Frequently Asked Questions About Time-Blocking
As you begin implementing these techniques, questions and challenges will naturally arise. Here are answers to some of the most common queries we see from people new to time-blocking.
Is a specific app or tool better than a simple calendar?
No. While there are many excellent specialized planning and to-do list apps, the tool is far less important than the habit. A complex app can often become a form of productive procrastination—you spend more time organizing your system than doing the actual work. Start with the calendar you already use every day. Master the habit of planning your time there first. Once the habit is ingrained, you can explore other tools, but you’ll likely find that a simple calendar is all you need. The best system is the one with the least friction.
What do I do when an urgent task completely derails my schedule?
This will happen. The key is to respond with intention, not panic. First, assess the “urgent” task. Is it truly urgent and important, or just loud? If it must be done now, don’t just abandon your schedule. Instead, practice the “drag and drop.” Open your calendar and physically move the time block for the task you’re deferring to a later time or another day. This is a conscious act of re-prioritization. It acknowledges the change and preserves your commitment to the original task, preventing it from falling through the cracks.
How long should a time block be? Is 90 minutes the magic number?
The ideal length of a time block depends entirely on the nature of the task and your personal energy levels. For deep, cognitively demanding work like writing, coding, or strategic analysis, blocks of 60-120 minutes are often effective. For shallow, administrative tasks like clearing an inbox or making phone calls, shorter blocks of 25-45 minutes are usually better. Pay attention to your own rhythms. If you find your focus consistently waning after 75 minutes, then make your deep work blocks 75 minutes long. Match the block to the task and your energy.
I tried time-blocking for a week and it felt restrictive. When should I quit?
Don’t quit, simplify. Feeling restricted is a common sign of over-planning. You likely tried to schedule every minute and left no room for spontaneity or buffer time. Scale it back. For the next week, try blocking only one thing: a single 90-minute, non-negotiable block for your most important task of the day. Let the rest of your day be flexible. Once you master the art of protecting that one sacred block, you can gradually add more structure if you feel it’s necessary. The goal is to get a win, not to be perfect.
What are “switching costs” and how does time-blocking help?
Switching costs, sometimes called context switching, refer to the mental energy and time lost when you shift your attention from one task to another. Research from organizations like the American Psychological Association suggests that even brief mental shifts can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time. When you constantly jump from an email to a report to a Slack message and back, you’re paying a heavy cognitive tax. Time-blocking and task batching are direct antidotes. By dedicating a solid block to one type of task, you allow your brain to achieve a state of deep focus, dramatically reducing these costly mental gear shifts.
A Note on Health and Productivity
No productivity system can overcome a foundation of poor health. Time-blocking should also include non-negotiable blocks for the things that sustain you: adequate sleep, exercise, healthy meals, and time for rest. Prioritizing these is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for high performance. For more information on the critical role of sleep and overall well-being, resources from the National Institutes of Health and the Sleep Foundation are invaluable.
