Optimizing Digital Calendars for Better Time Management

Want my 15-minute rule for calendar management? I used this rule as a CPA to help manage my calendar like a pro during tax season. Here's how it transforms productivity: ➡️ Block Everything in 15-Minute Increments Your calendar isn't just for meetings. Block EVERYTHING - focus time, breaks, email checking. This creates a realistic view of your actual capacity. ➡️ Color-Code by Energy Level Green: High-focus tasks requiring creativity and problem-solving Yellow: Medium-focus tasks like client meetings Red: Low-energy tasks like administrative work Schedule according to your natural energy peaks. ➡️ Create Buffer Zones Always add 15-minute buffers between meetings. This prevents the domino effect of one delay destroying your entire day. ➡️ Protect Your "Power Blocks" Identify when you're most productive and defend those time blocks ruthlessly. For you, it might be as an example 10am-12pm. Nothing but high-value work happens then. ➡️ The "One Task, One Block" Rule Multi-tasking is a myth. Assign ONE clear deliverable to each time block. The specificity creates accountability. ➡️ Weekly Reality Check Every Sunday, review your upcoming week and ask: "Is this realistic?" Be honest about what you can actually accomplish. ➡️ Non-Negotiable Self-Care Schedule self-care blocks with the same importance as client meetings. Your brain needs rest to perform at its peak. What's your biggest calendar management challenge? — Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Dr. Jackie Meyer, CPA for more. Want to transform your tax practice into a high-profit, lower-stress business? Join 18,000+ tax professionals in my newsletter at https://lnkd.in/guJeM_VH

For all of us, time is the most valuable asset. In an organisation, where the leaders spend time signals the priorities, shapes culture and determines whether the organisation executes on what truly matters. Great time management, I have found, isn’t about squeezing more tasks into a day; it’s about aligning your time with critical outcomes and creating leverage through people, processes and decisions. Those who are good at this make the hour last longer. Why is time management key? It converts strategy to action. Your calendar is the operating system of strategy. If this calendar doesn’t reflect the company’s priorities, the organisation isn’t likely to achieve its goals. It frees time for what matters. Leaders create impact less by doing and more by enabling. Ensuring time availability for the right activities multiplies output. It improves decisions. Unrushed thinking and focused reviews improve judgement, reduce rework and prevent “urgent” fires. It is the signal for direction and culture. Teams copy leaders’ calendar management style. When the leader models deep work, prioritisation, preparation and learning, others in the team follow. What are the common obstacles? Tyranny of the urgent: Unplanned demands, whatsapp pings and what gets classified as “urgent” crowds out important work. Meeting creep: Meetings accumulate without a clear purpose or decision rights Ambiguous priorities: Undefined, unprioritized goals produce reactive calendars where everything feels equally important. Delegation gaps: Work gravitates upward when role clarity or trust is low; leaders become doers, choking bandwidth Context switching: Too much activity especially in different contexts leads to poor focus; 60 minutes of activity is then only 10 minutes of progress. Saying “yes”: Without guardrails, leaders accept more than their calendar can bear. What’s the fix? Define the focus. Translate strategy into key quarterly outcomes. If an activity doesn’t advance these, it’s a candidate to decline, delegate or delay. Design your ideal week. Time-block for people, performance, thinking and certainly for buffers Run meetings like decisions, not rituals. Ask for a pre-read with the question to be decided, options, data and recommended next steps. Start with the decision, then discussion. End with the owner, deadline and success metric. Schedule Important/Non-Urgent work first each week. Deal with urgent/important issues and define what “urgent” means with your team. Delegate for outcomes, not tasks. Reduce context switching. Batch similar work so you don’t have fragmented focus. Silence notifications during deep work. Install guardrails for what you say “yes” to Audit and iterate. Review your calendar monthly: What created impact? What can be eliminated? Your calendar tells a very important story. Read it. As someone said, "When you invest your time in what truly matters, balance follows and happiness becomes the dividend"

You don't need more time. You need fewer meetings. How to reclaim your calendar: We have fallen into bad habits - Weeks that vanish in virtual rooms - The auto-pilot "accept" to every invite - Wasting hours on email-worthy updates A harsh truth: You have the time. You just need to manage it. Start here: 1. Change the Cadence ↳ Question the default 30-minute block ↳ Challenge weekly meeting rhythms 2. Capture the Cost ↳ Calculate total hours × participants ↳ Make the data impossible to ignore 3. Clean the Slate ↳ Question large recurring sessions ↳ Reset the reasons for why we meet 4. Send a Delegate ↳ Trust your team to represent you ↳ Welcome fresh perspectives 5. Shift to Async ↳ Default to writing, not meeting ↳ Ask: "Could this be an email?" 6. Suggest Async Solutions ↳ Invite decision-makers only ↳ Share transcripts with others 7. Meet Half as Often, Twice as Well ↳ Protect your 1:1s ↳ Guard against decision fatigue Remember: Everyone craves more time. Few have the courage to reclaim it. ♻️ Share to help someone 🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

