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Being effective at time management takes practice.
Whether you’re taking online classes, working an eight-hour shift, or running a household, a system that helps get things done on time and organizes your schedule is a necessity.
Time blocking is a method fit for this purpose. Also known as time boxing, it is a way of managing your time in a way that you are able to prioritize important tasks and stop procrastination in its tracks.
When time blocking, you assign a specific amount of time in your schedule to a particular activity.
Breaking your daily schedule into chunks of activity lets you focus on specific tasks at a given time. This way, you can prioritize the tasks at hand and have more control over stuff that you need to attend to.
Furthermore, since the activities and tasks are varied, there is no room for boredom. Rather, each day ends with a sense of accomplishment.
Time-blocking tools, such as a time-blocking template, an app, and a planner, help you master the skill of effective time management.
The Advantages of Using a Time-Blocking Tool
The following are some of the benefits of using a time-management tool such as a template, an app, or a planner for time blocking:
In this article, we’re sharing a collection of printable templates for effective time blocking. Some designs are ideal for students’ use. There are also templates for the workplace, as well as templates to help you with time blocking while at home.
Let’s check them out.
1. Daily Time Blocking Schedule
We made this template with the aim of helping you manage your time better throughout the week. Near the top of the page, you can write the date and put a check mark in the circle representing the day of the week.
The schedule itself has 1-hour intervals for you to write your appointments from 6 am/pm to 10 pm/am. But we also understand that many tasks do not run in hourly increment, so we’ve also added columns to let you track your schedule in 15-minute increments. In addition, we’ve allocated space for a to-do list and your daily reminders.
2. Weekly Time Blocking
If you’re looking for a simple yet effective weekly time blocking planner, we have our very own template that you might want to try. It’s ideal for plotting out your weekly tasks in hourly increments from 5:00 am to 12:00 am.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the number of tasks you need to accomplish for the week, this template can help you organize and regain a sense of control over your schedule. The blue-and-green color scheme provides an added calming effect, and spaces are allocated for writing your goals for the week, as well as notes.
3. Colorful Arrow Header Time Blocking Printable
Most templates provide enough space for you to block your schedule only on a daily basis. You usually need one sheet for every day of the week.
With this template, however, your time-blocking schedule for the entire week fits onto two pages. It’s ideal for those who want to see their weekly schedules at a glance.
For the weekdays, the template has one-hour intervals, with a 5:00 am start and 12:00 am end. However, the weekends don’t have time intervals.
There is also space reserved for writing your goals for the week, while another box is meant for writing down notes.
4. Daily Timeblocking Schedule
This template lets you block your daily schedule in 15-minute intervals, from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Near the top of the page, you can identify the day of the week, as well as the date.
On the right-hand side of the page, you’ll find a to-do list and a place for writing notes.
The template designer suggests printing this template onto heavy card stock and laminating it. Use whiteboard markers for writing down your schedule. You’ll then have a reusable time-blocking sheet.
5. Landscape Time Blocking Printable
This sample template encourages you to define your “areas of focus.” These areas are dependent on the roles you play in different aspects of your life.
Some examples of these areas include your professional life, home, and family.
Using these areas as the jump-off point for your scheduling can be an effective way of organizing your life. It sharpens your focus.
As you move through the day working on your priorities, you’ll discover that you get more done.
The template above has a simple interface. It provides spaces for writing down your schedule in one-hour intervals (5:00 am start; 11:00 pm end) from Sunday to Saturday.
6. Daily Block Schedule
If you are not sold on the idea of hourly intervals but still want to give time blocking a try, you might want to consider using this template.
This blank template gives you more flexibility in creating your daily schedule. In the example above, each column can represent a category of activities, such as:
Below the column names, you can list down the tasks to be done in these specific categories.
7. 24/7 Weekly Planner Sheet
If you are looking for a planner that accommodates your schedule beyond the usual “nine-to-five,” this template is for you.
If you work on a shifting schedule, have kids that are in sports practice until 9:00 pm, or are simply not yet in bed by that time, this might be a good option. It has 30-minute time intervals, letting you track your schedule around the clock from Monday to Sunday.
