Remember what it was like going to high school? Each semester, you had a schedule and you would move from class to class, each subject neatly allotted a certain time period. Whether we realized it or not, our class schedules were a perfect example of time blocking. Each class was a dedicated 50- or 90-minute session focused on one subject. Sometimes that block was for lunch or recess, other times for free periods or focused learning, but every hour of your day was organized and planned. As business owners, there’s a valuable lesson in that structure. Time blocking has been one of the most effective things I’ve ever implemented as a business owner and since we’re focusing on “back-to-school” tactics this month, I thought it could be fun to think about time blocking as our “school schedule.”

Now, I’m not suggesting that every day needs to follow the same rigid schedule like it did in high school. But organizing your time in a way that helps you stay focused on what matters is a powerful key to success.

As you map out a “weekly class schedule” for your business, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your time:

Plan your most productive activities during your most productive hours.

Everyone is most productive during a different time of the day. I know morning people who get more done by 7am than most people do in a whole day. I also know night owls who can’t string a thought together at 9am but can knock out excellent work at 9pm (that’s ME!). If you’re a mom who’s working from home with a little one, planning your work around nap time is probably a good bet. Whatever it is, you know yourself best, so plan your time to be at your best.

Plan for your life, not just your business.

Your business does not exist in a vacuum. Planning your life as it fits into your day is just as important as planning your business activities. If you need time to walk your dog in the morning, block that time. If you need time to decompress, or reconnect with a spouse after they’re done with work, block that time. If you know you need to make yourself lunch, don’t block work where lunch will interfere – block the time for lunch and block your work around it. This all may seem simple, but sometimes people overlook it and then wonder why time blocking isn’t as effective as they wanted it to be.

Plan out work habits.

If I think about my semesters in college, not every single day looked the same. But every Monday looked the same, every Tuesday looked the same, and that went on down the week. It can be helpful to set aside and block off certain days for certain kinds of work. This may not work for every type of business, but when it’s possible, it can be very helpful. For example, if you run payroll every Friday, it might make sense to also do your bookkeeping or inventory on Fridays. If you’re so focused on client work but always forget to do marketing for your business, making “Marketing Mondays” a thing and blocking off time every Monday to focus on your business could be helpful. When you pick certain things for certain days, you start to develop work habits. This makes it much easier to get things done – especially those things that you tend to put off when left to your own devices.

Plan time for continuing education.

Grinding in our day-to-day, we as business owners often forget about learning something new! There is always something innovative on the market, whether it’s a new skill related to your niche, a new technology that can improve your operations, or new laws or information that can affect your business. If we don’t schedule time to research, explore, learn, and dive into new things, it’s almost a guarantee that we will miss the boat on them entirely. Instead of constantly trying to move around your schedule when you’re already behind the eight ball, try scheduling time into your week or month where you can research and/or learn something new.

Plan in color.

One of the most helpful tips I ever heard about time blocking is color coding your blocks! There are so many benefits to color coding as you time block your calendar. It helps your mind truly section off the time for different activities, and it allows you to see your calendar at a glance and know quickly how your day is structured. Whether you use different colors in a google calendar or different color pens in a paper calendar, color coding your blocks will help you see your day in the pieces you set out instead of as one big glob of stuff to do.

I hope you have as much fun putting together your “class schedule” as I did this week! Happy time blocking!