How Time Blocking Helped Us Regain Control of Our Days

About: Time blocking offers massive benefits to homeschool families looking to gain momentum in their days through the power of rhythms & routines.

Isn’t it amazing how our quest to educate our kids can end up schooling us too?

Before our homeschool days, I was rocking my time management. My routine looked something like this: wake up early for my morning planning session, wake the kids. From there shuttle them off to school for the day. After that, I’d get home, exhale, and naturally enter into a routine entirely my own. Sure, some days were more productive than others, but I only had myself to manage and to answer to.

Enter: Homeschooling

Emerson and Luke were ecstatic to break free from the rushed mornings and rigid schedules of traditional school, but it quickly became obvious that the “wake up and whatever” approach was not our style.

Managing myself and my routine? Easy! But now, I was also the resident taskmaster and schedule keeper for my entire crew for the entire day

I quickly learned that, without a solid plan, non-essential things could easily erode our days. Rendering us unfocused, unproductive, and even frustrated.

Without boundaries, the time I had set aside to focus on work tasks became fragmented and stressful with constant interruptions from the kids. It was obvious that a lesson in time management would be essential to our livelihood and well-being as a homeschool family.

We needed something that was structured, but not rigid. Something that offered routine but not monotony.

Could time blocking be the answer to our family’s homeschool needs?

Having taken classes and read books on time blocking, it made sense. But, much like financial budgeting, the words and the idea of it gave off vibes of stuffiness and rigidity. Would there be any room for spontaneity?

And, just making the plan won’t fix anything. It would only be in following the plan, that the magic could happen. As the leader of the pack, my discipline and intentionality would be imperative in making this a success. (No pressure, Mom!)

It was clear that something needed to change. So, with nothing to lose, I decided to give it a try!

It didn’t take long before we felt a shift taking place. After a few short weeks, the benefits clearly began to take shape.

Benefits of Time Blocking

1. Freedom

Instead of rigidity, we began to feel freedom. Freedom to let go of the millions of other nagging tasks to focus on the ones at hand. Our time blocks offered permission to focus the things that we set high priority to while setting other nagging, but unimportant tasks, to the side.

2. Staying present

With the freedom to focus on what is truly important, it was easy for me to stay present and in the moment. When I utilize time blocks, I know I am right where I am supposed to be. With that statement alone, stress melts away. Feeling more present allows me to enjoy that special time with my kids. And inevitably, when it’s time to get other things done, I can do it mom guilt-free. Intentional independent time is massively important for kids as well.

3. Creating enthusiasm for learning

Another positive change that our time blocking had to offer is that the kids got excited about learning! Knowing what to expect with the rhythms and routines of the day made it easy to get excited for the subjects they love (and rally for the ones that aren’t naturally their favorites), giving them massive momentum in their studies.

4. Staying Focus

Time blocking is also great for staying on task. When I find my mind wandering, it’s easy to self-correct when working with a set amount of time to get certain things done. The Pomodoro approach to time management, breaking tasks down into 20-minute chunks, is especially helpful with this.

5. Identify disconnects between important tasks vs. urgent ones.

As a mom, time blocking allows me to identify disconnects between my priorities vs. how my time is actually being spent. In the book First Things First by time management guru Stephen Covey, identifies four types of tasks: 1) Important and Urgent, 2) Important and Not Urgent, 3) Not Important and Urgent, and 4)Not Important and Not Urgent. Once I began time blocking, I was shocked to see how my time could quickly be stolen by non-essential tasks (urgent but not important). Conquering too many of the wrong types of tasks can leave you feeling frustrated, directionless, and burnt out.

Time is our most precious gift and most finite resource. How we choose to spend our moments is how we choose to spend our lives. While it’s true that not every moment needs to be planned (that’s in God’s hands anyway), we should be placing special focus and special care in the areas that matter to us most. Interested in time blocking for your family? This post on how to time block for more joyful days has all you need to get started strong!