Creating a Calendar That Protects Your Time (And doesn’t make you want to launch your laptop out the window!)

There’s something about an ordered calendar that feels like everything is possible.

And then… Monday rolls around.

Meetings get booked in over your planned focus time. You agree to a “quick” call that eats your lunch (literally). That admin task you meant to do at 10am? Somehow it’s still haunting you at 4:45pm.

The truth is, if your calendar isn’t designed to work for you, it will get filled by everyone else.

So how do you stop it?

This week, I’m walking you through how to build a calendar that actually protects your time and reflects your priorities, not just your appointments.

Step 1: Start with the Big Rocks

You know that old metaphor about time management and the jar of rocks, pebbles, and sand?

The big rocks are your most important tasks - the things that make the biggest difference. You have to block them out first.  In an ideal world there would only be one of these each day (I talked about this week if you missed it)

Define: What’s the thing I need space to think about? What’s the work that generates income? What’s the thing that only I can do?

Real-life tip: One of my clients blocks 9:30–11:30 every Monday for “Gym and Exercise". No calls. No emails. Just focussing on their wellbeing so when they do get into the working week they are motivated to get cracking. Getting some time purely for them has made a huge difference to how they show up for the week.

Step 2: Protect Your Energy, Not Just Your Time

Not all hours are created equal.

Ever tried to do detailed work at 4pm and wondered why you just can’t get started?

Match your tasks to your energy levels. Do high-focus work when you’re freshest (for most people, that’s the morning but if you’re a night owl you do what’s best for you). Save admin or emails for your lower-energy hours.

And yes, block time for breaks too. You’re not a robot! You need to eat, grab a cuppa and take 5!

Step 3: Add Intentional Gaps

Calendars look clean with back-to-back meetings… until you try to actually do it.

Leave buffers between calls, even 10–15 minutes can help you catch up on notes, prep for the next chat, or just go to the loo without needing a calendar invite for that too!

Real-life tip: I helped a client go from six calls in a row to a three-meeting max per day. She gets more done, feels less rushed, and shows up more present for each conversation.

Step 4: Add More Colour To Your Life

This one’s a personal favourite. Simple, visual, and highly effective.

Assign a colour to each type of activity. It gives you an instant snapshot of your week and helps you spot when things are out of balance.

Here’s a suggested key to get you started:

• Client Work – Blue

• Meetings & Calls – Green

• Deep Work / Strategy – Purple

• Admin & Emails – Grey

• Marketing / Content Creation – Orange

• Personal / Downtime – Pink or Yellow

• Urgent or Must-Do – Red (use this one sparingly!)

You can adjust to suit your work and how your brain works, the key is consistency.

Note: If your week is a sea grey, that’s a sign. You need to get some help to offload this so you can get more colour in your life!

Step 5: Set Up Your Week With Intention

Avoid waiting for Monday morning to figure it out. Do a quick calendar check every Friday afternoon or Sunday evening:

Is your “big rock” in place? Have you blocked time for deep work? Is there enough white space? What can be delegated, shortened, or removed?

And here’s a common mistake I see:

Your calendar is NOT a to-do list. It’s really easy to fill every 15-minute gap with daily tasks but this quickly turns into your calendar making you feel a bit sick! Instead, block dedicated time for task work (like “Marketing admin” or “Proposal writing”) and keep the specific items on your task list or project tool.

Your calendar should show when the work will happen, not every single thing you plan to do. Leave space for flexibility, your future self will thank you.

Real-life tip: Try swapping the many tiny task blocks for 90-minute “focus work” and see an instant improvement in productivity.

Bonus Tip: Batch & Theme Your Days

Rather than ping-ponging between tasks, group similar work together.

Example:

• Monday: Internal planning + team check-ins

• Tuesday: Client calls

• Wednesday: Content creation

• Thursday: Strategy / biz dev

• Friday: Admin + early finish

Even if you can’t do a full day, try theming your mornings or afternoons. It helps your brain stay in one mode for longer.  Every time you change task type you will spend time resetting to the new task.  Ultimately, switching back and forth will take you longer than set blocks of the same type of task.

A Calendar That Works For You, Not Against You

Your calendar isn’t just about time management. It’s also about managing your energy, focus, and even your stress levels.

When you take back control of your calendar, you protect the things that matter most, your business, your wellbeing, and your time.

And if your calendar is currently a free-for-all because you’re constantly rescheduling, triaging email, juggling tasks, or there’s just too much noise…

This is where I can help.

How I Help Busy Business Owners Like You

As a Virtual Assistant, I help you:

Block and protect your time Smooth out your diary so it works for you Take low-value tasks off your plate Keep your week flowing instead of firefighting

If you’d like some support sorting out your diary, let’s get a conversation booked in.

📅 Book a free 15-minute call 

Until next time,

Lisa