 1 (15:25):
The one thing is that time blocking can give you the
structure and the focus and thecontrol that you're looking for.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
But it's not enough to just think about it.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
You have to actually do it.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Right, put it into practice.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
And using a journal like the Listallion can really
help with that because itprovides that tangible space for
you to plan and reflect andadjust.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Right, like it takes it out of your head and puts it
somewhere where you can actuallysee it and work with it.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Exactly, and those little details like the thick
paper, the numbered pages, theweekly spread.
They're not just randomfeatures.
They're designed to make timeblocking easier and more
effective.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Right, they actually make a difference.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
They do.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah.
So here's a final thought foryou to chew on.
Think about one area of yourlife right now where you feel
the most time crunched.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
The most overwhelmed.
What if you just experimentedwith implementing a few time
blocks for those tasks?
I love that, right.
Like you don't even need afancy journal to start, you
could just use a plain notebook.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Just see what happens when you actually dedicate some
focused time to those things.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
It could be a game changer.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Right, it could be the start of something really
great.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Awesome.
Well, thanks for taking thisdeep dive with me.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
My pleasure.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
It's been really enlightening.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Yeah, it has.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
And I hope our listener got a lot out of it too
.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
All right, until next time.
All right, so you've sent over a ton of stuff this
time around and like it seemslike there's this like kind of a
recurring theme and all that,that feeling of just like being
overwhelmed, right Like there'stoo much to do and not enough
time and you just know there'sgot to be a better way, right
Like you're looking for moreefficiency, I guess.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah, less, chaos.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, like less chaos , more, like just like getting
things done and feeling goodabout it Right Getting things
done.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Feeling good about it Right Getting things done.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Not just having them on the list?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, exactly, and it's interesting how much of
what you sent kind of comes backto this idea of time blocking.
Have you heard of time blockingbefore?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Oh yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, it's not a new idea, but it's one of those
things that if you actually likedo it and do it right, you can
really change how you approachyour day.
Yeah, right, so we're going tolike really dig into how it
works and why it can be sopowerful, because, like, when
you're feeling overwhelmed, Ithink sometimes, like structure
is actually like a relief.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Absolutely yeah, it's like almost a comfort in a way.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, like you know what you're supposed to be doing
when you're supposed to bedoing it, and that can actually
like calm the chaos.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Right, and you know I noticed one of the things you
said was about this journalnotebook for time blocking by
Lestallion and it reallyhighlights that time blocking
it's not just making a to-dolist.
It's not just a list, it'sabout actually taking those
tasks and like giving them theirown time swats.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, giving them an appointment on your schedule.
Right, exactly, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So let's get practical.
Like what does that actuallylook like in action?
Like how do we time block?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well, so you know how you make an appointment in your
calendar to go to the dentist.
Yeah, you would do the samething for your tasks.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
So instead of just having on your to do list right
presentation, you would actuallyblock off maybe like 10 am to
12 pm.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Oh see.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And say presentation draft no emails, phone on silent
.
You're giving it that protectedspace in your day.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Interesting, so like it's a meeting with yourself
basically.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, absolutely A meeting with yourself.
And you know how you wouldn'tjust blow off a meeting with
somebody else.
You've got to show up foryourself.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Oh that's interesting , yeah, okay.
So then what makes that so muchmore effective for actually
getting stuff done?
Because I think we've all madeto-do lists and we're like, okay
, I'm going to get to this, andthen something else comes up.
So what does the research sayabout what are the actual
advantages of doing it this way?
Like, what are the actualadvantages of doing it this way?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, there's quite a few benefits that are
highlighted in the material thatyou sent over.
First off, distractions.
Huge, yeah Right.
So when you know you have aspecific block of time dedicated
to a specific task, you're wayless likely to get distracted.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Makes sense.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
So those emails, those text messages, the social
media, whatever they're notgoing to like, tempt you as much
because you know this is mytime for this thing Right, like
it's kind of like you set upthis mental boundary.
Yeah, you have, it's a mentalboundary.
This is focus time, right?
This isn't for anything else.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
It's almost like you're giving yourself like
these mini deadlines throughoutthe day, Right Like.
Ok from 10 to 12,.
I'm doing this.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Absolutely yeah.
And that leads right into thesecond benefit, which is being
able to do deep work, deep work,that's where the magic happens.
