How to Stop Procrastinating: a simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking the Procrastination Habit

Action #3: Block Out Time on a Calendar
This is where the rubber meets the road.
After identifying those 80/20 “big rocks,” it’s time to put these activities
on a calendar.
To get started, I suggest using a calendar where you can schedule your
day into 30- to 60-minute increments. You have two options here:
1. Buy a
weekly calendar
.
2. Use an online calendar, like
Google Calendar
.
Personally, I prefer the Google Calendar because it syncs with other
online tools that I use (like Todoist and Slack). Plus, my wife can look at
the schedule on her devices when planning fun activities we can enjoy
together. But feel free to pick the tool that works for you.
To get started with blocking out time on your calendar, I recommend five
actions:
1. Begin by blocking out time for the commitments that you
already have that involve other people or deadlines. These
are meetings, appointments, and previously scheduled events.
There is no flexibility for these commitments, so they should be the
first items to put on your calendar.
2. Block out time for the tasks that are high priorities as well

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as those that require greater concentration. These are the
rocks and pebbles that have the strongest influence on your life.
You can make time for them by looking at your project lists,
identifying the actions that need to be completed next, and
scheduling time to work on these activities. If you don’t make time
for these activities, you’ll end up focusing on the pebble and sand
activities, which don’t have as much of a positive impact on your
life.
3. Block out time for personal hobbies, such as reading or
going to listen to a speaker talk on a topic that is
interesting to you. You may also find it helpful to block out time
to spend with your children doing homework or getting ready for
bed. You should also block out time to have a date night with your
spouse. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive; just
spending the time together to build a healthy relationship will be
beneficial to your overall well-being.
4. Set aside “flexible time” for unexpected tasks and issues