The *Huge* Problem With Timeblocking: What I Do Instead
Summary
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of aligning our work schedules with our natural energy cycles, rather than strictly adhering to time blocking methods that may not account for individual energy fluctuations. It introduces the concept of 'biological prime time,' the period of the day when one is most alert and energetic. The speaker suggests prioritizing tasks based on their demand and scheduling them during peak hours, while relegating lower-priority tasks to less energetic times. The script also touches on the drawbacks of time blocking, such as the potential for feeling like a failure when plans don't go as scheduled and the risk of overworking at the expense of rest and leisure. Additionally, it highlights the use of technology, like Apple's Focus modes, to minimize distractions during peak productivity periods. The speaker advocates for taking breaks that allow the brain to recharge and for a balanced approach to productivity that values quality over quantity, ultimately arguing for a more personalized and sustainable method of managing energy and time.
Takeaways
- 📅 Time blocking may not account for natural energy fluctuations throughout the day, which can lead to feelings of failure when plans don’t align with reality.
- 🧠 Understanding and leveraging your biological Prime Time, when you're most alert and focused, can help you work more effectively.
- 🌆 Recognize that your peak productivity times may not be in the morning and can vary from person to person.
- 📈 Prioritize tasks based on their demand and your energy levels, doing the most demanding tasks during your peak times and less demanding tasks outside of them.
- 🚫 Avoid multitasking and switching tasks frequently, as it can lead to a significant loss of focus and momentum.
- 📱 Utilize technology, such as Focus Modes on Apple devices, to minimize distractions and maintain concentration during peak productivity hours.
- 🧘 Take breaks that are low in cognitive stimulation to allow your brain to recharge effectively.
- 🎨 Allow creative tasks to evolve over time rather than rushing against the clock for quantity, which can compromise quality.
- 🤔 Be mindful of the quality of your work over the quantity, as the obsession with productivity can be detrimental to well-being and lead to decreased productivity in the long run.
- 🌟 Embrace a balanced life that values well-being and fulfillment over an unattainable standard of productivity.
- 🛠️ Stick with productivity tools that work for you and avoid the constant chase for new apps that claim to be game changers unless there's a significant improvement.
Q & A
What does the term 'biological Prime Time' refer to?
-Biological Prime Time refers to the period of the day when a person is most alert, focused, and full of energy due to their cognitive abilities being at their peak during this time.
Why might time blocking not be effective for everyone?
-Time blocking might not be effective for everyone because it doesn't account for variations in energy levels and cognitive abilities throughout the day, which can differ from person to person.
How does the speaker determine their own prime time for high energy tasks?
-The speaker identifies their prime time by recognizing when they feel the most sharp and clear during the day, and schedules their high energy tasks such as creative work and important meetings during those hours.
What are some lower effort tasks that the speaker suggests doing outside of one's prime time?
-The speaker suggests doing lower effort tasks like checking emails, accounting, going to the gym, and attending non-critical meetings or classes outside of their prime time.
How does the speaker prioritize tasks during their biological prime time?
-The speaker assigns tasks a priority level from one to three, with one being the most important and demanding. During their biological prime time, they only work on Priority One tasks.
What is the issue with receiving notifications during a state of flow?
-Receiving notifications during a state of flow can be highly disruptive, as studies show that switching tasks leads to a significant loss of focus and it takes a considerable amount of time to regain that focus.
How does the Apple ecosystem help the speaker manage notifications during their work hours?
-The speaker uses Focus modes in the Apple ecosystem, which automatically switches their device to work mode during their peak hours, allowing only certain notifications through, silencing personal email, and turning off distracting apps.
What is the downside of taking a break by scrolling through social media?
-The downside of taking a break by scrolling through social media is that it provides a false sense of rest, as the brain is still being stimulated with dopamine, which can leave a person more tired and less focused.
Why does the speaker advocate for longer, more relaxed time frames for creative tasks?
-The speaker advocates for longer, more relaxed time frames for creative tasks because it allows for ideas to evolve and mature, often leading to higher quality work and preventing the pressure of racing against the clock.
What is the speaker's view on the current societal obsession with productivity?
-The speaker believes that the societal obsession with productivity, which often prioritizes quantity over quality, is counterproductive and harmful to mental health and well-being. They argue for a balanced life and working in harmony with natural energy cycles.
How does the speaker feel about frequently changing productivity apps?
-The speaker sees frequent changes in productivity apps as a waste of time and prefers to stick with what works for them. They only consider changing if there is a significantly better option available.
