Flexible Planning Ideas for When Time Blocking Doesn’t Work

If you’ve ever felt frustrated with planning because your schedule is unpredictable, or because time blocking just doesn’t work for your brain or your season. you're not alone. So many of us hit that moment where our planners start to feel more like a burden than a support system.

But what if the problem isn’t you? What if you could plan in a way that actually meets you where you are?

In this post, we’ll walk you through three planning spreads that help you stay organized without feeling boxed in. Whether you’re dealing with low energy, inconsistent routines, or you’re just craving a new way to approach your week, these spreads are here to help you stay connected - to yourself, your life, and what matters most.

Because your planner isn’t meant to be perfect - it’s meant to be personal.

Let Your Planner Flex With You (Not the Other Way Around)

At MäksēLife, we believe that planning is not about rigid schedules or unrealistic expectations. It’s about having a framework that adapts with you - especially during the messy middle.

These three spreads are tools you can return to when you’re in a slump or simply need a softer, more spacious way to plan. Whether you’re using one of our Weekly Planners (currently on sale in both digital and physical formats!) or not, this is your invitation to experiment with what actually works for your life right now.

Let’s dig in.

1. Energy Blocking

Forget time blocking. This method is all about matching your tasks to your energy - not the clock.

If you’re constantly juggling shifting responsibilities or finding yourself burned out by lunchtime, energy blocking is a game-changer. Instead of assigning tasks to specific times, you sort them into three buckets:

• High energy (creative work, deep focus)
  
  

• Medium energy (emails, errands, maintenance tasks)
  
  

• Low energy (rest, recovery, or easy wins)
  
  

Then, as your day unfolds, you pull from whichever list fits your real-time energy levels.

This method is perfect for anyone navigating chronic fatigue, neurodivergence, parenting chaos, or just a non-linear workday. You’ll still make progress, without the pressure.

🖊 Tip: Use the vertical or horizontal weekly layout in your MäksēLife planner to draw three sections for your task buckets. Don’t forget to check in with your Compass Assessment and Weekly Reflections to notice which areas of life might be draining or energizing you most right now.

2. Reverse Planning (a.k.a. Memory Planning)

If you’ve ever stared at a blank weekly spread because your week is impossible to predict, reverse planning might be your new best friend.

Instead of planning ahead, you simply log what actually happens as your day or week unfolds. Tasks you completed, moments that mattered, things you want to remember—it all counts.

Reverse planning can help you:

• Release the pressure of pre-planning
  
  

• Build awareness around how you're really spending your time
  
  

• Find gratitude and momentum, even in slow or messy seasons
  
  

And yes, you can absolutely add stickers or decorate the page if that brings you joy. (Our digital sticker book and functional sticker kits are a great way to infuse personality into your memory spreads.)

Memory Planning is one of the simplest, most encouraging ways to rebuild trust with your planner again - especially when nothing else seems to stick.

🌀 Pair Memory Planning with our Daily Intentions and Evening Reflections Guided Journals to add a layer of reflection and clarity to your day.

3. Themed Days

When decision fatigue is real and every day feels like a chaotic mix of tasks, themed days offer a gentle anchor.

Instead of scattering your to-dos across the week, assign a general theme to each day. For example:

• Monday: Admin
  
  

• Tuesday/Thursday: Deep work or creative focus
  
  

• Wednesday: Meetings or calls
  
  

• Friday: Home/life logistics
  
  

• Saturday: Family and fun
  
  

• Sunday: Rest + Reset
  
  

By assigning tasks that align with each day’s theme, you reduce overwhelm and increase focus. It’s like giving your brain a roadmap, so you’re not constantly asking, “What should I be doing right now?”

🌈 Use highlighters or stickers to color-code your theme days- and share your spread in our Facebook Group if you want inspiration or accountability from other members of the Maksefam!

When Planning Stops Feeling Good… Try Something Different

The truth is: you don’t need a total life overhaul to reconnect with your planner - you just need a new doorway back in. These three spreads can help you adapt your system without starting over.

Still feeling disconnected? Waiting for the “right time” to prioritize yourself?

Now is the time.

💻 Join us for a free training: Live Differently

We’ll walk you through how to break the cycle of burnout and build a life that actually feels like yours - using planning as a radical act of self-support.

Ready to Try One? Or All Three?

These methods are all about honoring your energy, your rhythm, and your real life.

👉 Grab a MäksēLife Weekly Planner while they’re still on sale
👉 Share your favorite spread in the blog comments or inside our Facebook Group.
👉 And if you’re not already part of the community, come join us in Clubmakse —we’re planning differently, together

Which of these spreads speaks to you most right now?

Drop it in the comments—and tell us one thing you're hoping it will help you shift.

Let’s turn planning into something that gives back to you.