You’ve Organized Everything—Now Let’s Actually Get Stuff Done
How to Plan Your Work in a Way That Actually Works (Without Overloading Your To-Do List)
The Overwhelming To-Do List Paradox
You ever look at your to-do list and think, Okay, great… but when am I actually supposed to do all this?
You’ve spent time organizing your projects, categorizing your tasks, maybe even color-coding your notes like an overachieving office supply addict (no judgment, same). You’ve got a beautiful, well-structured list, neatly divided into sections: Writing. Marketing. Admin. Future Ideas. Maybe even a few extras like “Someday/Maybe” for things you swear you’ll get around to eventually.
And yet… somehow, things still slip through the cracks.
It’s not because you’re lazy. It’s not because you’re bad at time management. It’s not even because you’re disorganized—because let’s be honest, you’ve got the spreadsheets, planners, and digital dashboards to prove otherwise.
The problem? Having a list of tasks isn’t the same as having a plan to do them.
This is how the cycle usually goes:
You sit down to work, full of good intentions.
You glance at your to-do list. It’s massive.
Instead of getting started, you spend 15 minutes deciding where to start.
You pick a task, but halfway through, you remember another “urgent” thing and switch to that instead.
The day flies by, and suddenly it’s 5 PM and you still haven’t written those 1,000 words you swore you’d get done.
You move everything to tomorrow’s list and promise yourself you’ll be more productive.
Repeat.
Sound familiar? It’s the productivity equivalent of running on a hamster wheel—moving constantly but never getting anywhere.
The problem isn’t you. The problem is that your tasks don’t have time assigned to them—which means they don’t actually exist in your real life yet. They’re just… ideas.
We’re about to change that.
This week, we’re taking everything you’ve organized and turning it into a system that actually gets things done. A system that ensures:
Your most important work gets scheduled, not just listed.
Your brain isn’t constantly trying to remember what to do next.
You’re not cramming 12 hours of work into a 6-hour day.
You know exactly when your deep work will happen—so distractions don’t steal it.
It’s time to stop reacting to your to-do list and start owning your time.
Let’s go. 🚀
Here’s the thing: a to-do list is not a plan. It’s a pile of possibilities, a hopeful wish list of “maybe I’ll get to this” items. A plan, on the other hand, is a commitment—it’s the difference between “I should really write that newsletter” and “I’m writing that newsletter post on Thursday at 10 AM.”
Quick reminder: If creating newsletters and social media posts feels like a time-sucking task, let me remind you: you can automate most of that. Here’s how to turn a single blog post into a newsletter and social media images without extra effort.
This is why most productivity systems fail—not because they’re bad, but because they stop at the listing phase and never move to the doing phase. If you’ve ever looked at a long list of tasks and felt paralyzed instead of motivated, this is why.
So, let’s change that.
The Weekly Planning Ritual: A System for Looking Ahead
The key to staying on top of your work without constantly feeling overwhelmed is to have a simple, repeatable system for checking in with your future self. It doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need a 12-step planning framework. You just need one dedicated time per week to look ahead and get clear on what’s coming.
For me, this is Sunday evening or Monday morning—before the week starts running away from me. Some people prefer Friday afternoons so they can close out the week with a plan for the next one. It doesn’t matter when you do it, as long as you do it.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Look at the Week Ahead
Before you even think about adding tasks to your calendar, figure out what’s already locked in. This means checking:
✅ Meetings and calls—Client work, interviews, podcast recordings, team check-ins, etc.
✅ Personal commitments—Doctor’s appointments, family obligations, events, or anything that isn’t work-related but still takes up time.
✅ Hard deadlines—If you have a book draft due Friday, that’s non-negotiable.
Once you see what’s already spoken for, you can realistically decide how much time you actually have to work with.
Because let’s be real—if you have back-to-back meetings on Tuesday, you’re not magically writing 5,000 words that day, no matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise.
Being honest with yourself now saves you from frustration later.
Step 2: Decide What’s Realistic (Not Idealistic)
Now that you’ve acknowledged what’s already in your week, it’s time to set expectations that won’t crush you.
Too many people create a plan based on an ideal version of themselves—someone who never gets tired, never gets distracted, and has endless motivation. That’s cute, but let’s be real.
Instead, plan for the version of you that actually exists.
