Summer is in full swing and one of the questions that I get asked the most is how to stay productive and get work done? It’s completely possible to time block and implement routines. Today I will take you on a tour to show you the changes I made and how I have adapted my routines to meet the needs of my family and company and family this summer. I highly encourage you to stick around for this blog post so that you can pick up on some things that I’ve done to adapt my time blocks to fit my summer schedule. Feel free to grab a piece of paper and a pen because we are about to get started!
Listen below for the entire episode on The Systemize Your Life Podcast
My Process Of Adapting Time Blocks To Fit Summer Schedule
Today’s blog post is going to be light and fun. And it’s really a good way for us to have a conversation on how I’ve been making changes in my own life.
Every single season, there are some significant things that change in most of our lives. Actually, I have a full-blown breakdown video on Instagram of everything that I talked about today. So you can go over and check that out. What I want you to do is to take notes of what I’ve changed and grab some fun ideas of what I’ve been adapting and see what you can adapt in your own life.
How Did I Adapt My AM Block to Summer Time?
So what exactly is my process of adapting time blocks to fit my schedule? Well, the general structure of my time block is still the same. In other words, I still have my morning routine block, then my AM, PM, and night time.
My Work Block Is No Longer In The Same Spot
However, my work block is in a completely different spot than what it used to be in. Initially, I had some issues. I didn’t look at my new work block soon enough and I ended up being double booked. I was getting booked with appointments when I was committed to doing things with my family. The system was broken. And a lot of it was because the time block I had established for my work block before we went into summer was not there anymore. And I was like “OK, I will peel back this layer and look at what exactly is my summer calendar going to look like for booking, calls, and meetings for my job”.
My Work Block Is The Center Of Everything Else
I sat down and figured them out and I knew that these are my set workblocks. And honestly I based everything around my work blocks and here’s why. Establishing your workblock is ver important because it is the center of everything else. I need know how many hours of work I have every single week. Those are set to be my standard. Then I know where I can put everything else in.
“Establishing your workblock is ver important because it is the center of everything else.”
There are certain things we like to work around and certain things that I can be really flexible with and i can move around on my own. Starting with my work block, I figured out “ok these will be my set hours on Monday through Thursday and Friday will be my leftover day. It’s technically a non-work day unless I didn’t get through all my work and will be working on Friday. We’ve established that at my house.
On top of that, I’ve solidified my project days as well. So it feels really good to have all of that established and set up. From there, I was really able to get into the nitty gritty of how I was rearranging my Daily, Weekly, Monthly.
How Did I Adapt My AM Block to Summer Time?
How did I adapt my AM block for summer time? Once I have my work block established, I am able to build where my AM block is going to be.
Where Is My AM Block Located?
I always know where my AM routine is located. My AM routine is very set in stone because it ends as soon as my kids wake up. So, even if it’s 15 min long. That’s fine. It can also be 2 hours long. That’s great! It really also depends on when I wake up. In summertime, I choose to wake up early. The sun comes up early and I love to wake up naturally. I like to rise and fall with the sun.
How Does My AM Block Look Like?
My AM block actually looks very different because we don’t have a before school routine right now since the kids are not in school. I like when my kids have a lot of nothing to do in summer. We are not jam packed or super busy. My kids love to be home and do nothing as well. School is a lot for them. Coming and going and doing all the things is just a lot.
How Do I Use My AM Block To The Fullest?
We love slow mornings and I’ve built out the routines there to support what I need to do. I look at the things I want to get done and the time that my kids wake up until I start my work block. There are usually about 2 hours there. I definitely don’t want to waste that so I decide to get one of my fundamental needs in.
Before, I normally would not place fundamental needs in my AM block. But right now, this seems perfect for me.This also could be my gym time. It can be two or three days of the week. The other days of the week I can have a different fundamental need put in there. That’s my AM block. That’s how I shifted and adapted. The kids get up and they do have time with another member of the family a couple days a week so I can have an uninterrupted workblock. I just got super strategic about getting that out and it has worked really well for us. That’s what I usually do for my AM block and that feels really great.