Every entrepreneur wants to maximize their productivity and achieve more in less time...but nobody knows where to start. Here's the exact 5-step playbook I'd use to master time-blocking and supercharge your efficiency: 1. Audit your current time usage. Track every minute for a week. Be ruthless in your honesty. You'll likely find hours of wasted time you didn't even realize existed. 2. Identify your peak performance hours. When are you most focused and energized? These are your golden hours for tackling high-impact tasks. 3. Create time blocks for different types of work. Group similar tasks together. Dedicate specific blocks to deep work, meetings, email, and personal time. 4. Protect your blocks at all costs. Treat them like non-negotiable appointments. Learn to say no to interruptions that don't align with your current block. 5. Review and refine regularly. At the end of each week, assess what worked and what didn't. Adjust your blocks accordingly. Continuous improvement is key. The magic of time-blocking lies in its simplicity and flexibility. It forces you to be intentional with your time, eliminates decision fatigue, and creates a clear structure for your day. But here's the kicker: time-blocking isn't just about getting more done. It's about creating space for what truly matters. By optimizing your work time, you free up hours for family, health, and personal growth. Remember, your calendar is a reflection of your priorities. If you're not deliberately blocking time for your most important goals, they'll always take a backseat to the urgent but less important tasks that fill our days. Start small. Block out just one hour tomorrow for your most critical task. See how it feels. Then gradually expand. Before you know it, you'll be operating at a level you never thought possible.

The calendar looked like a game of Tetris and he was losing. 🎮 When I first started supporting this exec, his days were packed. Back-to-back meetings, no buffers, barely time to breathe. He said he wanted to be more strategic and have space to actually lead. But his calendar? It was all reactive. Client calls, status updates, standing meetings with no clear purpose. So I asked him, “What on here actually moves the needle?” We sat down and did a calendar audit. We canceled what didn’t matter, delegated what didn’t need him, and blocked real time for thinking and planning. The difference was wild!! He was calmer, more focused, and actually excited about his work again. Here’s what I’ve learned from doing this over and over: 🪞The calendar is a mirror. It shows you what you’re really prioritizing, not what you say you value. 💸Every yes to a meeting is a no to something else. And most people forget that a 1-hour meeting with 5 people can easily cost $500 or more. Support pros like EAs, chiefs of staff, and ops leads aren’t just managing time, we’re designing how people work. So here’s the question I always come back to: Does your calendar reflect what matters most? 🤔 #TimeManagement #ExecutiveAssistant #WorkSmarter #LeadershipDevelopment #ProductivityTips #RemoteWorkLife #CareerGrowth

The generally accepted practices for time management are usually ineffective at having a real impact on freeing up time. What I refer to as the “Tyranny of the Urgent,” - the concept that we prioritize our schedule according to necessity, typically yields the same patterns day after day. Breaking out of this cycle requires taking a step back, choosing longer-term goals and putting specific actions on your calendar that will move you toward those goals. The other practice is “Time Blocking” - specifically blocking off deep focus hours on your calendar regularly where you are free from distraction. Schedule these during hours when you have the most energy and the highest level of focus. The work you can accomplish during these periods will save you a large multiple, maybe even months in the long run - attributable to the amount of output you can achieve during these hours of high concentration. Put these principles into practice and watch your life change. #timemanagement #growth #habits #personaldevelopment  