8. Stay at Home Daily Schedule
This template helps you make good use of your time while you are at home.
Rather than spending the whole day binge-watching your favorite shows or playing games online, you can go through the day with intention.
The template has a 5:00 am start and a 12:00 am end, and provides one-hour interval slots to help you establish a good daily routine.
You might also want to check out over 200 fun things to do when you are bored.
9. Beginner’s Template
If you’re new to practicing habits that promote better time management, a template like this can help you get started.
This template does not have any pre-set time intervals, so you are free to determine how long your time blocks need to be to get things done.
For example, you can carve out one to two hours first thing in the morning for doing your self-care routine, and then set another hour or two aside for tackling your major tasks for the day.
This template has enough spaces for writing down both the time of a particular set of activities and their description.
10. Block Schedule Template
This two-page template provides space for plotting out and tracking your daily schedule for the whole week. It is inspired by the Pomodoro technique, which allows you to manage your daily schedule in 25-minute time blocks.
Each day of the workweek, from Monday to Friday, has a column assigned where you can write down your schedule from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm in 30-minute increments. Saturday and Sunday share one column.
11. My Block Schedule in Pastel
Looking for more examples of a blank template to help you get started with time blocking? Here is a pastel-themed template from Waylos.
This template has spaces for writing the date and your activities for the day. The main section has a column for writing down your own customized time increments. Next to that is a section where you can write the specific activities for that time frame.
Doing time blocking does not mean you have to be rigid with your daily routine. Allow yourself to be flexible, tweaking your schedule until it works perfectly for you.
12. Schedule Organization Kit
This kit contains templates that help keep you organized and productive. It has been designed primarily to help manage your academic life.
One of the templates in this set is a time-blocking sheet. It features columns for Monday through Friday, allowing users to keep track of their schedules and get things done.
The template has one-hour increments, with spaces for writing down your schedule from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
13. Daily Schedule Template
Need a template that allows for an early start? This minimalist daily plan lets you plot out your schedule from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm, with 30-minute increments.
It also has a section for writing down your major to-dos and other highlights of the day. Another section is allocated for your notes.
This template also has a hydration tracker and more writing space that you can use to create a habit tracker or for a mini-journal for recording your daily reflections.
14. Weekly Time Blocking
Time blocking can look very different when you’re taking care of kids. For one thing, most daily activities cannot be contained within hourly time blocks.
This alternative template provides a breather for busy parents and caregivers. It still provides a way to block your schedule according to the time of day, but it is done in a very flexible way.
15. Vintage-Themed Time Blocking
Finally, we have this template with a vintage floral theme. It features columns for listing your schedule in hourly intervals during the weekdays.
In addition, there is a column assigned for Saturday and Sunday together.
At the top of every column there is enough space for listing down your top three main priorities/tasks/goals for the day. There is also a box where you can write the dinner menu for that particular day.
16. Today's Plan
“Schedule your day with intention.” This tip comes from the maker of this template, which helps you find free time in your schedule, no matter how hectic the day is going.
This planner provides spaces for you to write down your schedule for the day in 30-minute and/or one-hour intervals.
There is also a space for writing up to five primary goals. Slots are also available for writing a to-do list and some notes.
This template stands out for the space allocated for meal planning (for three main meals + two snacks). Lastly, it provides a water tracker, ensuring that you stay hydrated throughout the day. (Here’s a guide for increasing your water intake for optimal hydration.)
17. Appointment Book Template
This template allows you to block your time for all five days of the workweek (Monday to Friday).
You can track your schedule from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Within each hour, there are slots to write your activities in 15-minute intervals.
When you print out this template, you’ll notice the extra-wide margin. It is designed in this way so it can be put into a binder, allowing you to keep all your timetables in one place.
Final Thoughts on Time Blocking Templates
Time-blocking tools help you manage your time better and give structure to your day. A time-blocking template is one such tool. We hope that you were able to find a favorite template or two from the ones featured today.
If you need more resources on time management and/or time blocking, the following posts are worth checking out:
Finally, if you want to level up your productivity and time management skills, then watch this free video about the 9 productivity habits you can build at work.