If you know that you’re wiped out after a long meeting day, don’t schedule deep writing work right after.
If you struggle to focus in the afternoon, don’t plan for high-energy tasks at 3 PM.
If you tend to procrastinate on a specific task, put it at the start of your work session so you don’t keep pushing it off.
This isn’t about being pessimistic—it’s about being strategic.
Step 3: Time-Block Your Biggest Priorities
At this point, you’ve got a sense of what time is actually available. Now it’s time to assign your most important work to dedicated slots on your calendar.
The rule here is simple: No vague intentions. If it’s important, it gets scheduled.
Instead of:
❌ Work on book launch
❌ Write blog post
❌ Do marketing stuff
Try:
✅ Monday, 9-11 AM: Outline email sequence for book launch
✅ Tuesday, 2-4 PM: Write 1,000 words on draft
✅ Thursday, 10 AM: Schedule social media posts for the week
When tasks are scheduled, they’re real. You don’t have to “find time” for them—they already have time.
Step 4: Batch Your Admin Work (So It Doesn’t Take Over Your Life)
If there’s one thing that will destroy your productivity faster than anything else, it’s letting admin work bleed into your whole week.
Emails. Social media. Bookkeeping. Tiny but necessary tasks.
These things will eat your time if you let them. Instead of doing them whenever they pop up, batch them into dedicated time blocks.
📌 Example: Instead of checking email all day, set a rule:
Emails & admin: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3-4 PM.
Social media scheduling: Tuesday mornings from 9-10 AM.
Why does this work? Because instead of reacting to tasks whenever they appear, you’re proactively giving them a place to live.
That way, when you get an email on Monday morning, you don’t have to stop everything to respond—you already know you have email time set for later that day.
Why This Ritual Works (And Why You’ll Actually Stick With It)
The biggest reason people abandon productivity systems is because they try to plan their work in a way that doesn’t match their real life.
They create schedules that assume they’ll be at 100% energy all the time. They overcommit. They assume they’ll be more disciplined tomorrow.
But this ritual works because it’s grounded in reality. It forces you to:
✔ Be honest about your actual time and energy levels.
✔ Schedule priorities first, so they don’t get crowded out by busywork.
✔ Batch admin tasks so they stop disrupting your real work.
And most importantly—it’s simple. No complex productivity hacks. No 17-step systems. Just a weekly check-in with yourself to make sure your to-do list isn’t just a wish list, but an actual plan.
Now that you’ve got a structure, let’s talk about how to stay on track throughout the week. 👇
Decide What’s Realistic (Not Idealistic)
Now that you’ve mapped out your week and accounted for existing commitments, it’s time to set realistic expectations. And by "realistic," I don’t mean a schedule that assumes you’re a hyper-focused productivity machine who operates at peak efficiency every single hour of the day.
Too many people plan their week as if they’re the best version of themselves—motivated, distraction-free, bursting with energy. The problem? That person rarely shows up. Instead, the real you wakes up groggy, gets sidetracked by emails, has unexpected errands pop up, and, oh yeah, sometimes just doesn’t feel like doing the thing.
That’s normal. And if your plan doesn’t account for normal, it’s doomed to fail.
Accept That Your Brain Has Limits
Let’s be brutally honest: you can’t do eight hours of deep work a day. Your brain simply won’t allow it. Productivity isn’t about cramming more into your schedule—it’s about making smart choices with the energy you actually have.
Start by asking yourself:
When do I naturally have the most energy? If you’re a morning person, schedule deep work early. If you hit your creative peak at night, don’t force yourself into a 6 AM writing session just because productivity gurus say you should.
When do I tend to hit a slump? If you know you’re useless at 3 PM, don’t schedule high-focus work then. Use that time for admin, emails, or a break.
What drains my energy the most? If long meetings leave you mentally wiped, don’t schedule writing sessions immediately after. Give yourself transition time.
Know Your Work Style (and Plan Around It)
Some people thrive on long, uninterrupted work sessions. Others do better with shorter, focused sprints. Some need external accountability, while others prefer flexibility.
If you keep abandoning your schedule, the problem isn’t you—it’s the way you’re structuring your work. Instead of forcing yourself into a method that doesn’t fit, try:
Time blocking: Setting aside dedicated time slots for deep work so distractions don’t creep in.
