Yoodoo V3 is coming soon.
Back in the day, when I was knee-deep in the trenches of my first startup, I was the king of procrastination. You know those guys who always seem to be busy but never get anything done? Yeah, I was their leader. My productivity was as elusive as a unicorn and I was the one chasing rainbows. Only I found no rainbows, and certainly no pot of gold at the end.
My brain was a literal battlefield of tabs, each one screaming for attention - well not literally, butyou get the idea. I was the master of starting something, getting distracted, and then starting something else. It was a dizzying dance of shiny object syndrome, and let me tell you, it wasn't doing any favors to my bottom line, my sanity and frankly everyone else around me (sorry friends).
But then, everything changed. And it wasn't because I stumbled upon some magical formula or gulped down a miraculous productivity potion - that would'a been easier for sure. No, my salvation came in the form of a simple, yet revolutionary concept: time-blocking.
Now, you're probably wondering, "What's time-blocking?" and who is this guy to tell me what it is? And I hear you. I had the same reaction. Not me, but some other guy. But anyways, stick with me here, because this stuff is game-changing.
Time-blocking is the practice of scheduling specific blocks of time for certain tasks. Instead of letting your day run you, you run your day. I know, it sounds so simple, right? But trust me, it's like trying to herd cats. It requires discipline, focus, and most importantly, a commitment to saying "no" to distractions.
So how's it work. In short, you brain dump a huge to-do list of tasks, and then allocate these tasks to blocks of time in your day. You then work through each task one by one, focusing ONLY on one task at a time. It's essentially the opposite of multi-tasking, which is the killer of productivity - unless you're in the 10% of people who can actually do it, for which I congratulate you, you lucky gits.
Now, I'm not saying time-blocking is all sunshine and roses, it clearly isn't. There were days when I wanted to throw my laptop out the window and become a hermit. But I stuck with it, and eventually, time-blocking became second nature.
You might be thinking, "Great for you, Ross, but how does this help me?" And to that, I say, "Dear reader, I'm glad you asked."
See, procrastination isn't just about laziness or lack of motivation. It's often about feeling overwhelmed, not knowing where to start, or fear of failure. Can you relate? I bet you can. But time-blocking can help with all of this. By brain dumping all your tasks, and prioritizing them into 'essentials' and 'nice-to-do's', you eliminate the overwhelm. You know exactly what needs to be done today and when. It's this first brain-dumping aspect that makes the rest of the process so ridiculously simple.
Time-blocking is literally a piece of piss to pick up. Like seriously. It takes seconds to learn and a lifetime to love. That's good right? I hope I got my wording right there - who knows. I'm waffling. The main point is that time-blocking is so damn useful that i wanted to do it every where, but there were no apps that did it.
Now. You may be thinking to yourself - especially if you time-block already - "Ross, there's loads of apps that do it". Well that actually not true. Sure a load of apps have a calendar where you can drop tasks into blocks of time, but do they have that brain-dump to-do list where you can prioritize them first? No.
This is the ONE thing they all miss, and is one of the fundamental parts of time-blocking.
So, I utilised my 10 years of app design experience and drew up the perfect app that did time-blocking properly. A beautiful combination to-do list and time-block calendar app, that allowed me to brain dump and time-block effortlessly and efficiently.
You're on the site of that app right now. It's called Yoodoo, and it's designed specifically for chronic procrastinators and folks with ADHD to enable them to time-block to their hearts content.
No joke, it's like having a personal assistant who helps you plan the perfect day from your to-do's, and gently, but firmly, keeps you on track.
With Yoodoo, you can schedule your time blocks, set reminders, and even track your progress. It's like having your own personal productivity powerhouse right in your pocket.
To reiterate, time-blocking is where instead of sporadically working through tasks from a to-do list or throwing tasks into a calendar, you first list your tasks, which are assigned to specific blocks of time, working on that task and ONLY that task for the set period. Once the time is up you move onto the next block of time, and repeat this throughout the day.
Once the day is done, you simply carry over any unfinished tasks to next day, as well as any new ones that have emerged.
With your day meticulously time blocked in advance, you can bid farewell to the constant dilemma of what to focus on. Simply adhere to your pre-planned schedule, and watch your productivity soar. If you ever find yourself veering off course or succumbing to distractions, just glance at your schedule and effortlessly return to the task at hand. Easy!
It's a game changer. I even wrote an article on it.
So, there you have it. My journey from procrastination to productivity, and the tools that helped me get there. Now, it's your turn. Are you ready to ditch the distractions, crush your to-do list, and start making real progress? Because with time-blocking and a little determination, I believe you can.
Remember, the road to productivity is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient with yourself, celebrate small victories, and most importantly, keep going. Because as a wise person (probably) once said, "The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time."
Remember, procrastination is not your destiny; it's merely a bad habit that can be replaced with better ones. Now, go out there and conquer your day, one time-block at a time!
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your planner (we suggest Yoodoo obviously!), and let's get to work!
If you're someone who's struggling with ADHD, then I made time blocking planner app called Yoodoo which can help. It's a smart daily planner app that organizes your tasks on a visual timeline to help you focus, save time and get things done.
It's totally free to get started. Give it try.
It's the perfect ADHD planning app for all things time blocking and getting stuff done.
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