Is Time Blocking Right for You? Here’s What You Might Not Know.

(Bonus tip from my own weekly planning process)

If you read today’s email and felt yourself nodding along – you’re not alone. 

Maybe you’ve already tried time blocking before and it kinda worked... but then life happened, routines fell apart, and you were back to juggling everything by memory and vibes.

Or maybe you’ve resisted time blocking altogether because it felt too rigid. (Wasn’t flexibility the whole reason you started a business?)

Either way, I want to give you a closer look at how this can actually work – even if your schedule changes weekly, you have kids at home, or your calendar already feels overrun.

This is one of the key tools inside the Slay Your Schedule™ System – and it’s what finally helped me stop working in chaotic sprints and start finding consistency, white space, and actual time off.

Here’s how time blocking changed everything for me (and how it could for you too)…

When I first started a business 8(ish) years ago, I was desperate for more freedom + flexibility in my schedule.

I remember sitting in my office at school and feeling like I had a seatbelt strapped across my chest that wouldn’t allow me to move.

Fast forward to when I finally matched my teaching salary and quit – I expected that freedom to kick in immediately. Spoiler: it didn’t.

I still had a preschooler at home 2–3 days a week, client calls all over the place, and a to-do list that never seemed to end. I was working in the margins, glued to my phone, and pulling out my laptop after bedtime just to keep up.

It wasn’t what I envisioned. And I knew if I didn’t shift something soon, I’d burn out all over again.

That’s when I started time blocking – and everything changed.

What Time Blocking Actually Looks Like

Back then, it started simply: writing my schedule in my planner each week and trying to stick to it. Over time, I refined that system into a flexible structure I now teach in the Slay Your Schedule™ System.

I now use a hybrid of Google Calendar + paper planning, and I end most days:

✔️ feeling productive
✔️ being fully present with my family
✔️ and enjoying actual rest at night (without my laptop glued to my lap)

So, is time blocking right for you?

Let’s look at the real pros and cons – not just the Pinterest version.

PROS OF TIME BLOCKING

Enhanced Focus + Productivity: Time blocking gives your brain less to juggle and fewer distractions to chase. When you’ve assigned time for focused work, you actually do it – without multitasking everything into oblivion.

Better Task Prioritization: One of the biggest reasons people feel “busy but behind” is because they’re not working on the right things at the right times. Time blocking helps you make those decisions on purpose – before the chaos starts.

Improved Work/Life Balance: I now shut my laptop when the workday ends and don’t feel the need to “squeeze in” more. Summer pool days? School pickup? I can do both – because I know my priorities are already accounted for.

Less Decision Fatigue: Every day you spend wondering, “What should I work on right now?” is a day that drains your mental bandwidth. Time blocking removes the guesswork and reduces overwhelm before the day even starts.

CONS OF TIME BLOCKING

Let’s be honest – there are some drawbacks if you use it the wrong way.

It can feel rigid: Especially if your brain craves flexibility. But here’s the truth: the right system builds in flex time on purpose. The problem isn’t structure – it’s trying to follow a schedule that wasn’t designed for real life.

It requires awareness: If you don’t know how long things take, your blocks won’t work. That’s why I always start my students with time awareness first – so your plan doesn’t become another source of pressure.

It won’t save you from burnout on its own: But it will help you protect your time, energy, and priorities – which is how we prevent burnout in the first place.

Time blocking isn’t about boxing yourself in. It’s about building in enough structure that your life (and business) can breathe.

And when you do it right? It actually gives you more freedom – not less.

Ready to see how all of this comes together in your weekly plan? In the next email (that should be showing up in your inbox right about now), I’ll show you how to turn your plan into something sustainable – so you’re not just organized, you’re moving the needle where it matters.