So when you're not constantlyswitching between tasks and
you're able to really focus, youget into that flow state, you
produce higher quality work andyou're more efficient.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
And that's that flow state that people talk about,
where you kind of lose track oftime and you're just like in the
zone.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Exactly You're in the zone You're present.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
You're not worried about what's next on the list,
you're just there.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And then there's procrastination, which we all
struggle with.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Yeah, that's a big one.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Right Time blocking can really help with this,
because it makes those big tasksfeel less daunting.
So instead of like, oh my God,I have to write this whole
report, you're thinking?
Ok, from 2 to 3.30, I'm goingto work on the introduction.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
I see.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It breaks it down into smaller chunks, right, so
it feels more manageable.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So it's almost like you're tricking your brain into
thinking it's not this hugescary thing, it's just like a
small, manageable thing.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
It is, it is.
It takes the scary out of it.
Yeah, and then finally timeblocking, really improves your
awareness of how you're spendingyour time.
That's a good one, becausewe're often terrible at
estimating how long thingsactually take.
Yeah Right, so when youactually schedule your time and
then you track it, you start toget a much more realistic
picture of your day.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Right, like where your time is actually going.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Exactly when is it all going, and that can be
really eye opening.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, and I like that .
It's not just about likeproductivity, it's also about
like self-awareness.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
It is yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Right Like understanding your own habits
and patterns.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
You know we talked about some of the things in the
research about, like, the reallycommon obstacles to good time
management.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Right Like why people struggle with this.
So how does time blocking likehelp us tackle those specific
problems?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It really does address those things head on.
Procrastination, like we justtalked about breaking things
down into smaller chunks, makesit way less likely you're going
to put it off.
But another biggie ismultitasking.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, multitasking, the myth of multitasking, the
myth, right, like I feel likeI'm one of those people who's
like, oh, I can do like fivethings at once and then I'm like
, wait, I didn't actually do anyof them.
Well.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, exactly, and you're exhausted.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
And you're exhausted, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So how does time blocking help with that?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
It forces you to focus on one thing at a time.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
So no more answering emails while you're trying to
write a report.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Right, Like actually scheduling separate time for
email is revolutionary.
I think it is.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
It is, and I think a lot of people feel like, oh, I
have to be constantly checkingemail.
That's actually not true.
You can designate specifictimes to check it and then you
can focus on other things.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, and I think there, but it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, and I think that's something that's hard for
people to let go of, but it'sso freeing when you do.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
It is it is.
Another thing is just lack ofstructure.
A lot of people just kind of gothrough their day reacting to
whatever comes up.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
I'm definitely guilty of that, right.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Time blocking gives you that framework.
It's like a roadmap for yourday.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Okay, so instead of like letting the the day happen
to you.
Exactly You're like okay, Ihave a plan.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
You're in control.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Right, I like that.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
And then there's the over committing thing, which I
think is a huge one for a lot ofpeople, like saying yes to too
many things without actuallythinking about do I have the
time for this?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, you want to be helpful, you want to say yes,
yeah.
But when you see it all laidout, you're like, oh, wait a
minute.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I actually don't have time for all this.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I don't, yeah.
So time blocking can reallyhelp with that, because it
forces you to visually map outyour schedule.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
So you can see, okay, if I say yes to this thing, am
I actually going to have thetime to do it?
Well, and if not, then maybeit's time to say no.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Or delegate or something.
Or delegate, or you know,figure out a different solution,
right?
Okay, so we've talked abouttime blocking as a method.
Yeah, and one of the resourceswe have is this Listellian
journal notebook for timeblocking.
So can you talk about why aphysical journal like that
actually enhances this wholeapproach?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I think that's so important.
There's something about aphysical notebook it's tangible,
it's visual.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And you can actually structure your day or your week
or even your month in it.
It's like this concrete thing.
It's not like a bunch of notesthat are scattered around, right
, you know digital notes or youknow whatever it's not like on
your phone, where it's likecompeting with a million other
things, exactly.
Yeah, and there's alsosomething about the act of
writing things down.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I don't know if you're like this, but I feel
like when I write something down.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
I'm the same way.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It like, cements it in my brain more than if I type
it.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yes, totally Like.
