202: Time-Blocking Not Working? Here's How to Make It Work for Your Brain (Even If You've Tried Before)

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Time-Blocking Not Working? Here's How to Make It Work for Your Brain (Even If You've Tried Before)

Tried time-blocking and felt like a complete failure when you couldn't stick to those rigid calendar blocks? You're not broken - the system just wasn't designed for your brain. In this episode of Thrive in Five, business coach Cindy Gordon reveals how to customize time-blocking to work with your unique brain type, energy patterns, and entrepreneurial reality.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why traditional time-blocking fails for most entrepreneurs (and it's not your fault)
• How to reality check your actual energy patterns instead of following generic "peak hours" advice
• The three different time-blocking styles: Theme Blocking, Time Boxing, and Energy Blocking
• Why building 25% buffer time into your schedule is a game-changer for busy entrepreneurs
• Real client transformation: from time-blocking failure to consistent productivity using brain-friendly methods
• How to make your time blocks "flexible walls, not prison cells"

Perfect for: Entrepreneurs and business owners who've tried time-blocking before but couldn't make it stick, especially those with ADHD, anxiety, or non-traditional work styles.

Episode Highlights: "Time-blocking isn't a one-size-fits-all solution - it's a customizable tool that should adapt to your brain, not the other way around."

"You don't need to change who you are to fit a productivity method - you need to find the method that fits who you are."

Stop forcing yourself into productivity systems that don't fit. Start creating time-blocking that works with your brain, not against it.

👉 Tag @ExclusivelyCindy on Instagram/Facebook and share how you're using this tip as an overwhelmed entrepreneur - I'd love to connect and hear your story!

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Daily Success Framework - Productivity system for overwhelmed entrepreneurs: https://stan.store/cindygordon/p/get-my-daily-success-framework-now

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Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: ...

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Let's be brutally honest for aminute.
You've probably tried timeblocking before and maybe felt
like a complete failure when youcouldn't stick to those
perfectly color coded calendarblocks.
Or maybe you lasted three daysbefore your schedule went
completely off the rails.
Maybe you felt anxious lookingat the rigid structure that you
abandoned it entirely.

(00:22):
I want you to know it's not you.
It's the method.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Welcome back to Thrive in Five, where I give you
a quick burst of motivation andproductivity in five minutes or
less.
I'm Cindy, your host, aself-made entrepreneur, busy
mom, and a business coach.
I've built and sold severaldigital businesses ranging from
five to six figure successes.
So when it comes to managingtime and priorities in both life

(00:48):
and work, I get it.
I've been there and I am here tohelp you thrive.
Here's what's probably happenedto you.
You watch some productivitygurus, perfectly organized day,
downloaded their template, triedto replicate their system.
Exactly.
But your brain doesn't work liketheirs.
Your business doesn't run liketheirs, and your life definitely

(01:08):
doesn't look like theirs.
So when you couldn't stick tothose rigid 30 minute time
blocks, you decided that timeblocking just doesn't work for
you.
I see this often.
You're beating yourself up fornot being able to follow a
system that was never designedfor your specific brain business
or life circumstances.
Traditional time blocking advicetreats everyone like they have

(01:30):
the same attention span, thesame energy patterns, and the
same level of control over theirschedule, but that's not
reality.
Especially for entrepreneurs,the truth is time blocking can
be incredibly powerful, but onlywhen it's customized to work
with your brain and not againstit.
Here's a fun fact about how ourbrains work.

(01:52):
Some people thrive withstructure while others feel
suffocated by it.
Some brains need a detailed 15minute block while others work
best with a loose two hourchunk.
Some entrepreneurs can predicttheir day exactly while others
deal with constant clientemergencies and family
interruptions, traditional timeblocking assumes that everyone

(02:14):
has a neurotypical brain andworks the same way.
But if you have a DHD anxiety orjust someone who thinks
differently, those rigid systemscan actually create more stress.
Than productivity.
Your brain starts rebellingagainst the structure and you
end up feeling like you arefighting your calendar instead
of being supported by it.

(02:35):
The key here is understandingthat time blocking isn't a one
size fits all solution.
It's a customizable tool thatshould adapt to your brain and
not the other way around.
I learned this when I finallystopped trying to be the perfect
time blocker, and I started tobe a strategic one.
So here is how to make timeblocking work for you.