Task batching: Grouping similar tasks together so you don’t waste energy switching contexts.
Work sprints: Using the Pomodoro technique (25- or 50-minute focused work sessions) if you struggle with long stretches of work.
Plan for the Inevitables (Because Life Will Interrupt You)
Here’s a harsh truth: your week will not go as planned. Something will come up. A client emergency, an unexpected call, a sick kid, a computer crash—you name it. If your schedule is packed to the brim with zero flexibility, one disruption can send everything spiraling.
The fix? Leave buffer time.
Schedule 75% of your available work time, not 100%. That way, when interruptions happen (and they will), you have space to absorb them.
Plan overflow sessions. If you don’t finish something, you already have time blocked later in the week to catch up.
Build in transition time. Don’t schedule back-to-back deep work sessions without breaks—you’ll burn out fast.
Face the Tasks You Keep Avoiding
We all have that task. The one that sits on your list for days (or weeks), getting pushed to "tomorrow" over and over again. The task that makes you sigh just thinking about it.
Here’s a trick: Schedule it first thing in your work session—before your brain has time to resist. Decision fatigue is real, and the longer you put it off, the harder it feels.
If you really don’t want to do it, use the 5-Second Rule (courtesy of Mel Robbins): Count down from 5, then start immediately. Your brain won’t have time to argue.
And if it’s a task you hate every week? Add it to your suck list. Consider whether it can be automated, outsourced, or eliminated altogether.
The Bottom Line
Planning realistically isn’t about being pessimistic—it’s about setting yourself up for success instead of disappointment.
A good plan doesn’t assume you’ll be perfect—it assumes you’ll be human. The more honest you are about your time, energy, and focus levels, the more likely you are to actually stick to your schedule.
So instead of setting yourself up for frustration, build a plan that works with you—not against you.
Protecting Your Deep Work Time (So You Actually Write)
Let’s get real: writing isn’t just about finding time—it’s about protecting it.
Most authors aren’t just writers. We’re also publishers, marketers, and business owners. We’re managing websites, sending emails, running ad campaigns, posting on social media, tracking royalties, and—oh yeah—actually writing books. That means we have two completely different types of work competing for our attention:
Maker time = Deep, creative work (writing, editing, brainstorming).
Manager time = Admin tasks (emails, marketing, bookkeeping, meetings).
The problem? Manager time will take over your life if you let it.
The Hidden Danger of “Just One Quick Thing”
Ever planned a full writing day, only to think, I’ll just check my email real quick… and suddenly it’s noon?
Or told yourself, I’ll start writing after I handle this one thing—only to spend the whole morning bouncing between small tasks, and now it’s too late to get into a deep focus session?
That’s the danger of Manager Mode Creep—when small admin tasks steal your most valuable, high-energy hours.
The truth is, manager work is never-ending. There will always be another email, another social post, another invoice to check. And since these tasks are quick and easy to complete, they give you a false sense of productivity. You feel like you’re getting things done, but at the end of the day, your most important work (writing!) hasn’t happened.
The fix? Schedule your creative work first—before the admin tasks can take over.
Find Your Peak Energy Hours (And Guard Them Like a Dragon)
Everyone has a natural rhythm when their brain is most alert and focused. Some people hit their stride first thing in the morning, while others don’t get into deep work mode until late at night.
Your job is to figure out when your brain is at its best—and protect that time for writing.
Try this:
Track your energy levels for a week. Notice when you feel sharpest and when you hit slumps.
Schedule your deep work during your peak focus hours. If you write best at 7 AM, block that time in your calendar and make it non-negotiable.
Batch admin work in low-energy windows. Save emails, meetings, and social media tasks for when your brain is naturally less focused.
For example, my peak creative time is early morning. If I don’t write before noon, it’s not happening. So I protect my mornings like a feral raccoon guards a trash can—no email, no Slack, no admin tasks until I’ve done my deep work.
Your best hours might be different, but the rule stays the same: prioritize writing when your brain is at its best.
Batching Manager Work (So It Doesn’t Hijack Your Day)
Since admin tasks can’t be avoided completely, the next best thing is to batch them into dedicated blocks.
Instead of:
❌ Answering emails all day as they come in.
❌ Checking social media every hour.
❌ Randomly switching between marketing tasks and writing.
