Time blocking sounds amazing in theory, until life gets in the way. You start the week with the best of intentions, colour-coded calendar at the ready, and then boom: a client calls, the kids need something, your energy dips, or a new idea hits mid-morning.
If you’ve ever felt like traditional time blocking just doesn’t work for you, you’re not alone. And it’s not because you’re not disciplined enough. It’s because most business owners need a more flexible, real-life approach to managing time.
The good news? Time blocking can work. You just need to make it work for your rhythms, your energy, and your life.
Let’s unpack how I do it without the guilt, without the rigidity, and with a whole lot more ease.
What Doesn’t Work for Me (And Maybe You Too)
1. The “Every Hour is Accounted For” Schedule
That strict, to-the-minute style might look pretty in a planner, but it’s rarely practical. Our days are fluid, and our schedules need to reflect that. Life happens.
2. Trying to Multitask Across 20 Priorities
When everything’s urgent, nothing gets done. I focus on themed days and batching instead, so my brain isn’t switching gears constantly.
3. Ignoring My Energy Peaks
Not all hours are created equal. I coach in the mornings because that’s when I’m at my best. I leave admin for later, when I’ve got a different kind of focus. I even use the Rise app to keep track of energy highs and lows.
What Actually Works for Me (And Might Work for You Too)
1. Starting with the Big Picture
I plan from the year level down. Key events, launches, and content creation sprints get plotted first. Then I zoom into quarters, months, and finally weeks.
2. Themed Days
Mondays are for reviews and operations. Tuesdays are training days inside the Ideas, Impact & Marketing Circle. Thursdays are for coaching. Fridays are flex days. This gives my week rhythm, not chaos.
3. Monthly Task Blocks
First week of the month? Client content reviews. Mid-month? Project time. I built in space for creation, reviews, launches, and recovery.
4. Chunking and Batching
Whether it’s podcast editing, video recording, or reviewing content, I batch tasks together. It helps my brain stay in the zone, and it stops me from feeling pulled in every direction.
5. Real-Life Flexibility
I’ve got a teenager who sometimes needs a lift. I have clients with shifting needs. I build in buffer time and leave room to breathe. That’s what makes the system work.
Ready to Try a More Flexible Approach to Time Blocking?
Here’s how to get started:
- Look at your year and see what the big milestones or events are
- Create weekly themed days (even loosely) that match your roles and energy
- Batch your recurring tasks: content reviews, admin, client work
- Use your energy rhythms to schedule your “zone of genius” time
- Add consistent non-negotiables to your calendar (and honour them!)
If you’d love some behind-the-scenes access to how I run all this and get support building your rhythm, join me inside the Ideas, Impact & Marketing Circle. I share the exact systems, workflows, and planning tools that keep everything flowing.
Because time blocking isn’t about doing more. It’s about making space for what matters most.
And your time? It deserves to be used wisely.
Highlights
- 00:00 What is Time Blocking
- 00:55 Yearly and Monthly Planning
- 01:32 Weekly Scheduling and Daily Themes
- 02:39 Optimising Personal Productivity
- 03:18 Monthly Content and Client Work
- 04:30 Flexible Time Blocking Strategies
- 05:03 Further Resources
