Every day I felt like I lost…(And I hate losing). It wasn’t because I was bad at my job or lazy.
Yet at 7 PM, I was completely drained, and weirdly, I felt like I made no meaningful progress.
And when I looked back, I had done everything I had to…
Emails? Answered. Meetings? Attended. Slack? Always open.
But impact? None.
The Chaos
Back then, my calendar was a mess. Meetings scattered all over. Deep work? Non-existent.
Responding to Slack pings every 2 minutes. I would shift from writing a PRD… to replying to a customer… to jumping on a last-minute meeting… to triaging a bug… all before lunch.
Worse, I was tired. All the time.
Mentally exhausted and frustrated because the real stuff kept getting postponed.
I was busy all day but somehow... behind on everything. Every day. That was my life.
And after another of these days.. I told myself: This can’t be it. This is definitely not it.
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The Mental Shift
That is when I discovered... as PMs, we don’t need more time. We need better systems - systems that are designed around our energy. Systems that we control.
Systems that ensure we get the real stuff done.
Our brains are built for rhythm - focus, execution, recovery.
And that is why it doesn’t make sense to ever leave your day to chance. On the contrary, the only way to feel like a winner at the end of the day is to intentionally design your day.
That is what I did. I rebuilt my day. Not from a productivity book. From trial and error.
And what changed wasn’t just my output. It was how I felt about work. Clear. In control. Calm.
I break my days into three segments. I try to do all 3 every day. But if I’m unable to on some days, I don’t beat myself up about it. Here are the three segments:
#1 Deep Work
I start my day with intention. 10:00 - 11:30 AM is my protected deep work block. No Slack. No meetings. No calendar chaos. Just one big, meaningful task that moves the needle.
A deep life is a good life, any way you look at it.
— Deep Work, Cal Newport
Why this time? Because I am at my cognitive best. Secondly, I work in the UK.
While most of the teams and stakeholders I work with are in the US. They start logging in after 2PM, which makes this time slot perfect for distraction-less deep work.
Now I don’t waste even one ounce of energy on meaningless tasks during first few hours.
You don’t create impact in Zoom calls. You create it in silence.
#2 Execution
By noon, the real world kicks in. This is my execution zone. 11:30 - 2:30 PM is when I handle meetings, async reviews, stakeholder convos, and unblocking my team.
It’s not deep work, but it’s still progress. I batch these tasks. I never schedule deep work here.
I don’t pretend I can jump from a strategy document to a sprint retro in 5 minutes and still be effective. This is the time for delivering, movement, momentum. Why batching?
Because every time you switch context, it takes an average of 23 minutes to refocus. That is a slippery slope, which makes wasting time very easy. Execution is valuable.
But only if it’s structured.
#3 Recovery
Like me or hate me. I need breaks. I need to reset and recharge. Even within the day. Around 2:30 PM, I pause. No back-to-back calls. No forced focus.
Just a walk. A podcast. A quick journal entry. Something to reset. Then I re-enter the zone from 3:00 - 5:30 PM - admin tasks, smaller projects, messages, emails, low cognitive tasks.
What I have realised (after a lot of heartache) is that decision fatigue is real. Research shows that as the day progresses, willpower, focus, and ability to make good decisions all drop.
I choose not to make bad decisions. Instead, I take a break, and make amazing decisions.
Say No
This is the biggest productivity unlock.
No to meetings without a purpose.
No to taking on random work that doesn’t contribute to my goals.
No to tasks where I cannot add value.
For every distraction, every new task, every meeting request, I ask myself: Does this get me closer to my goal? If not, I delegate it. Delay it. Or delete it.
As Steve Jobs once said, "Focusing is about saying no.”
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My New Schedule
Here’s what my structured day looks like now:
- 10:00 - 11:30 AM: Deep Work: docs, strategy, tough thinking
- 11:30 - 2:30 PM: Execution: meetings, async feedback, decisions
- 2:30 - 3:00 PM: Recovery: lunch, walk, journaling, reset
- 3:00 - 5:30 PM: Light Execution: more meetings, planning, async follow-ups
- 5:30 - 6:15PM: Recovery: coffee, snack, music, reset
- 6:15 - 7:00 PM: Wrap up: close threads, reflection, plan the next day
It’s not perfect. But it’s intentional. And that helps me stay calm, clear, and in control, no matter how chaotic the world around me gets.
Final Words
If your day feels overwhelming, the answer isn’t working more. It’s working smarter, on the right things, at the right time. Your brain isn’t built to operate on an “always ON” mode.
It needs rhythm. Focus. Recovery. Intention. So design your day around how you perform best. Because if you don’t own your calendar, someone else will.
3 Things You Can Do Today
- Block a 90-minute deep work slot tomorrow. Treat it like a meeting with the CEO.
- Add a 20-minute recovery break into your calendar after your heaviest block.
- Write down 3 low-impact tasks you will either delegate or stop doing this week.
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