Let’s talk about time blocking (but make it creative)

Happy Friday everyone, it’s your friend Kat - Owner + Operator of kat&co.

Transparency time… I am writing this on Thursday, when I usually have my writing for the week done and drafted by Tuesday. It has been a BUSY WEEK. Anyone else?

But that leads me to a topic that has been coming up for me time and time again over the past several months, one that I’m sure I will continue to reinvent as I evolve as a business owner / human on earth:

Time Blocking - Do we love it or hate it?

Before you tune out, I get it - I am a creative business owner myself. Sometimes (actually, often), my day starts out looking one way and ending in a completely different way. I want to make sure I have flexibility to change course if I need to - or when an urgent issue comes up for one of my clients. So, that being said:

I do NOT endorse a fully rigid time blocking system for creative business owners!

BUT here are some guidelines that typically work for me… Let’s use my ACTUAL calendar from this week as an example (blurred of course)!

Add a 30 min prep block before client meetings to prepare / context switch. I usually just add this manually depending on the type of meeting it is, and if I expect to need prep time - I promise this comes in very handy!!

Add 1 - 2 hour working blocks on my calendar per client, depending on the deliverables for the week. This ensures I have dedicated time with no other distractions to get through my tasks… and have the flexibility to move the block around on my calendar as needed.

Use the tasks feature in Google Calendar for ancillary reminders / non client related tasks - my favorite part about these is you can cross them off when done, AND if you don’t complete the task you can just move it to the next day with no one the wiser 😉 

So, there you have it - It’s not perfect (spoiler, nothing is), but this “system” lets me remain flexible in my scheduling while also ensuring I have time to complete the items on my list. 

And a lesson I could learn this week - Even if you need to push a task back 4 days, it will still get done! Relax and go with the flow!

Reflection: Do you use any of these tips in your day-to-day life? What are some ways that you can bake in more “transitional time” before or after meetings? Are there any other time blocking / task management tips that you want to incorporate into your business?

✨ Episode 005 of Good Ideas + Bad Decisions is out! 🎤

This week, Ellen and I chat with Palveshey Tariq, Founder + Lead Coach of Alternative Coaching Methods - She guides her clients to process their unique journeys from high achievement to high performance, through 1:1 coaching and psilocybin retreats in Jamaica.

We tackle themes surrounding self-worth, personal definitions of success, and the profound impact of empathy and kindness.

TL;DR - We get deep in this one, folks!!

Give it a listen + follow below!

Want to be a guest on the podcast or submit a business question for us to tackle on air?

I am truly excited to be building community around creative small businesses, entrepreneurship, and authenticity.

Until next time - We got this! 🖤

Love from your friend,

Kat