Real-World Scenarios: How It Looks in Practice
Theory is great, but let’s see how this system works for two very different people. These examples show the flexibility of the Themed Block System.
Scenario 1: The Hybrid Professional (Maria)
Maria works in marketing. She is in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays and works from home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Her biggest challenge is protecting her focus time from a constant stream of meetings and requests.
Her Calendar Setup:
Maria uses the themed week approach. Monday (WFH) is her “Admin & Planning” day. Tuesday (Office) is her “Collaboration” day, where she stacks her in-person meetings. Wednesday (WFH) is a dedicated “Deep Work” day. Thursday (Office) is for team leadership and one-on-one check-ins. Friday (WFH) is for wrapping up projects and creative brainstorming.
A Glimpse of Her Tuesday (Office Day):
- 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: (Red Block) Travel to Office.
- 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: (Green Block) Marketing Team Sync.
- 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: (Yellow Block) Coffee & Informal Chats with Colleagues. She schedules this to make time for the valuable but unstructured part of office life.
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: (Green Block) Project Alpha Stakeholder Meeting.
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: (Purple Block) Lunch with Mentee.
- 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: (Blue Block) Focused Work at Hot Desk. She puts on headphones and signals she is unavailable. She deliberately schedules this focus block on a meeting-heavy day to ensure she still makes progress.
- 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM: (Green Block) Agency Partner Pitch.
- 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: (Yellow Block) End of Day Triage & Prep for WFH Wednesday.
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: (Red Block) Travel Home.
By theming her days and clearly blocking travel, Maria’s digital calendar gives her a realistic picture of her capacity and helps her be fully present for the right type of work each day.
Scenario 2: The University Student (Leo)
Leo is a second-year engineering student. He has a fixed schedule of lectures and labs but struggles to find time for independent study, group projects, and a part-time job.
His Calendar Setup:
Leo uses four main calendars: Academics (classes, labs), Study Blocks (his self-directed learning), Work (his part-time job), and Personal. His color-coding is simple: fixed events like classes are one color, while flexible study blocks are another.
A Glimpse of His Thursday:
- 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: (Academic Block) Lecture: Thermodynamics.
- 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM: (Study Block) Library: Review Thermodynamics Notes & Start Problem Set. He immediately schedules study time after the lecture to solidify his learning.
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: (Personal Block) Lunch with Friends.
- 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: (Academic Block) Lab: Materials Science.
- 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: (Buffer Block) Walk Across Campus & Decompress.
- 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: (Study Block) Group Project Meeting: Senior Design.
- 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM: (Work Block) Shift at University IT Desk. He uses this time for low-intensity homework if the desk is quiet.
Leo’s digital calendar helps him see the gaps in his fixed schedule and intentionally fill them with his priorities. It transforms his time from a series of obligations into a structured plan for success, while ensuring he doesn’t forget his personal life.
