I like routine, but I don't like being told what to do. Even when that person is me.

Which is why I had such a hard time with keeping to a schedule. I've written before about how I write A Poem Before Breakfast on my Instagram, but I have a confession: every day is similar but not the same...little variances throw me off my game. Waaaaaaaay too easily, dude.

Working from home gives me a dangerous amount of flexibility: I work when and how I want to. But quicker than you can say Law And Order: SVU marathon, that flexibility can very easily allow distractions to creep into my headspace. And that’s a productivity wrecker when it happens over and over again.

Especially when you’re trying to keep some kind of momentum and not work seemingly all of the time OR feel as if you're not accomplishing anything.

PSSST: this is where block scheduling comes in

A few years ago, I heard about block scheduling and decided to give it a try. And it worked so well, I kept it up. Block scheduling is a fancy-schmancy way of saying I set aside blocks of time each day to get smaller stuff done and/or set blocks of time each week for bigger things.

It's kept me productive, but it also allows for a large amount of flexibility. Something I need.

Because that's THE ABSOLUTE BEST PART about block scheduling. It’s no big deal if you miss a morning or afternoon block. You just dust yourself off and start again.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF MY BLOCK SCHEDULE:

MONDAYS (otherwise known as Maintenance Mondays)

6:00am - 7:00am // poem & breakfast

7:00am – 12:30pm // Website Maintenance, Organizing, Filing, Submitting Invoices & Scheduling Social Media

12:30pm – 1:00pm // Lunch

1:00pm – 5:00pm // Teach At After School Program

6:00pm – 9:00pm // Dinner + Time With Family

9:00pm – 11:00pm // Emails, Follow Ups, Finishing Up To Do List For Tomorrow

TUESDAYS+THURSDAYS

6:00am - 7:00am // poem & breakfast

7:00am – 8:00am // Social Media

8:00am – 9:00am // Email + Clearing Inbox

9:00am – 10:00am // Writing

10:00am – 12:00pm // Submit to Journals & Events

12:00pm – 1:00pm // Lunch

1:00pm – 5:00pm // Teach At After School Program

6:00pm – 9:00pm // Dinner + Time With Family

9:00pm – 11:00pm // Emails, Follow Ups, Finishing Up To Do List For Tomorrow

wednesdays (otherwise known as webinar wednesdays)

6:00am - 7:00am // poem & breakfast

7:00am – 8:00am // Social Media

8:00am – 9:00am // Writing + Editing

9:00am – noon // Webinars (Or Other Educational Activity)

12:00pm – 1:00pm // Lunch

1:00pm – 5:00pm // Teach At After School Program

6:00pm – 9:00pm // Dinner + Time With Family

9:00pm – 11:00pm // Emails, Follow Ups, Finishing Up To Do List For Tomorrow

FREELANCE FRIDAYS

6:00am - 7:00am // poem & breakfast

7:00am – 7:30am // Social Media

7:30am – Noon // Writing

12:00pm – 1:00pm // Lunch

1:00pm – 5:00pm // Teach At After School Program

6:00pm – 11:00pm // Dinner + Time With Family

FIELD TRIP DAYS*

6:00am - 7:00am // poem & breakfast

7:00am – 6:00pm // Out of Office or Away

6:00pm – 8:00pm // Dinner + Time With Family

9:00pm – 11:00pm // Finishing Up To Do List For Tomorrow, Pick Two 10 Minutes Or Less Tasks On To Do List and Do Them Now

last monday of the month (aka: that time of the month mondays)**

6:00am - 7:00am // poem & breakfast

7:00am – 1:00pm // Immersive Planning For The Next Month, Six Months, Year

1:00pm – 5:00pm // Teach At After School Program

6:00pm – 8:00pm // Dinner + Time With Family

9:00pm – 11:00pm // Finishing Up To Do List For Tomorrow, Pick Two 10 Minutes Or Less Tasks On To Do List and Do Them Now

*Field trip days are days when I know I'm not working much. Maybe I'm at a conference, or I'm otherwise out of the office.

** That Time of The Month is when I plan my editorial calendar, overall themes, and review what worked/didn't work.

How do you schedule your time?

illustration: inslee haynes

Zephyr Flower/Expectation.

This post is part of a Blogging A To Z series where I write a new, personal story almost every day (except Sundays). The theme is the hidden messages: the language of flowers.

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