Have you ever looked at your calendar, seen all the color-coded blocks, and thought, “If I just stick to this, I’ll be fine”… only to crash by 2 PM?

Or maybe you’ve gone all-in, new planner, fancy pens, every shade of highlighter, thinking, “This is it. This is the secret to finally getting my life together.” But then you spend more time planning your plan than actually doing the work.

Trust me, you’re not alone. That was me. Multiple planners, journals, and even stickers!

Here’s the hard truth: no amount of color-coding or stickers can make up for ignoring your energy.

We’ve been told productivity is all about squeezing more into our calendars, but that’s backwards. You don’t need a prettier system; you need a routine that works with your natural rhythms, not against them.

Why Energy Beats Time

Consider this: Are you planning your day in a way that works for you or for others? Do you find yourself trying to power through a big project at 3 PM, only to have it take forever? Or worse, you are still answering emails at 9 PM, but your brain checked out hours ago.

Sure, you can push through, but it takes twice as long and drains you even more. That’s because you’re scheduling by the clock instead of by your energy. You need to create a schedule that works with your natural rhythms. Not everyone is a morning lark or a night owl. We all have a different cadence to our day; tapping into your natural rhythm is key to being more productive.

How to Build an Energy-Aligned Routine

Here’s how to start shifting:

1. Track Your Energy Peaks and Valleys
   For one week, jot down when you feel sharp, when you slump, and when you’re most creative.

2. Match Tasks to Energy

   • High-energy = strategy, problem-solving, deep work

   • Mid-energy = meetings, team check-ins

   • Low-energy = email, admin, clean-up tasks

3. Schedule Recovery, Not Just Work
   Short breaks before you hit the wall are more powerful than another latte.

4. Protect Your Best Hours
   Don’t give your prime time away to someone else’s priorities. Guard it for the work that matters most to you.

What This Really Means

When you design your day around your energy, not just your calendar, everything feels lighter. You stop white-knuckling through the day, and you start flowing with it. You’ll notice your focus improves, your stress drops, and suddenly you feel less like a hot mess and more like you’ve got this.

From Hot Mess to High Performance

This is exactly what I’ll be digging into in my upcoming webinar, “Hot Mess to High Performance.” If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly busy but not actually moving forward, this session is for you.

📅 Save your spot here: www.eventbrite.com/e/1754750970389?aff=oddtdtcreator

Because let’s be honest, being busy doesn’t make you productive. But building a routine that honors your energy? That’s where the real transformation happens.