By forcing yourself to work within a rigid structure and to accomplish tasks in a given time, you are forced to bring laser focus to every activity.

Productivity guru Cal Newport swears by the time blocking method, saying :

Sometimes people ask why I bother with such a detailed level of planning. My answer is simple: it generates a massive amount of productivity. A 40 hour time-blocked work week, I estimate, produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour work week pursued without structure.

Planning out your day in advance with your calendar can help you focus on those tasks that matter most. "No matter how you look at it," Art of Less Doing writer Ari Meisel says , "tasks involve timing." (His technique is to use FollowUp.cc to get reminders via email of tasks at just the right time.)