Outlines
📅 Embracing Biological Prime Time for Productivity
The first paragraph discusses the limitations of traditional time blocking and the importance of aligning work schedules with our natural energy cycles. It introduces the concept of biological Prime Time, the period of the day when we are most alert and energetic. The speaker emphasizes that everyone has different peak times and suggests prioritizing tasks based on their demand and our energy levels. They share their personal peak hours and how they use these times for high-energy tasks, while scheduling lower-effort tasks during non-peak hours. The paragraph also touches on the negative impacts of rigid time blocking and the benefits of using tools like Apple's Focus modes to minimize distractions during peak productivity periods.
🧘♂️ The Power of Rest and Creative Breaks
The second paragraph focuses on the counterproductive nature of quick social media checks during breaks and advocates for low cognitive stimulation activities that allow the brain to recharge. It discusses the benefits of longer, more thoughtful work on creative tasks, as opposed to rushing against the clock. The speaker shares their approach to creative work, such as writing, by breaking it down into smaller, manageable sessions over several days. This method not only leads to higher quality output but also prevents burnout and aligns with the natural flow of ideas and inspiration. The paragraph critiques the modern obsession with productivity at the cost of quality and well-being, and it encourages finding a balance that works for the individual.
🌟 Continuous Learning with Brilliant.org
The third paragraph is a sponsorship message for Brilliant.org, an online interactive learning platform that offers courses in math and science. The speaker recommends a specific course on data visualization and analysis, highlighting the platform's ability to break down complex concepts into understandable lessons. They mention the benefits of personalized content and the flexibility to learn at one's own pace. The paragraph includes an offer for the first 200 sign-ups to receive a discount on the annual premium subscription.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Time Blocking
💡Biological Prime Time
💡Energy Management
💡Flow
💡Focus Modes
💡Prioritization
💡Rest and Leisure
💡Cognitive Stimulation
💡Creative Work
💡Productivity
💡Brilliant.org
Highlights
The concept of time blocking can lead to feelings of failure if tasks take longer than expected or if energy levels fluctuate throughout the day.
Biological Prime Time is the period when individuals are most alert, focused, and energetic, varying for each person.
Cognitive abilities fluctuate throughout the day, suggesting that certain tasks are better suited to specific times.
Identifying personal peak hours can help align work with natural energy cycles, increasing productivity.
Using lower-energy hours for less demanding tasks, such as emails and maintenance, can optimize workflow.
The speaker is not a morning person and has identified two peak periods for high-energy tasks.
Scheduling non-urgent tasks outside of peak hours can prevent disruptions during high-energy periods.
Assigning tasks priorities can help focus on the most important and demanding tasks during peak times.
Time blocking can be inflexible and may not account for daily variations in energy and inspiration.
The use of Apple's Focus modes can help automate device settings to minimize distractions during peak work hours.
Focus modes can be customized for different activities, such as workouts or meditation, to optimize device notifications.
Taking breaks that are low in cognitive stimulation can help the brain recharge and lead to subconscious problem-solving.
Parkinson's Law suggests that work expands to fill the time given, but quality work may require more flexible time management.
The speaker prefers to work on creative tasks over multiple days, improving the quality of the final product.
The obsession with productivity can lead to decreased quality and long-term productivity, as well as harm mental health.
Productivity advice often lacks customization for individual needs and circumstances.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of using tools and apps that work for the individual and not frequently changing them.
A balanced life is more fulfilling than constantly chasing an impossible standard of productivity.
Brilliant.org is an online interactive learning platform that offers customized content for math and science learners.
