I’ll be real with you:

For a long time, my to-do lists were a disaster.
I’d write down 15 tasks, get through maybe 3, and then feel guilty at the end of the day.

Worse? I was “working” all day but constantly switching between things, emails, messages, small tasks, and the one big task I kept pushing back.

By night, I felt busy but never productive.

That’s when I discovered time blocking, and it changed EVERYTHING.

Instead of endless to-do lists and multitasking chaos, I started assigning every task a place in my day.
And suddenly, I wasn’t just working more… I was working smarter.

Why To-Do lists DON’T work alone

Here’s the problem with to-do lists:

• They don’t account for time. You think 10 tasks is possible, but in reality, they’d take 12 hours.

• They create decision fatigue. You’re constantly asking, “What should I do next?”

• They give equal weight to EVERYTHING, “buy milk” looks just as important as “finish big project.”

No wonder most lists are half-finished graveyards of good intentions.

How time blocking works

Time blocking is simple but POWERFUL:
👉 You don’t just write tasks. You schedule them.

Instead of “Work on project,” your calendar looks like this:

• 9:00 - 11:00 → Deep work on project

• 11:00 - 11:30 → Emails

• 11:30 - 12:00 → Break + walk

• 12:00 - 1:00 → Meeting

See the difference? Now your day has structure.

Here’s how to get started:

1️⃣ Plan your day the night before

Every evening, I open my calendar and block tomorrow:

• Deep work

• Admin tasks

• Breaks

• Exercise

• Even downtime

That way, I wake up with a roadmap, no thinking required.

2️⃣ Protect your peak hours

Ask yourself: When do I have the most energy?
For me, it’s mornings. So my first 3 hours are always blocked for deep, important work.

Put your hardest tasks where your energy is highest, not at 10 p.m. when you’re exhausted.

3️⃣ Group similar tasks together

I used to scatter emails throughout my day. Big mistake.
Now, I block one 30-minute slot for emails. Done.

Same with calls, errands, planning, batch them together so you stay in flow instead of constantly switching gears.

4️⃣ Include breaks (SERIOUSLY)

I used to skip breaks, thinking it would make me more productive. It did the opposite.
Now, I block short breaks between deep work cycles. A quick walk or stretch keeps me sharp.

Remember: rest is part of the system, not the enemy of it.

5️⃣ Treat it like an appointment

When something’s on my time block, I treat it like a meeting I can’t miss.
Would you blow off a meeting with your boss? No. So don’t blow off the one with yourself.

Let’s wrap this up

To-do lists create endless guilt.
Time blocking creates clarity and focus.

Here’s the formula again:

• Plan your day the night before.

• Protect your peak hours.

• Batch similar tasks.

• Schedule breaks.

• Treat your blocks like unmissable appointments.

Since I started time blocking, I’ve gone from feeling “busy all day” to actually finishing the work that matters. And honestly? The peace of mind is just as valuable as the productivity.

Next tuesday:

“The Art of Single-Tasking: How to Stop Multitasking and Finally Do Deep Work”

If this newsletter gave you value, share it with a friend who’s always “too busy” but never seems to get things done.

Also, check out my YouTube channel The Weekly Growth for more content like this in video form.

Thanks for reading.
Until next Tuesday, stay focused. Stay growing.

— The Weekly Growth