Looking for Big Blocks of Time

One time management challenge is the search for a "big block of time" where we can focus on a large or complex task. For instance, I have a lot of trees in my yard and so I look for a big block of time in the Spring and/or Fall to prune all of our trees. The reality is that finding a big block of time is hard to do. As a result, the trees get taller and the pruning goes undone.

The same can be true for work projects. We want a big block of time to focus on and complete the XYZ project. Unfortunately, our day is full of tasks and other events and so finding a big block of time is difficult. And so, we put the project off thinking that maybe we will have time at the end of the week. As a result, the project goes undone until it is an emergency and we have to neglect a days worth of activities or work a marathon day-late into the evening.

Isn’t it easier to break up a task and/or project into smaller chunks over a period of time? Prune a tree a day. Work on a project for 30 minutes a day (schedule it on your calendar – "Work on XYZ Project, 3:30-4:00"). In most cases, finding a big block of time to get something done is hard to do. Try dividing it into parts and spreading it over a week, 2 weeks, a month, a year, etc.