Transcripts
picture this you plan your day by
filling all these different time blocks
in your calendar and you're ready to
crush it tomorrow but then reality hits
those quick tasks not so quick and that
big project after lunch yeah turns out
your brain isn't really on board with
that one and just when you're finally
pushing through some emergency comes up
and you have to leave you then start to
feel like a failure not because you
didn't work hard but because time
blocking doesn't account for our energy
variations throughout the day maybe it's
not about cramming every hour but
realizing every hour is not the same we
go through highs and lows every day so
why not use this to our advantage and
work with our brain and not against it
there's this thing called the biological
Prime Time and this is the time of the
day when we're most alert focused and
full of energy because our cognitive
abilities don't just stay static
throughout the day we're more alert and
creative as well as slower and foggier
at different times so certain tasks are
best performed at certain times everyone
always says do the hard things first but
that assumes we're all the same and our
Peak is in the morning but depending on
who you are it could also be late at
night or somewhere in between and you
probably already know what part of the
day you feel the most sharp and clear as
well as when you feel the most fatigued
and prone to distractions and while you
can get stuff done outside your prime
time it'll be like taking the stairs
when you could be taking the elevator so
why not stack the deck in our favor for
free by using that time to do lower
effort tasks like maintenance and email
and save your prime time for the more
demanding tasks for instance I'm not a
morning person I wake up at around 9:30
and I have two peaks between 11: and 1
and then from 3: to 5: and it's during
these hours that I focus on high energy
tasks like creative work important
meetings video editing and so on and as
for the other hours that's when I go
over the lower effort tasks like emails
accounting going to the gym Etc and it's
also during these hours that I schedule
all the tasks that don't benefit from me
being the most alert that I can be like
my French Classes non-important meetings
as well as you know doctor's
appointments so instead of assigning a
time for each task I assigned them
priorities one two or three with one
being the most important and demanding
and during my biological prime time when
I'm most alert I'll only do Priority One
tasks and outside of those peak hours
that's when I do priorities two and
three and this aligns my work with my
Natural Energy Cycles because nowadays
everyone wants to have a full calendar
with all these different things to do
and while time blocking looks good in
theory it has a lot of disadvantages
picture this you're working hard you
then get this wave of inspiration you in
flow everything's doing great and then
bam time's up you got to move on to
another task are you really going to
stop that great momentum you have over
some arbitrary time block that you gave
yourself sometimes weeks before and of
course this doesn't apply to meetings
and other non-negotiable tasks but you
know you probably don't just get to sit
down and flick a switch and immediately
get in flow and start doing great work
because our energy fluctuates not only
on an hour by hour basis but on a
day-by-day basis as well some days we
sleep bad or we're just not feeling our
best or maybe something came up and
that's okay but time blocking doesn't
account for this you set your blocks day
sometimes weeks ahead of time and you're
just supposed to stick to them and when
you inevitably don't do what you set out
to do it's easy to feel like a failure
and spend even more time deciding when
you're going to take on that extra work
and rearranging sometimes entire weeks
because of it and not to mention there's
a huge temptation to fill every slot
with productive work often at the
expense of rest and Leisure and this is
even worse for creatives which I'll get
to in the later parts of the video and
there's a lot of things I do to build on
this for instance you know when you're
in flow and you're hyperfocused on what
you're doing and you then receive a
slack or a WhatsApp notification and it
pulls you out of it this isn't a minor
Interruption because plenty of studies
show that every time we switch tasks we
lose a significant amount of our focus
and it takes a long time to then get
back into it now to get around this in
the past we would have to either use
airplane mode do not disturb or a third
party app blocker but these were very
limited you had to set them up in each
of your devices and they were very much
an All or Nothing approach you couldn't
just select which notifications you
still wanted to receive but nowadays if
you're in the Apple ecosystem you can
use Focus modes which is a massively
underrated feature in one that I see
very few people talking about I use
these all the time and they're fully
automated when I'm in my peak hours my
devic is automatically switch to my work
mode and in this mode only notifications
from certain people come through my
personal email gets silenced and apps
like Twitter get Switched Off and this
all happens automatically on weekdays
since my peak hours are always the same
and I also have Focus modes for
activities if I open up heavy which is
my workout app it triggers my workout
mode and when I open inside timer to
meditate it triggers my meditating mode
and this also goes for downtime when I'm
done for the day I don't want to get
notifications from work so I have my
downtime mode which silences all work
rated notifications like my work email
and slack and I always try to protect my
prime time because you know when you're
making a lot of progress on something
but then you have to leave because you
have something else scheduled is
frustrating right and that's why I
always schedule things that are flexible
like non-important meetings doctor's
appointments gym sessions all of that
outside this time period and of course
this is assuming that there's no
availability issues and there's one more
thing that's massively overlooked and
tell me if this sounds like you you're
working hard and when it's time to take
a break you instinctively grab your
phone and go on social media and I get
it this was me as well but here's the
thing this is the opposite of a break we
think we're resting but pumping our
brain with dopamine just leaves us more