(02:57):
First, you need to reality checkyour energy patterns.
You need to forget about what alot of the productivity experts
say about peak hours and noticewhen your brain actually works
best.
Are you sharp in the morning ordo you come alive at 2:00 PM.
Do you need a three hour deepwork block, or do you focus

(03:18):
better in 45 minute sprints,track your energy for one week
without judging it.
Just observe when you naturallyfeel the most focused and when
you feel the most scattered.
Next, choose your time blockingstyle.
So here's where most people getit wrong.
They think there's only one wayto time block, but I like to
teach three differentapproaches.

(03:39):
Theme blocking assigns a wholeday's to types of work.
So this would be Monday forcontent, Tuesday for client
calls, I also like to use timeboxing as an option.
So time boxing sets specifictimes for specific tasks.
Also, energy blocking matchesyour most important work with
your highest energy times,regardless of when that is.

(04:02):
So while there are more options,these three are the most widely
used with the people that I workwith.
Pick the style that feels mostnatural to your brain.
The last step is to build inreality buffers.
This is a game changer.
Instead of scheduling everysingle minute, intentionally
leave 25% of your time.

(04:23):
Unscheduled Life happens.
Emergencies arise andinspiration strikes at
unexpected moments.
When you build flexibility intoyour system from the start, you
are working with reality insteadof fighting it.
So let me give you a couple ofpractical tips to make this work
in your real business life.

(04:43):
First, start with just one blockper day.
Don't try to schedule yourentire life immediately.
Pick your most important dailytask and protect one chunk of
time for it.
Master that before adding morestructure.
Make your blocks, flexible wallsand not prison cells.
If you are nine to 11:00 AMcontent creation block needs to
become 10 to 12 because yourkiddo had a meltdown.

(05:06):
That's not a failure.
That's life.
The goal is progress, notperfection.
Then I want you to experimentwith different lengths of the
blocks until you find your sweetspot.
Some entrepreneurs thrive with90 minute blocks, while others
need three hour chunks, and somework best in 25 minute sprints.
There's no wrong answer here.

(05:28):
You just need to identify whatworks best for your needs.
Let me tell you about one of myclients, because her
transformation perfectly showshow customizing time blocking
changes everything.
She had tried traditional timeblocking multiple times and felt
like she was failing.
She'd create these beautiful,detailed schedules and then
would feel guilty when lifedidn't cooperate.

(05:50):
We reality checked her approachusing my method.
We discovered that she had superhigh creative energy in the
afternoon and not the morninglike most advice suggests.
So we switched to theme blockinginstead of rigid time boxing
because her brain needed biggerchunks to get into that flow.
We also built about a 30 minutebuffer time because she's a mom.

(06:13):
And an entrepreneur, sointerruptions are guaranteed.
Within a month, she wasconsistently getting her most
important work done and actuallyenjoying her schedule.
Instead of fighting it andstressing out about it, she told
me I finally have a timeblocking system that works with
my chaos.
Instead of pretending my chaosdoesn't exist.

(06:35):
And that's what happens when youcustomize productivity advice to
your actual life.
So here's what I want you toremember today.
You don't need to change who youare to fit a productivity
method.
You just need to find the methodthat fits where you are.
Your brain isn't broken.
Your schedule isn't a disasterand you're not failing at
productivity.

(06:56):
You just need a time blockingapproach that honors how you
actually think and work when youstop trying to force yourself
into someone else's system andstart creating one that works
for you.
Time blocking becomes a toolthat supports you.
Instead of stresses you out,this brain friendly approach to
productivity is exactly how Ihelp other entrepreneurs in my

(07:18):
one-to-one coaching and myGrowth Collective Mastermind
because when you work with yourbrain instead of against it,
everything becomes easier.
Now go design a time blockingsystem that actually serves you.
And remember, you've got this.

Speaker (07:34):
Thanks for tuning into the Thrive in Five podcast.
If you found value in today'sepisode, I'd love for you to
leave a review.
It helps more listeners discoverthe show and don't forget to
subscribe so you never miss adose of productivity,
motivation, and success tips.
And hey, share this episode witha friend that could use a little
extra inspiration.
Until next time, keep thriving.

(07:55):
And remember, you've got this.