I mentioned in last Friday’s post, Goal Set With Me: Discipline and a Schedule, that I would identify myself as one of those individuals who needs some well-set structure when it comes to goal setting. I’d characterize that structure as a firm foundation with a framework that could be adjusted to meet my needs as the goals journey progresses. And, that strong foundation with a pliable framework is what I’d like to fondly refer to as my Goals Block Schedule.
I’ve decided to split my day up into 6 different time blocks: 4a – 8a, 8a – 12p, 12p – 4p, 4p – 8p, 8p – 12a, and 12a – 4a. Now, this block schedule will be focusing on Monday through Friday only; and instead of setting a specific time to complete each activity within the block, I’ve decided to simplify things and work the block schedule as it was created to function.
My daily to-dos will be listed in each appropriate block; and as long as I manage to accomplish the list of activities within the timeframe for that block, then I’ll consider those completed tasks as contributors to my scheduling success.
Of course, emergency and unplanned events or oddball appointments may come up from time to time that are unforeseen and disruptive to a planned-out block schedule. Such scenarios are to be expected because they WILL come. And when these unforeseen events occur, they must be attended to. That’s okay, though. Life happens and the block schedule will go on. So, I’ll plan for the unexpected and work it into my block schedule the best I can.
The idea would be for me to handle the necessary interruptions to the schedule in the most efficient way possible and then to try to get back on schedule as soon as possible. And if some to-dos get momentarily sidelined for that particular day, then I’ll either need to pardon the task for that day or carry it over to the next day or another day within that week.
With all of that being said, here’s a brief outline of what my block schedule will look like going forward. (However, the schedule is subject to being tweaked if need be.) I’ve included some healthy habits tasks as well as plain everyday tasks in the schedule.
4a – 8a block – help husband get off to work in the morning, get 2 more hours of sleep, study my Bible and do my morning prayer, complete my 30 minutes or more workout routine, and drink one cup of water.
8a – 12p block – get my son (Little Man) up and ready for virtual school, prepare breakfast for me and Little Man, perform early morning content creation tasks (Pinterest and Twitter items), and conduct light housekeeping duties around the homestead.
12p – 4p block – drink one cup of water, make lunch for Little Man, prepare dinner for household, and run errands and help family members (outside of immediate household) with various tasks.
4p – 8p block – drink one cup of water, complete any content creation tasks not accomplished in 8a – 12p timeframe, and participate in family Bible study and family time.
8p – 12a block – drink one cup of water, ease into my winding down period (I should be done with work-related tasks by 8p), get Little Man ready for bed and carry out our bedtime routine (reading from a book and praying together), enjoy me/entertainment time after Little Man goes to bed, carry out my bedtime routine and get in bed by no later than 11p.
12a – 4a block – sleep during this block of time.
My first three healthy habits on the list (see directly below) have been factored into the schedule, because they are my most challenging to date.
- SMART goal for water consumption – I will drink more water for healthy body maintenance by increasing my intake to at least 32 ounces (4 cups) daily.
- SMART goal for sleep – I will increase the amount of sleep I’m getting each night for optimal mental and bodily functioning by adhering to an 11:00p bedtime schedule during the weekdays (Monday thru Friday). I will wake up around 4:00a in the mornings to see my husband off to work and then lay back down for another 2 hours to get in a total of approximately 7 hours of sleep before having to get my son up and ready for school.
- SMART goal for exercising – I will exercise to strengthen my heart by walking in the mornings or afternoons (around my neighborhood when the weather allows for 5 days out of the week (Monday thru Friday) for 30 to 45 minutes a day. During the Fall/Winter seasons or when the weather is uncooperative, I’ll perform the “Fitness Blender” home workout routines in place of the walking.
So, the schedule above is not a comprehensive list. My intention was just to give you a sampling of what my weekdays tend to look like, so you’ll have a little peekaboo into my day. Furthermore, I’ve made sure to account for the three healthy habits that are giving me the most trouble in implementing and, therefore, require a scheduled-out approach in order to complete.
I’ve determined that, for me, it’s not practical to set a rigid hourly schedule, where all task items are assigned to a specific hourly timeframe. I’ve tried the hourly schedules and they just don’t work well for my purposes. I’m an individual that needs a little wiggle room in which to do her best work.
In conclusion, let me leave you with a few doable strategies that have helped me to put some much-needed structure into my daily routine:
- Going to sleep on time and getting up on time lead to being more productive throughout the day.
- Setting timers to start and end tasks is one way to stay on track.
- Doing the less enjoyable tasks first and as early in the morning as possible is a great way to address the elephant in the room, to remove it, and to move on.
- Breaking down tasks into bite-sized pieces to tackle is less overwhelming and more manageable.
- Writing important notes, on task-related items, in a calendar or planner is a surefire way to keep them on your to-do radar instead of trying to commit all the details to memory. (Remember: even those with the best of memories can forget a thing or two from time to time.
- Cutting off work at a certain time in the evening helps to foster a more balanced work-life routine.
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