It feels more intentional.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Intentional yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Like it's a commitment.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
A commitment, exactly , and the cool thing about a
physical journal is that you cango back and review it Right, so
you can see oh, this is what Iplanned, this is what I actually
did.
Did it work, did it not work?
You can reflect and adjust.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Well, that's interesting.
So it's like you're actuallylike analyzing your time.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah.
Right and how you're using it,and then you can make changes
based on what you learn.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Yeah.
Now the List allian journal hasall these like kind of specific
design elements.
It does that seem reallyhelpful?
Yeah, so can you talk aboutsome of those key features and
why they actually matter fortime blocking?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
absolutely so.
One of the things I love aboutit is the paper, the paper, the
paper.
It's this thick, premium paperthat prevents ink bleed through
oh and it might seem like asmall thing, but when you're
writing and you're planning, youwant it to look nice.
You don't want your ink to besmudging all over the place yeah
, it's got to be like a pleasantexperience it does.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
It does because if it's annoying, you're less
likely to do it totally like ifyou can't even read what you
wrote because the ink isbleeding through yeah, so that's
one thing I really appreciateabout it.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Another thing is that the pages are numbered.
Oh, that's, helpful so you caneasily like log and track your
tasks and your schedules.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And you can refer back to specific days or weeks.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Yeah, like if you're trying to like find something or
remember what you did like amonth ago.
Exactly, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And it also has a built in table of contents.
Oh, that's fancy.
It is fancy.
Ok, so you can quickly accessdifferent sections, like your
weekly planning pages or yourmonthly goals or whatever.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So it's like organized.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It's organized.
It's like a brain for yourjournal.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And then the layout is really cool too.
It's a two page spread, oh, Ilike that.
Yeah, so you can see your wholeweek at a glance oh, that's
helpful yeah, so you can see allyour commitments, you can see
how much time you actually haveright, and it really helps you
to balance everything like itgives you that big picture view.
It does, it does, and then thepages are dashed, lined, which
(09:49):
gives you a lot of flexibility.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So you can create whatever kind of time blocks
work for you.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Right, like different sizes.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Different sizes.
Some people like to do hourlyblocks, yeah.
Some people like to do halfhour blocks.
Some people like to do biggerchunks for, like, deep work.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
It's really up to you .
Speaker 1 (10:07):
So it's customizable.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And then it also has a back pocket, which is really
handy.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
A pocket.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
A pocket yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
What do you put in there?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
You can put little notes, you can put reminders,
you can put things that you needto reschedule.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Oh, like stuff that didn't get done.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, stuff that didn't get done.
Okay, important things youdon't want to forget.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Right, like a little catch all.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
A little catch, all yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
OK.
So for someone who's listeningto this and they're like, ok,
this sounds great, time blockingwith a journal.
Yeah, I want to do this.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
What are the steps they can take to actually start
using it effectively Like?
What does that look like inpractice?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
OK, so the first thing is define your priorities.
What are the most importantthings you need to get done this
day or this week Right?
Once you know what those are,then you can start creating your
time blocks.
You're going to divide your dayinto intervals.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And you're going to assign specific tasks to each
interval, right, and don'tforget to include time for
breaks.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yes, breaks are important, they are.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
They are, and then use that two-page spread for
weekly planning so you can seeyour whole week at a glance.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Right, like we talked about with the listallion.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Exactly and don't overload your schedule.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
This is a big one.
A lot of people when they firststart time blocking, they're
like, okay, I'm going to crameverything in yeah, I'm going to
be so productive I'm going toget so much done and then it
just backfires because becausesomething always takes longer
than you expect- Right, or likelife happens.
Life happens, so be sure toinclude some buffer time.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Buffer time.
That's a good tip.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It is, it is.
It's like a little cushion, soif something runs over or
something unexpected comes upyou're not totally thrown off
Right.
And then finally track andadjust.
So review your journal entriesregularly, See what worked, what
didn't work and make changesaccordingly.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Right, so it's an ongoing process.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
It is.
It's not like you do it onceand you're done.
Yeah, it's something that yourefine over time, right as you
learn more about yourself andhow you work best.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah, I like that, and you know, the research also
talks about some of the commonmistakes that people make when
they're first starting out withtime blocking.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Oh yeah, for sure, right?
