Time management is a crucial skill that can help you maximize productivity and achieve your goals. Many time management strategies have been proposed, and one effective method is to cut your week vertically. This approach groups similar activities together, making it easier to manage your time and increase your productivity. In this blog post, we’ll explore what cutting your week vertically means and how it can benefit you.
What Does Cutting Your Week Vertically Mean?
Cutting your week vertically means grouping similar activities together in your calendar. For example, you might schedule all your meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays, all your creative work on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and all your administrative tasks on Fridays. This approach allows you to focus on similar tasks and be more efficient with your time.
Benefits of Cutting Your Week Vertically
Increases Productivity
When you group similar activities together, you can streamline your work and increase your productivity. For example, if you have to make multiple phone calls during the week, you can schedule them all on the same day, making the task more manageable and reducing the amount of time spent switching between different types of activities.
Creates More Time for Thinking
One of the most significant benefits of cutting your week vertically is that it creates more time for thinking. By grouping like activities together, you can create larger chunks of creative time, which is essential for problem-solving, brainstorming, and other activities that require deep thought.
Helps Manage Energy Levels
Another advantage of this approach is that it can help you manage your energy levels. For example, if you know that you tend to have more energy in the morning, you can schedule your most important tasks for that time of day. On the other hand, if you tend to get tired in the afternoons, you can schedule less demanding tasks for that time.
How to Cut Your Week Vertically
Here are the steps to follow to cut your week vertically:
Create an Ideal Week
The first step is to create an ideal week that outlines how you would like to spend your time. This can include your work schedule, personal activities, and other commitments. It’s important to be realistic about how much time you have available and to prioritize your most important tasks.
Group Similar Activities Together
The next step is to group similar activities together. For example, you might schedule all your meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays, all your creative work on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and all your administrative tasks on Fridays.
Allocate Time for Thinking
Make sure to allocate time for thinking and creative activities. This could be a block of time every day or a larger chunk of time once a week. It’s important to create a schedule that allows you to focus on deep work and problem-solving.
Review and Adjust
Finally, review your schedule regularly and make adjustments as necessary. If you find that certain tasks are taking longer than expected, you may need to adjust your schedule to allow more time for those activities. Similarly, if you find that you’re not able to focus during your scheduled thinking time, you may need to adjust the time or location of that activity.
Conclusion
Cutting your week vertically is a time management strategy that can help you be more productive and manage your time more effectively. By grouping similar activities together, you can streamline your work and create more time for thinking and creative activities. Whether you decide to cut your week horizontally or vertically, it’s important to experiment with different approaches and find the one that works best for you.
And this combined with Time Boxing is the system that I use!
cheers,
Jonathan
P.S. Whenever you are ready to start scaling up your company, here are 3 ways I can help you
- Grab a free copy of my book, CEO Business Growth Secrets here
- Check out my podcast, “Business.Focus” where we share stories from owners, MDs, and founders about what has made them and their organisation successful by clicking here
- Book a brainstorming session with me here to ask one question or to get coached through one specific challenge you face
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Jonathan Herps
CEO & Chief Advisor
Scale Up Growth
+61 (0)408 748 980
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