Block and Switch

I use time blocks, instead of a to-do or task list.  Calendar blocks inform what to dedicate my time to each day.  The calendar includes blocks for commuting, meals, and exercise.  There’s a block for “Email/Admin”, and, emails with a substantial task associated get copied into a dedicated 30min appointment.

What I’m not good at – but learning to – is allocating enough time for ‘switching’ between tasks.  This is the mental ‘shift’ from, say, reading a report, to, say, phoning someone about a scope of work.  These are different tasks requiring a different cognitive focus.  And that takes time.  Switching time.