When Productivity Hacks Stop Working

What I’ve learned about productivity, presence, and permission to slow down

I live and die by my Google Calendar.

If it’s not on there, it’s probably not happening.

At least, that’s true for work. Meetings, appointments, commitments… everything goes in the calendar.

But I’ve learned that not everything in life belongs there.

I’ve tried time blocking countless times.
SO many coaches and productivity experts recommend it, and in theory, it made perfect sense.

My schedule is a little unusual because I work across time zones, so I typically don’t start my workday until noon. Mornings feel like this wide-open window of possibility.

And as a chronic overachiever, I want to do all of the things.

I want to:

• walk the dog

• work out

• work on personal projects

• take courses

• read

• write

• cook

• create

Just to name a few things.. 😅

Time blocking felt like the logical solution. A way to stay organized. A way to make progress in all the areas that mattered to me.

I’d spend some time at the start of the week putting colored blocks on my calendar until it was covered. I even came up with a catchy acronym to help me remember what I should be doing when.

I’d stick with it for a week, but inevitably would throw the whole thing out the window and delete the carefully curated boxes from my calendar in shame.

What I didn’t expect was how much pressure planning every minute of my day would create.

I’m someone who, in theory, works well under pressure. So you would think having defined blocks of time would help.

Instead, it did the opposite.

It made me feel rushed.
It made me feel constrained.
And it pulled me out of the present moment.

I noticed it most on walks with my dog.

There’s a quote I once saw that really stuck with me:
“Don’t rush your walks with your dog. It’s the best part of their day.” 🥺

When I was time blocking my mornings, I was rushing those walks.
If my little guy wanted to stop and sniff, or watch something, or explore a little longer, I felt impatient. I was thinking about the next block of time. The next task. The next thing I was supposed to be doing.

And I was missing the moment.

Today, we went for a walk that lasted over an hour.

Not because I planned it.
Not because it was scheduled.
But because he wanted to explore.

We stopped.
We watched.
We laughed when he froze in amazement as a rabbit darted by.

And it felt… special.

It felt present.
It felt spacious.
It felt like life.

And I realized something important:

Just because something works for other people doesn’t mean it’s aligned for you.

There’s nothing wrong with time blocking. If it works for you, that’s wonderful.

But if something feels heavy, stressful, or constricting… that’s information.

For me, time blocking didn’t just create pressure to stick to a schedule.
It also created a subtle sense of failure when I didn’t complete everything on my list.

And knowing myself, my lists are always WAY too long anyway.

Stepping away from that has been surprisingly liberating.

It’s given me more flexibility.
More presence.
More space to ask a different question:

What’s calling me right now?

Not everything meaningful can be scheduled.
Not everything beautiful fits into a calendar block.

Sometimes the most important thing you can do is linger a little longer…
on a walk,
in a conversation,
in a quiet moment.

And trust that it’s enough ✨

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