Vent: My daily schedule was a total mess until I blocked out my mornings

For months, my work from home days had zero structure and I felt behind by noon. I started using Google Calendar to block the first three hours for deep work only, no email. Has anyone found a better app for time blocking that doesn't get cluttered?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jason19d ago

The_gray nailed it. "The clutter wasn't the app, it was me." I use a plain old paper notebook and a timer on my phone. Cheap, no clutter, and I can't open another tab or get distracted by notifications.

the_gray2mo ago

Honestly that "no email" rule is the real key, not the app. Tbh I tried blocking time in Google Calendar too but kept cheating and checking my inbox. The clutter wasn't the app, it was me not following my own rule. I had to actually close the mail tab and put my phone in another room. Any calendar app works if you're strict about it.

danieljenkins2mo ago

Yeah, you nailed it. The tool doesn't matter if you don't change the habit. I had to start literally logging out of my email during deep work blocks. That physical barrier, like putting the phone away, is the only thing that worked for me too.