Do you own your diary or does your diary own you?

A pal of mine yesterday described over coffee how he’d be working 12-14 days this week to get everything buttoned up before he leaves for the airport. I saw him 13 hours later clutching a bag of food as he’d ‘not had time to eat’ since dinner the day before – an unintended 27 hour fast.

His diary was a sea of back-to-backs to get everything done. He is wound very tight.

You may just have come back from a well deserved break or as soon as the kids go back to school, are about to go on one (and pay significantly less than your parent colleagues) and perhaps your diary is also a bit of a car-crash…

Once you’ve taken your holiday break, consider more broadly how you use those 30-60 minute blocks in Outlook….

Mind the gap

When you look at your diary, do you plan breaks into your day? Most of us don’t, especially when we’re in more junior positions and have seemingly less control over our schedules. It’s too easy to argue that others need us to be on calls, or to feel that having a jam-packed calendar means that we’re on the path to a successful Q4.

However, have a look some research from Microsoft, showing the power of regular breaks in your day. The results are clear:

Breaks allow the brain to reset, reducing stress

• Back-to-back meetings result in decreased engagement and focus
• Back-to-back meetings cause stress spikes, because you’re so focused on the clock

Plus, there’s the somewhat obvious issue that if you’re always in meetings, you have no time to act on the points that were discussed in them. So what can we do to ‘mind the gap’ and make space in our day?

Block your time

One way to make sure that you get those essential breaks in is to switch to 25 or 55-minute meetings. The idea might feel a little grating, especially if you often run over time. But the truth is that nothing major is going to happen in the five minutes it takes you to go and make a drink, use the facilities or process what you need to do from the meeting (or prep for the next one).

Plus, if you’re regularly overrunning, you might need to rethink the agenda.

Another even more proactive action you can take is blocking out regular breaks in your calendar. Doing this means it’s actually not possible to get bogged down in back-to-back meetings (unless you ignore your own planning). You’re not relying on you saying no – your diary is already doing the job for you.

A really great time to do this, is just before you go on holiday since your diary will be much clearer already.

(On a side note: if you’re someone who likes to work to a schedule, task time blocking can also be a great way to get you in a flow state and feel in control of your day.)

Working with your natural preferences

If you’ve been working for a while, you’ve probably discovered that at a certain time in the day, you burn through your to-do list at a supersonic rate. Nothing can stop you, you’re full of ideas – and then an hour later, you feel like you just need to take a nap.

This pattern of energy relates to our chronotype. Understanding whether you’re a wolf, lion, bear or a dolphin can help you recognise when you’re likely to be at peak productivity, so you can schedule your day accordingly.

Even if you don’t have control over your working hours, think about when that supersonic time of day is for you, and adjust your plan to match it. For example, I do my best deep work in the morning, after a walk. Collaborative tasks and coaching are best before 3pm, where possible.

Take some time to consider your own preferences before you dive into your to-do list, and you’ll boost your productivity.

Own your diary in Q4 and 2025

Setting boundaries and building in breaks at work can be challenging. But remember, a meeting invite is just that – an invite. If it doesn’t work for you, suggest an alternative time. Use the tools available to you; electronic calendars give us far more freedom to share our working and meeting preferences with others.

Don’t let your diary own you – you’re the one in charge.

Take care,

James

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