Try:
✅ Designated email hours. Check your inbox once or twice a day (not every five minutes).
✅ Social media batching. Schedule posts in advance instead of posting manually.
✅ Admin Power Hour. Set aside a specific time slot (e.g., 3-4 PM) to handle bookkeeping, scheduling, and other small tasks.
When you contain manager work inside set boundaries, it stops bleeding into your creative time.
The Bottom Line: Creativity Needs Protection
Your deep work time is your most precious resource. If you don’t protect it, no one else will.
✔ Schedule creative work first—before admin tasks hijack your brain.
✔ Find your peak focus hours and guard them fiercely.
✔ Batch manager work into set blocks to keep it from bleeding into your day.
✔ Use automations to limit distractions so you stay on track.
At the end of the day, writing is what moves your career forward. Treat your deep work time like a non-negotiable appointment—because it is.
The One Automation You Need Right Now
At this point, you have a structured plan. You’ve mapped out your week, assigned realistic time blocks, and made sure your most important work has a place to live.
But even with the best planning in the world, life happens.
You get an unexpected call. A meeting runs long. A task takes twice as long as you thought it would (because of course it does). And before you know it, a key task gets lost in the shuffle.
This is why automation isn’t just a luxury—it’s a safety net.
If you’ve ever reached the end of the day and realized, Oh no, I forgot to…, then you need this one simple automation that ensures your most important work doesn’t slip through the cracks.
Why This Automation Matters
You don’t just need reminders—you need a system that ensures tasks land in your schedule when you’re most likely to complete them.
This automation does two key things:
1️⃣ Sorts tasks into the right time blocks.
Creative (Maker) tasks get scheduled when your energy is high.
Admin (Manager) tasks get scheduled when your brain is in low-power mode.
2️⃣ Ensures important work doesn’t get forgotten.
Tasks don’t just sit in a to-do list—they get assigned to actual calendar slots.
Time-based reminders nudge you before tasks are due, so you’re proactive, not reactive.
How to Automate Task Scheduling for Maker vs. Manager Work
1️⃣ Use Zapier (or Make.com) to connect your task manager to your calendar.
If you use Notion, Todoist, Google Tasks, or ClickUp, set up a Zap that automatically creates a calendar event when a task is added.
2️⃣ Categorize your tasks as either "Maker" or "Manager."
Maker tasks (deep work) → Get scheduled during your peak creative hours.
Manager tasks (admin work) → Get scheduled in lower-energy blocks.
✅ Example:
A task tagged as “Maker” (Write 1,000 words) gets scheduled at 9-11 AM when your focus is sharpest.
A task tagged as “Manager” (Check email & schedule posts) gets scheduled in the afternoon when you have less mental energy.
3️⃣ Use priority labels to control urgency.
High-priority tasks get scheduled sooner.
Flexible tasks fill open slots later in the week.
4️⃣ Set up automatic reminders to keep you on track.
Instead of “Oops, I forgot,” you get a gentle ping:
“Hey, your writing session starts in 30 minutes.”
“Reminder: Book launch checklist review at 2 PM.”
“Don’t forget: Email editor by 5 PM.”
For bonus points, set up an end-of-day review reminder:
📝 “What didn’t get done today? Move it to tomorrow before you log off.”
This stops unfinished tasks from getting lost and keeps your system running without you having to remember to manage it.
Why This Works
✔ No more scrambling to figure out what to do next.
✔ Your deep work gets scheduled when your brain is sharpest.
✔ Admin tasks don’t hijack your most productive hours.
✔ You stop relying on memory—your system does the heavy lifting.
And the best part? It takes five minutes to set up but saves you from dozens of “Oh crap, I forgot” moments.
🚀 Paid subscribers: I’ve got a pre-built Zap for this—just plug it in and go.
Your Action Step This Week
Let’s put this into action:
✅ Schedule a 15-minute weekly planning session. Look ahead, time-block your priorities, and batch admin tasks.
✅ Do a quick daily check-in. Pick your Top 3 tasks and make sure they have time in your day.
✅ Test the calendar automation. Even if you set up just one reminder, you’re already making your workflow smoother.
And hit reply and tell me: What’s the #1 task you always forget to do until it’s too late? I bet there’s a way to automate it.
Until next week, keep making your system work for you—not the other way around. 🚀
I'm still trying to get organized!!