There are many different ways to do Time Blocking. These are a few “types” of blocks, along with what it might look like in your calendar.
Task-Specific Blocks
📅 Complete Project Review slides Duration: 30 minutes to 4 hours
Task-specific blocks are Timeboxing for specific activities. When something needs to get done, put it on your calendar & Make Time for it.
Frog Blocks
📅 🐸 Complete Project Review slides Duration: 1 to 3 hours
Frog Blocks are basically Task-Specific Blocks, where the task is the hardest task of the day, and the placement is first thing in your day. This is from the Eat the Frog method.
Strategy Block
📅 Strategy Duration: 3 hours
A recommendation of the 12 Week Year methodology, a “Strategy” block is time set out to only tackle tasks from your Plan of the Week. It’s a strange name choice.
Buffer Block
📅 Catch Up Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour
A recommendation of the 12 Week Year methodology, Buffer blocks are where you catch up on email and miscellaneous to-dos. It’s Task Batching your administrative stuff. These are times that you’re working broad, which allows for the rest of your time to be spent working deep.
Breakout Block
📅 Breakout Duration: 3 hours
A recommendation of the 12 Week Year methodology, Breakout blocks are infrequent blocks scheduled during typical working times wherein you don’t work. They suggest it will set you up for rejuvenation and whatnot… seems like it would just be stealing company time. I think the below is more appropriate.
Planned Break
📅 Break Duration: 10 to 30 minutes
This is basically just a breakout block (above) that isn’t crazy long. Scheduled Breaks are a good thing.