Block Your Time, Huh?

  Lately it seems to me that as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning it is time to put them back up on the bed. My days have been flying by and I can’t quite nearly enough done. Sadly my writing, or lack thereof, is suffering because of it. I know, a lack of time sounds familiar, doesn’t it? I know that I am not the only person in the world to have this problem. That is probably why I am rambling about it today. The Charmed One keeps repeating three words of advice, so those words ring in my ears all the time. “Block your time.”

  Now, I understand the concept, and I try to execute this idea every day. I allow myself a certain amount of time for tasks, or jobs, throughout the day. But sadly I have a couple of problems. Problem number one is that I have a habit of getting about ninety percent done with a task when my allotted time is up. So I keep on doing what I am doing until I am finished. It may only be a half an hour longer, but it throws the whole blocked time thing off. Common sense says that I need to take that time off of another task, which I try, but sometimes I become a little Obsessive Compulsive. I know that I will not be happy if I walk away from something before it is completed. I mean really, who dusts only half the house? If I did that I would forget about it and not get back to it the next day. So, do you see where I can have a problem with blocking time?

  Problem number two with me is my self diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder. I have a terrible habit of working along and suddenly I will not like the song on the radio. I will go change it and forget what I was doing. I’ll stick with my dusting the furniture example. I am infamous for doing a chore like dusting, and right when I’m in the middle of it I will think of that appointment that I forgot to make. I step away and call. I hang up, realize there’s a dirty dish on the counter, wash it, wipe off the counter, remember to write the down appointment time, and then the dryer turns off and of course I want to fold the clothes before they wrinkle. I finish that and scratch my head, what was I doing originally?

  I don’t think blocking time was meant for a scatterbrain like me. I love the concept, and try to stick with it every day, but sometimes…well… I forget what I was doing. Or heaven forbid there is something out of place. For the last few weeks my top priorities have been things having to do with the house, which left writing for later at night. Starting this week I change my ways. The writing comes early, because I am an early person. I have not been happy with myself for not getting enough writing done. We’ll see if that makes a difference!

Do you have to block your time too? Do you encounter problems like I do? Are there any other ways that you manage time? Care to share?