tired and less focused it makes us want
to keep scrolling instead of returning
to our tasks the ideal break is low in
cognitive stimulation and is more boring
than our actual work it should still be
something that we enjoy but not enough
that it takes away the appeal of getting
back to work instead I try to take less
stimulating breaks meditation walking
listening to music working out reading
these are all real breaks that let our
brain recharge so that we can get back
to what we were doing there's also an
added benefit that when we're in
complete relaxation our brain is still
subconsciously working on a task at hand
and in fact my best ideas usually come
to me when I'm not doing anything at all
and this is especially true for
creatives I do my best to take longer
than I need to finish a creative task
and this sounds counterintuitive because
everyone always talks about Parkinson's
law which says that work will expand to
fill the time you give it but here's the
thing if you're all about doing more and
more then sure giving yourself a title
deadline will probably push you to
produce more but if you want to do
highquality creative work then racing
against the clock at least for me does
more harm than good I benefit a lot from
from taking my time and letting my ideas
evolve I'm going to give my creative
tasks as an example which is writing
these videos take multiple days to write
but that's because I work on them bit by
bit for multiple days so instead of
spending a full eight hours in a single
day writing them I'll break it down to
say two hours each day for 4 days and in
this example I'm still spending a total
of eight hours on it but the end result
is one of a much higher quality and this
is all going back to energy management
sure I could finish a video in the day
but not only would it be a struggle as
I'd have to force myself to work work
outside of my peak hours but it simply
wouldn't be as good because every day
that I go back to it I find myself
making changes and adding new things
that I couldn't see the day before this
is because we often come up with some of
our best ideas and developments while
doing just about anything other than
actively sitting down and brainstorming
and not to mention I really enjoy
writing these videos and part of the
reason why is because I take my time
with them and I'm not rushing just to
get more content out and I do my best to
enjoy myself I know I'll never get as
much done as I'd like and that's fine
but it feels like nowadays productivity
has become the way we measure our self
worth people go through all kinds of
honestly ridiculous lengths just to get
a little bit more done they push through
14-hour work days they eat meal
replacement drinks like soilin every day
and they even cut down on sleep and
every time I'm in a conversation the
person who says I don't have time for
that always seems to have some smug
sense of superiority because in the
world we live in busy people are seen as
hardworking and valuable while those
with time are seen as lazy and worthless
it's why there's a sea of videos
articles and paid courses on how to get
more done the emphasis is always on more
doing more achieving more but this
obsession with quantity over quality is
so crushing and ironically leads to
decrease productivity in the long run
it's the opposite of working with our
natural levels they force us into a mold
that doesn't fit often at the expense of
our health and well-being and those
types of videos always provide Universal
advice for individual audien
not all of us are morning people that
would benefit from waking up at 4:00
a.m. not all of us can afford to have
four side hustles while maintaining our
full-time job and sustaining our
families and that's not to mention the
infinite other problems that the
audience may have but all of these
videos on how to get more done don't
account for any of this and it puts us
at competition with ourselves which is
really harmful for our mental health and
while I'm on this little rant here every
other day I get a comment that says are
you still using todoist or obsidian or
Arc and I'm always so surprised at the
amount of times this gets asked because
I don't really change apps frequently
that's a massive waste of time once
something works for me I'll only even
consider changing it if there's
something significantly better and yeah
sure there'll always be new flashy apps
claiming to be game changers but I
honestly feel no need to change what I
already use anyway I guess that turned
into quite a rant but it's a topic I'm
really passionate about because at the
end of the day I think a balanced life
is so much more fulfilling than one
constantly chasing an impossible
standard of productivity
this video was very kindly sponsored by
brilliant.org brilliant is an online
Interactive Learning platform geared
towards maths and Sciences that is
really good in turning difficult
Concepts into easy to understand
bite-sized lessons brilliant approach is
super engaging so important and
difficult concepts are broken down into
understandable parts that's what makes
stem topics actually stick it doesn't
matter whether you're starting out or if
you're Advanced whatever your skill
level brilliant customizes content to
fit your needs and lets you to learn
through it at your own pace if you want
to get started in data analysis I highly
recommend you check out billian new
course exploring data visually where you
get to analyze real data and draw
interesting conclusions from it and this
is just one of the many courses that
brilliant adds every single month
there's always something new to learn to
try everything brilliant has to offer
free for a full 30 days visit
brilliant.org Sergio and the first 200
people that sign up will get 20% off
brilliant's annual premium subscription
and a big thank you to brilliant for
sponsoring today's video and like I said
before I make a lot of progress in my
work through meditating and I went
through all of that in this video right
here so I'll see you
there
استعرض المزيد من الفيديوهات ذات الصلة
How I Can Study 10h a Day: The Perfect Schedule for Chaotic People
How I Routinely Study With a Full Time Job when I'm TIRED
to the person with Multiple Passions and a loooooong To-Do List (how to get things done)
Tools for Improving Productivity | Dr. Cal Newport & Dr. Andrew Huberman
How to MASTER Task Management for Studying & Learning
To-Do Lists vs Time Blocking | Which is Better?
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)