Speaker 1 (12:10):
So what are some of those and how do we avoid them?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Well, we already talked about overloading your
schedule, so that's definitelyone to watch out for, but
another big one is just notsticking to the plan.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Oh, yeah, that's me Right.
I'm like, oh, I made thisbeautiful plan and then
something shiny comes along andI'm like, ooh, I want to do that
instead, exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
So the key here is to treat your time blocks as if
they were appointments withother people.
Oh interesting, yeah, youwouldn't just like blow off a
meeting with your boss, right?
So give yourself that samerespect.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Right, like actually honor those commitments you made
to yourself.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Interesting Okay, what else?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Another mistake people make is not taking breaks
.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah, I think that's a big one, Like I used to think
that being productive meantworking all the time.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
But I've learned that that's not true.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
It will backfire.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
It will backfire, you'll burn out.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So it's important to schedule in breaks throughout
the day.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Right, like actually put them in your schedule.
Yes, like make them anappointment.
Make them an appointment, yeah,okay.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Even if it's just for 10 minutes, 15 minutes.
Get up, stretch, walk around,get some fresh air, do something
that's not work related.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
And then come back to your work, refreshed.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Yeah, I think that's so important.
You can't expect your brain tojust be on all the time.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
No Right.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Like it needs time to rest and recharge.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
It does, it does.
And then the final mistake Isee people making is not
reviewing their progress.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
That's a good one.
So you create this beautifultime blocking schedule, but then
you don't actually take thetime to see how it's working.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Right, Like did I actually stick to it Did you
stick to it.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
What Take the time to see how it's working.
Right Like did I actually stickto it?
Did you stick to it?
What worked, what didn't work,yeah, and this is where that
back pocket in the Lestallionjournal comes in handy, because
you can just jot down a fewnotes at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Right, like a little reflection.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
A little reflection and then you can use those notes
to adjust your schedule for thenext day.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Right, it's like this constant feedback loop.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
It is, it is, and that's how you make it a habit
that actually works for you.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, that's so important, yeah, so big picture.
Now, like what are thelong-term benefits of actually
doing this?
Like why should we bother withtime blocking and a journal and
all of this?
Like what's the payoff?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The payoff is huge.
It's not just about gettingmore done, although that's
certainly a nice perk.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But it's also about feeling less stress.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Oh, that's a big one.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Like less overwhelmed .
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Less overwhelmed, more in control of your day
Right, more focused.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
And you actually start to develop good habits
around time management.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Oh, I see.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So it becomes less of a struggle.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
So it's not just about like the day to day tasks,
it's like actually changingyour relationship with time.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
It is it is and you start to really understand how
you spend your time and whereyou can make adjustments.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Right, so it's like a skill you develop over time.
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
And the cool thing is , when you use a journal like
the Listallion, it actuallymakes the whole process more
enjoyable.
Oh that's interesting Becauseit's a beautiful journal.
The paper is nice, it feelsgood to write in it.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
It's well designed.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So it's not like a chore to actually use it.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
It's not a chore, it's a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Yeah, okay.
So to sum it all up, what's theone thing you want our listener
to take away from this wholeconversation about time blocking
?
Speaker 1 (15:25):
The one thing is that time blocking can give you the
structure and the focus and thecontrol that you're looking for.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
But it's not enough to just think about it.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
You have to actually do it.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Right, put it into practice.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
And using a journal like the Listallion can really
help with that because itprovides that tangible space for
you to plan and reflect andadjust.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Right, like it takes it out of your head and puts it
somewhere where you can actuallysee it and work with it.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Exactly, and those little details like the thick
paper, the numbered pages, theweekly spread.
They're not just randomfeatures.
They're designed to make timeblocking easier and more
effective.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Right, they actually make a difference.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
They do.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah.
So here's a final thought foryou to chew on.
Think about one area of yourlife right now where you feel
the most time crunched.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
The most overwhelmed.
What if you just experimentedwith implementing a few time
blocks for those tasks?
I love that, right.
Like you don't even need afancy journal to start, you
could just use a plain notebook.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Just see what happens when you actually dedicate some
focused time to those things.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
It could be a game changer.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Right, it could be the start of something really
great.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Awesome.
Well, thanks for taking thisdeep dive with me.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
My pleasure.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
It's been really enlightening.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Yeah, it has.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
And I hope our listener got a lot out of it too
.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
All right, until next time.
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