How Did I Adapt My PM Block to Summer Time?
My PM block has been adapted as well. There’s a little bit of extra time that I’m not used to and the kids have their after school routine. So I wondered “what can we put in there?”.
And I decide to also put a fundamental need in or we can fit in some extra play there if I’m done working before I have to start dinner. This is the time I have to sit down and play with the kids. Or maybe I decide I want to work a little bit longer. Either way, it’s very flexible.
We automatically know what’s not changing is our dinner routine and that’s at the exact same place as before. It happens the same time every single day. After that, depending on what day of the week it is, the kids will have a family fun night. We will watch a movie together. That’s not most nights since my kids are still very young and I want them to have a consistent night time.
I Started to Incorporate One-On-One Time With My Eldest Kid
After that, my kids go to bed and I start my night time routine block. I shared at the very beginning of the nighttime block that I chose to put in some one on one time with my oldest kid.
Usually, I’d teach and coach women to have interactions with kids at the very end of their PM block. But I’m in a fun transition now that I am intentionally using that to test how it feels for me to bring my eldest kid, who’s 11, into my space.
Opening Up Your Life to Your Kids Is An Excellent Way to Form Strong Bonds With Them
What I always want moms to know is to have at least two time blocks to be kid-free. What’s so important here is for you to realize that we craft that space because when our kids were very little they need so much from us. And i see myself slowly transitioning to bringing my oldest in to my private blocks so she sees that i’m willing to open up my life to her. As she wants to be more private, I want to become more transparent with her so she wants to be more transparent with me. This is something I’ve been playing around right now.
We don’t do it all the time because I think boundaries are important. But i am really looking out what is this going to look like as she becomes a teenager. And slowly but surely, priming that relationship to be so much more connected than having those fast and hard disconnected lines.
Why Did I Have Those Hard And Fast Disconnects With My Kids?
The reason why I’ve always had those hard and fast disconnects with my kids is for my sanity. At first, i tried to co-sleep with my first kid. I ended up staring at the kid all night long. I would then get up and walk like a zombie from one side of the house to the other for 14-16 months. It was brutal. I also exclusively breastfeed for so long. I’ve always been home for the majority of time for my kid except when I would leave for a little bit to work.
I just needed a little space because I function better with that. There are some moms who have so much more tolerance than i do. However, I do think it’s very important that we really remember that our kids are at home in summer all the time and with us all the time what that boundary could look like. So sit down and craft that out. Sometimes, we just look at our kids and know intuitively what they need and it’s important that you are able to learn how to adapt your routines.
Learning How to Adapt Your Life to Changes As Your Kids Grow Up Is Important
I think one of the saddest things to me is seeing all these moms struggle because they don’t know how to adapt to it. They are just truly surviving and years go by, your kids might want to be removed from you. I know it’s coming. I am looking at these turning points every single day. It’s one of the most beautiful gifts you can give to yourself when you use my method of time blocking. This isn’t only using a paper planner to schedule my day. This is about having a framework that you can grow from. It can help you in ways that have helped me.
Looking to Learn More About Time Management And a Community to Share Your Progress?
I hope by opening up with what I do about my routines and timeblocks, it can give you some ideas to improve yourself. I’d highly encourage you to share these ideas inside our FREE Facebook community. You can drop your ideas, routine stacks and timeblocks. There are so many like-minded women inside the group. I love reading through your posts. If you like today’s content and wish to learn more about time management, then please head over to Chelsijo.co/SYL. It is my hope for you that you take what you learned from this blog post and use it to help your summer. Have some fun while being a little bit productive and disciplined. Enjoy your summer! Relax a little bit, put your phone down and spend more time with your kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started with adapting my schedule to summer time ?
To get started with adapting your schedule to summer time, I invite you to check out my FREE time-blocking worksheet to learn the basics of time-blocking, develop the right time block for your tasks, and put what you learn into action.
