Timeblock Planner FAQs

Hey! You probably found me from this Tiktok and have a lot of questions - here are the answers!

You can't be a procrastinator and also have made this Timeblock Planner! It's impossible.

To give you a bit of background I’m a type A perfectionist and high functioning when I’m depressed/anxious. Even though I'm capable of getting a lot of stuff done, I also avoid certain tasks when I'm faced with the challenge of doing it and not having the result be perfect. Rather than try and just improve iteratively - I put off tasks because I'm scared I'll fail. So yes, I do procrastinate but I'm definitely getting better at being less of a perfectionist as time goes on :)

The link isn't working?

Try desktop or go to deborahho.com/timeblock-planner in your phone browser (not the Tiktok browser - it doesn’t work). If you're still having trouble send me an email :)

I have ADHD - this won’t work for me!

I don’t have ADHD myself, but a few people in the comments who have successfully used this technique have said to schedule in generous breaks :) A friend of mine who also has ADHD uses this planner sporadically when they have a big week ahead, they often use it as an overview of the day/week but don’t put too much pressure to follow this closely, but more as a guide :)

Should I fill this out in the morning or the night before?

If you’re having a big early morning and want to start off very productive, I’d recommend the night before so you start the next day with a lot of focus, knowing exactly what you need to do. If you don’t have a strict schedule like me at the moment, do it in the morning.

What pen do you use and where can I get it?

I use an Artline 200 Fineline (0.4mm) - you can find it at any local convenience store.

Where did you get this printed?

I got this printed at Officeworks, a chain of office supplies stores in Australia. A lot of local printing places offer this service - you just gotta look!

How did you design this?

I’m a graphic designer by trade so I made this in Adobe Illustrator, saved it as a PDF and got it printed at Officeworks :)

I am a procrastinator, this won't help!

Even though this planner suggests otherwise, I’m a major procrastinator too! To stop procrastinating you do have to go through an emotional journey with yourself and question why you put off things (is it a fear of failure or do you not want to do it?). I plan to write a piece/do a Tiktok about how I deal with my own procrastination but the journey is different for everyone. This just happens to be a tool that works for me!

Productivity is a ploy by our overlords to fuel capitalism and distract us from the depressing state of the world.

Yes, I completely agree - but it does take the stress off a bit :) We all have our own devices, I also watch dance videos to numb the pain of never being able to afford my own home (:

You wrote the date wrong - are you in an alternate universe?

Oh boy do I wish I was in alternate universe where the dumpster fire that is 2020 didn't happen. But alas, I do live in the same timeline as you, where COVID-19 exists and no one can go outside... In this universe I'm also just too dumb to read a calendar correctly -_-

You write your T's like 7s...

Yep I do, and my mum hates it too.

Thanks for putting this up for free! I want to support you!

Thanks so much for finding value in the Timeblock planner, you can follow me on my socials (Tiktok/Instagram/Twitter), sign up to the mailing list for the physical notepads when they come out OR buy me a Ko-fi if you're so inclined :)

Why don’t you charge for this?

I put this up for free because I know it's super hard to commit to new organisation systems and I've spent so much money on notebooks I never use. This is an opportunity for people to try before they buy - or just try!

It’s also not a new technique by any means - it’s nothing special :)

What happens if I go over the allotted time? Will I be struck by lightning?

Nothing happens :) Timeblocking is a process that is personal for everyone - only you will know how long things take for you. I happen to be in an industry where deliverables are asked of me every day and I have to let people know how long things will take. I've been doing it for 7 years so I know myself very well.

If it's a new task, I give myself heaps of time and if I finish early I have a snack or I spent the rest of the time relaxing and on Tiktok. If I go over, I continue until I finish the task (if I need to) and then keep a mental note for how much time I should give myself next time.

Use the Timeblocker as a guide to what needs to be done in the day - not a strict schedule. Always give yourself more time than you think you need :)

And be kind to yourself! Reframe the way you think about procrastination - if you're procrastinating it's an indication that your mind is telling you to regain control of your life - it means the thing you want to do is potentially overwhelming, you don't like it, or its not important enough to do right away. Trust that if the task is important enough you will do it :) Even though we all procrastinate - we rarely miss a deadline ;)

I would just fill this out and not even do anything.

That's okay! The main goal of filling this out is taking all the baggage from your brain to somewhere outside of it. I tend to get stressed and procrastinate when I feel overwhelmed and often I feel overwhelmed when I don't know what I'm doing.

I use this as a way to alleviate my stress, but if looking at this causes you stress don't force yourself to use this (:

Looking at this stresses me out - but I want to still be productive.

If Timeblocking is too intense, I usually opt for setting 1-3 main goals for the day and allow myself to be satisfied when I finish those. Even if it takes 30 minutes, or 3 hours, pat yourself on the back for achieving those goals - it's hard work! If I'm feeling particularly lazy on a day, I do this instead of Timeblocking :)

Where is that index Harvard Business Review thing?

https://learn.filtered.com/hubfs/Definitive%20100%20Most%20Useful%20Productivity%20Hacks.pdf

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