a hellish mixture of Time Blocking, Pomodoro and dopamine cycles

Next, it remains to estimate the time in which I can complete basic tasks. They usually take from 15 minutes to two hours. As soon as I go through this step, I immediately write down my immediate goals on the calendar – and formulate them according to the SMART system.

Hour buffer

Time Blocking is a rigid scheme, and it is difficult to change it on the fly. There are 4-6 tasks per day, and if something urgent appears, there is nowhere to add it. Therefore, I leave myself an hour of free time as a reserve. If something urgent comes up, I use that buffer by moving other tasks around. This way I manage not to put anything off until the next day.

Limitation on meetings and calls

Meetings take a lot of energy, and after them it is difficult to immediately return to productive work. In addition, they rarely give immediate results – this is more preparation than the work itself. I limited meetings to two one-hour or three 45-minute slots per day. After each meeting, I give myself 20–30 minutes to recover. During this time, I can do small things, such as answering messages in my work messenger.

Alternating tasks according to energy consumption level

It is difficult to complete two complex tasks in a row – usually there is not enough energy for them. So I start with the priority task, take a 10-15 minute break after that, and then switch to something less expensive.

An approximate work scheme looks like this: I work on a large task for two hours, rest, and then complete 2-3 small tasks. After that, I take another break and move on to the next important task.

This approach helps me better manage my energy and keep me motivated throughout the day.

Conclusion

My experience using well-known planning and time management schemes has shown that there is no ideal ready-made solution. You need to create it for yourself, combining details and principles of different approaches – or introducing something new.

What planning tools do you use? Share your experience in the comments – we will collect useful tips and opinions in the thread that may be useful.