Stop obsessing over yearly goals—start mastering weekly systems. It’s January 1, and everyone’s setting lofty goals for the year ahead. Here’s the truth: success doesn’t come from a single, grand plan. It’s built through intentional systems and consistent execution, practiced weekly. If you want real growth and results in 2025, start with these two powerful practices: WEEKLY REVIEW (SUNDAY – 30 MINUTES) Reflection is the foundation of progress. Take 30 minutes every Sunday night to evaluate your past week and to be intentional about the week ahead. Ask yourself: ✅ What truly matters in my life right now? Am I dedicating the necessary energy to it? ✅ What gave me or created energy? ✅ What drained me of my energy? ✅ What should I have said no to? ✅ What could have been delegated, deleted, minimized, or automated? Inspired by Sahil Bloom, this simple practice keeps you aligned with your priorities and helps you course-correct before small missteps turn into major detours. MONDAY HOUR ONE (MONDAY – 30-60 MINUTES) Inspired by Brooke Castillo, this time management strategy is about designing your week with precision and purpose so you can focus on execution. ✅ Plan Everything in Advance: Dedicate 30-60 minutes Monday morning to schedule work tasks, personal commitments, and even downtime. ✅ Focus on Results Over Tasks: Prioritize outcomes over endless to-do lists. Plan key actions that move the needle on your goals. ✅ Honor Your Calendar: Treat your schedule in your calendar as sacred. Follow it like a meeting with a CEO. ✅ Minimize Decision Fatigue: Pre-decide your week to save mental energy for actual execution, not planning on the fly. ✅ Anticipate Obstacles: Proactively identify challenges that might derail you, and plan solutions in advance. How to Implement This System: 1️⃣ Brain Dump: During a dedicated time block on Monday morning, write down everything you need or want to do. 2️⃣ Sort by Priorities: Identify the most important results and the tasks required to achieve them. Choose your top 3 most important tasks of the week. 3️⃣ Time Block: Assign specific times for tasks. Use color-coded categories (e.g., Business Meetings, Personal, Fun) to stay organized. 4️⃣ Stick to the Plan: Follow through. Consistency is your power. These systems aren’t just about productivity—they’re about creating clarity, peace of mind, and living with intention. Start 2025 by mastering your weeks. The year will take care of itself. What’s your go-to weekly ritual for staying organized and aligned? Drop it below—I’d love to hear how you keep yourself on track! Enjoy my content? Like, comment, repost, or follow me on LinkedIn for more content just like it — https://lnkd.in/ggMv_GwP.

Let’s talk about time management for SDRs “Power Hour” isn’t a strategy. It’s a placeholder for “I hope I stay focused.” Reps love filling up their calendars… But the blocks are too vague to actually drive results → “Follow ups” → “Prospecting” → “Power Hour” That’s not a plan. That’s hope in disguise You need to be crystal clear with your intentions Here’s what that looks like: Vague → Specific - “Power Hour” → Call 25 people from my Tier 1 accounts - “Prospecting” → Build a 50-person list for tomorrow’s calls - “Follow ups” → Follow up with A, B, C and D - “Admin time” → Check emails / update CRM with today’s call notes - “Research” → Find 5 insights on target accounts for next week - “LinkedIn” → Send 10 voice notes to prospects who opened my email I ran time management workshops for 30+ SDRs this year In just 2 hours, we rebuilt their weekly flow around: - Green Time = revenue-driving activities - Red Time = support + admin - Excellence Time = growth + training - Flexible & Fun Time = because you’re human TAKEAWAY: Vague time blocks = vague results If you don’t own your calendar, your calendar owns you Bonus tip: color code your calendar

Here’s how I saved 20 hours a week This is an enemies to friends story 🦹🏽♀️♥️ A few years ago, my calendar was my sworn enemy. I had a newborn, a new leadership role, and zero time for any of it. Back to back meetings booked out literally 4 weeks in advance. There was no time to get anything DONE. So I made the calendar my bestie. Now I control how I spend my time and energy now. Here’s what I did 👇🏽 Time audit ⏰ 🔴color code meetings 🔴where am I spending the majority of my energy? What’s missing from the calendar? 🔴what zombie meetings can I permanently cancel? Manage your energy ⛽️ 🔴are you a morning person? Evening? When do you feel like you’re on empty every day? 🔴Use your best time of day to dial in on deep, creative, strategic work 🔴use your “I need a coffee IV” time for repetitive and admin work Calendar block like a pro 📅 🔴Morning + afterschool mom time, and lunch blocked every day 🔴Look ahead to the following week + block any open space (you control your time) 🔴meeting-free Fridays 🔴set default meetings to 25 or 45 minutes (instead of 30 or 60) Group your work 🍒 🔴One day for 1:1s 🔴One day for team or project meetings 🔴One day to get 💩done This works for me. What tips can you share on what works for you? #makeworksuckless #timemanagement #calendar #meetings #workingmom

Most of us live by our calendars. Don’t let it control you—take control of it through intentional time blocking to ensure you have time to accomplish your most important strategic objectives. ✅ Block 1-2 hours of focus time each day when YOU are most productive for strategic thinking, not reactive tasks like email. ✅ When you have a big project, estimate the time it will take you to complete it and proactively time block your calendar accordingly, naming the blocks with the project you need to work on during that specific time. ✅ Consider advocating for your team / organization to implement a “no meeting day” to tackle deep, strategic work without distractions. ✅ Schedule meetings to be 25, 45 or 55 minutes instead of standard half hour and full hour meetings to allow for mini-breaks (yes, they’re just as important as meetings). Think of your calendar as an investment portfolio: Allocate your hours where they’ll bring the biggest return. How do you protect time for your most important work? #TimeManagement #Leadership #WorkHacks