If you’ve ever tried to improve your time and energy management, you’ve probably experienced this: you start with good intentions, maybe even implement a few strategies, but somehow things slip back into old patterns.
The truth is, the real difference happens when these shifts move beyond theory and into daily life.
Today, I want to share the story of a client who recently put these shifts into practice. She’s a busy professional, a parent, and like so many people I work with, she was juggling multiple demands, always feeling behind, and struggling to carve out time for herself.
With just a couple of simple tools, she changed the way she works, feels, and approaches her time – without adding extra hours to her day.
Here’s how she did it …
From Overwhelmed & Overworked to Focused & in Control
When we first spoke, my client was feeling stretched thin. She was working longer hours than she wanted, often delaying priorities until the pressure became too much, and constantly feeling like there was never enough time for both work and personal wellbeing.
She knew she needed a better way to manage everything but wasn’t sure where to start. The first tool I introduced was a structured to-do list process, designed to help her clarify what actually needed to be done, reduce mental clutter, and take action with less resistance.
She implemented the tool that same evening, and within a week, she already noticed a shift:
“The to-do list has definitely worked. More of the things that needed doing this week have happened!”
By the second week, she felt more in control and less prone to procrastination, noticing how much easier it was to take action on tasks she had previously put off. She also became more aware of where she was spending unnecessary time, leading her to delegate a project that had been consuming far too much of her energy.
Most importantly, she began to make better decisions for herself. Outside of work, she started thinking more consciously about her weekends, ensuring she wasn’t overcommitting, and carving out much-needed time for herself.
Then, after a couple of weeks, she had a moment of realisation. She let the to-do list slip for two days and started the following week without it.
“It was very clear how much more stressed and disorganised I felt on Monday morning.”
This reaffirmed to her how much of a difference it made – not just in getting things done, but in how she felt about her time and workload.
The Next Level: Taking Control of Time & Boundaries
Once she had the to-do list working as part of her daily routine, we introduced the second tool: a schedule planning system. This tool helped her take even more control of her time, create stronger boundaries, and free up space for what mattered most.
With this system, she:
- Built in time for wellbeing – She now plans a midday walk most days, something she rarely managed before.
- Strengthened her boundaries – Instead of defaulting to long working hours, she now protects key time blocks for herself and her family.
- Improved delegation – She realised she had been taking on more than necessary and is now more confident in assigning tasks to others.
- Worked with greater ease – Instead of jumping between tasks, she follows her schedule, moving seamlessly from one task to the next without unnecessary time-wasting.
This layering of tools created even more momentum. She wasn’t just feeling less overwhelmed – she was working with more focus, getting more done, and feeling better while doing it.
The Science Behind Why This Works
Following through on your planning routine doesn’t just improve productivity – it directly boosts your motivation, confidence, and self-trust. Even when things don’t go exactly to plan, having a structure in place keeps you proactive rather than reactive. You’re more in control, better equipped to handle the unexpected, and able to course-correct without stress. Over time, this reinforces the habit of keeping your word – to yourself and to others – building a deep sense of integrity and self-reliance.
And there’s a biological reason for this. When you plan ahead and follow through, your brain releases serotonin, boosting your confidence and sense of stability. Then, each time you honour your commitments, dopamine kicks in, reinforcing self-belief and strengthening motivation.
This creates an upward spiral – when you feel in control, you naturally stay more motivated and make better decisions. On the flip side, constantly falling behind erodes self-trust, fuels stress, and can trigger shame-based habits like avoidance, procrastination, or self-sabotage.
Taking Control of Your Time & Energy
This is exactly what I help my clients implement. Because while these shifts are simple in theory, the real transformation happens when you know how to apply them in a way that actually fits your life and work.
I teach a highly effective to-do list process and a schedule planning system that takes the guesswork out of structuring your day. These tools are designed to keep you on top of your tasks without the overwhelm, making it easier to stick to habits that support both your productivity and wellbeing.
The results? Less stress, more control, and a way of working that actually feels good while you get more done.
Beyond these foundational tools, I also guide my clients in medium and long-term time and energy planning and goal setting, so they have a strategy that supports not just their daily productivity but their bigger-picture success and wellbeing.
If you’d like to explore how these tools can support you, or your team, in improving productivity and wellbeing, let’s chat!
Kate x
