All time blocks are not the same. As our quote today says, “One unit of time is very different from another unit of time…all hours are not created equal.” Mind Management, Not Time Management, by David Kadavy.
Our energy levels and mental states vary by the hour and the day. I am better at some types of work at some times and better at other types of work at different times. I’m not good at all kinds of work all the time.
“Some hours are better for thinking analytically. Other hours are better for thinking creatively.”
Mind Management, Not Time Management, by David Kadavy
In the mornings, I tend to have higher energy. So, mornings are usually better for planning high-energy work like writing. On the other hand, in the afternoon, I tend to have less energy. So that time frame is better for administrative or light tasks.
However, I’m not entirely consistent. Some mornings, I find I have low energy. If I’ve planned to do high-energy work at that time, it just doesn’t work.
Moods and emotions can also vary. For instance, if I’m distracted by something big that’s going on in my life, I can’t focus. Or if I’m sad, I can’t concentrate, and there’s no motivation to do the work I thought I would do.
Mental States Need to be Considered In Planning Our Work
We need to consider our mental states when planning our work. But often we don’t. We assume and plan like all time blocks are equal.
We can’t just fill in blocks of time on a calendar and assume we will have the energy and mental state to do the work. Time-blocking works reasonably well for some people, but they’re typically skilled at anticipating their energy levels and planning accordingly. But even then, sometimes mental states aren’t consistent, and they find they can’t do the work they planned and must reschedule it.
“One of the biggest errors all of us make when scheduling our time is what psychologists call affective forecasting— underestimating just how much our emotional and physical states will affect our future decisions and ability to do the things we want to do.”
Affective forecasting, by Jory MacKay
Some struggle to implement a time-blocking system, where they plan their day the day before. They fill out blocks of time that say what they will be doing during a specific time block. When the next day comes, they don’t like being told by their prior self what to do. They’re not the same person they were yesterday.
It feels like somebody else is telling them what to do. Or, when the time comes to do the work they’ve time-blocked, they don’t feel like doing it due to low energy or an incompatible mood.
The Anchor Technique Allows For Flexibility At the Time We Work
It’s difficult to predict our energy level or mental state in advance. We need more flexibility to consider these factors and choose appropriate work closer to when we’ll be doing the work.
The Anchor Technique pioneered by Kourosh Dini is ideal for providing this flexibility.
You begin the Anchor Technique by writing down several items you could work on. Then, you choose one to visit and circle it. A “visit” can be a very short period of time, or it can be longer. It can result in a completed task, or making a little progress. It’s up to you. When you feel you’re done with it, you cross it out, select another, circle it, and visit it.
This approach allows you to choose the work that best fits the time you will be working. You can choose what to work on immediately before doing the work based on your perception of your energy level, motivation, and mood. You can also decide in the moment how long to work on something.
How I Use the Anchor Technique to Do My Work
Here’s how I use the Anchor Technique:
• As part of my morning routine, I review my calendar, task manager, and project status list. This gives me an overview of upcoming appointments, projects, and tasks I could work on.
• Following journal prompts I created in a Day One template, I list several key things to work on for the day and determine my number one priority.
• In response to the “What’s on my mind?” prompt, I’ll dictate my thoughts using the Whisper Memos app. I often discuss what I’d like to work on that day. I think about how I will approach different work tasks and what I hope to accomplish. (For more information about Whisper Memos, see my blog post, Apps for Dictation — Comparing Whisper Memos with Cleft Notes).
• When I’m ready to begin working, I open Day One and transfer my priority task and list of possible tasks to a blank Ugmonk card, which I keep upright in its stand on my desk and always visible to me as I work.
• I select a task to visit and circle it.
• When finished working on it (whether completed or not), I draw a line through it and circle another.
• I go through this process until I run out of tasks or time. If there are tasks I did not complete that day, I list them on the card for the next day.
Try the Anchor Technique
So what about you? Is the work-scheduling system you’re using working well for you? You might want to try experimenting with the Anchor Technique. Try choosing your work schedule based on your energy level and mental state when you do the work, not at some time before.
To be effective, you must bring discipline and motivation to this process. You don’t want to continually avoid work because you “don’t feel like doing it.” That’s commonly called procrastination and keeps us from doing work that is important and often hard.
If you can’t do the work, then you must reschedule it. If you think you can do the work, then even though you might not feel like it, you might want to go ahead and visit that task anyway and see if your mood doesn’t change as you get engaged with the work. If it’s not working, give yourself permission to end your work on the task and move on to something that’s a better fit.