Why You Don’t Feel Like Following Your Plan
You’ve blocked the time.
You’ve set the reminder.
You’ve promised yourself you’ll finally write that report or go for that run.
But when the time comes—you don’t feel like it.
You’re not lazy.
You’re human.
Why does this happen to us, and what can we do to try to prevent this in the future?
Read on for some answers.
You’re Not a Machine—You’re Human
Most productivity advice assumes we’re machines—consistent, predictable, always ready to execute. But we’re not built that way.
At 8 a.m., I’m full of energy—ready to tackle complex thinking and working.
At 3 p.m., I’m tired—I can’t think straight. It’s too challenging to tackle the difficult work I planned to do.
Instead of assuming you’ll be the same all day, you need to plan for these predictable changes. As Anne-Laure Le Cunff wrote in her book Tiny Experiments,
“Manage your energy, executive function, and emotions rather than your minutes.”
If you’re a “morning person” like I am, that means planning your most difficult work in the morning, when you have the most energy. If you’re an “afternoon person” or “night person,” then plan your more demanding work during those times.
Three Ways to Match Your Work with Your Energy
Here are three ways to plan your time:
1. Time Blocking
In time blocking, you time block all of your tasks for the day on your calendar before you begin your work day, typically that morning, the afternoon, or the evening before. This can be a useful way to plan your day intentionally and follow through on your intentions. When you reach that time block, you stop what you were doing before and work on the new task.
If you use time blocking, don’t be afraid to adjust these times based on how you feel and your energy. It’s okay to move those time blocks around. You can allow yourself some flexibility. Time blocks are guides, not handcuffs.
2. The Analog Anchor Technique.
A much more flexible approach is the anchor technique designed by Kourosh Dini.
You write the day’s tasks on a piece of paper. When you’re ready to begin work, pick a task, circle it, and then visit it. You can spend as much or as little time on the task you selected as you desire.
When you’re done, return to the list, cross out the one you’ve visited, pick another task, and circle it. This system gives you ultimate flexibility.
3. A Hybrid Digital System
It’s a combination of both time blocking and fluid choice.
I use the NotePlan App to plan my day. The right panel in the NotePlan app displays my calendar and tasks for the day. I select the tasks I want to consider that day and drag them to one of four categories in my daily note.
My daily note is a template that includes the categories of priority action, today’s actions, and possible actions. Using these categories, I define what I definitely need to do that day, what other tasks I’d like to complete, and which tasks I can choose from if I have time left over.
If I want to time-block a particular task, I can drag it into the calendar and set the time I plan to work on it.
If I want more flexibility, I can choose which tasks I want to do and when. This combines a more rigid time blocking system with fluid choice as well.
Bring Your Plans to Life—Your Way
Productivity isn’t about forcing yourself to follow the plan—it’s about creating a plan that fits the real you.
Experiment, observe, and refine.
When your planning aligns with your natural rhythms, you’ll find it much easier to do what you said you would—when it’s time to do it.
There are three things you can do to avoid being out of energy when you plan to do a task:
- Be aware of your “biological prime time” of the day when you have the most energy, and also when you have the least energy.
- Plan more complex and challenging work when you’ll likely have the most energy, and more manageable tasks when you’re tired.
- Use a task system that helps you to do what’s important for you, but also allows you the flexibility to rearrange a task if you need to do it at a different time of the day, or maybe even another day.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches for planning your tasks and getting them done.
Find what works for you and then stick with it.
AI Note: I wrote this blog post myself, using my own words and thoughts for the initial draft. I used AI only to suggest headlines, section headings, images, and text improvements.
Links to product pages on Amazon include a referral code, which pays me a small percentage of the sale when products are purchased. This helps to defray some of the costs of running this site. I strive to only include links to products I believe are worth buying.