How to Create a White Space Calendar: What No One Tells You

Have you heard about the white space calendar? And do you even know how to achieve it?

You know. A calendar with so much space that you’re not just dreaming of being off the clock, but it’s actually true. No errands to run. No tasks to check off the list. No carpooling, dinner to cook, homework to check. Why is it that busyness seems to be a badge of honor?

How was your weekend? Busy.

Well, my friends, I’m here to help.

Making enough time in my day is something I love to do. I secretly get a buzz when people wonder how I live the life of an executive with three kids, travel the world, and still take a vacation and do what I love (reading and writing).

I believe that you can have the life you want. Feel calm. Get more done. Achieve time freedom.

So each week, I’ll share my favorite tips to feel less busy. Habits and practices that I use to make the most of my precious and plentiful time. Because yes, I believe my time is precious (which is why I guard it) but also plentiful. By thinking this way, I realize that my life is abundant, full, and rich.

Now, believe me, time freedom doesn’t mean having zero obligations. I have plenty! But, by viewing freedom as being multifaceted, it’s possible to look at commitments as either burdens (which are best avoided) or benefits (which have meaning and actually bring happiness). If you choose to look at the time in your day as something to be rejoiced and not feared, it’s possible to have all the time in the world.

So, let’s begin the Feel Less Busy series.

Week 1: How to Create a Calendar with White Space

The first step to creating a calendar with white space is to know where the time in your day really goes. So while this is going to sound a bit backward, you will need to invest a little time tracking how you spend your days.

There are plenty of time tracker apps that you might enjoy using. Tools like: Harvest, HourStack, Timely, and Toggl (free). A spreadsheet or paper will work fine, too. Fill in your log every couple of hours and try keeping it for a few weeks before analyzing.

Ah, analysis. This is where you might be delighted or surprised. I’ll take a wild guess and predict you will be shocked by what you discover. You’ll probably notice that you exaggerated the hours you worked (all good entrepreneurs have to hustle, and committed corporate employees are chained to their desks, right?). If you have kids, you’ll probably find that you’re spending many hours in the car. And chances are you’re exercising less than you thought.

And you might also find that you’ve added a lot of things into the “self-care” category. Binge-watching Netflix or reading mindless articles that you convince yourself are educative but let’s be honest – you’re fooling yourself. And, of course, the self-care we love. Going to the hair salon, getting a facial, seeing the acupuncturist.

The next step is to take a look at the way you’re spending your time. Are those 30-minute conferences really adding value? Are the 100+ emails that pop into your inbox every day so urgent and important that you jump every time your computer or phone buzzes?

I am ruthless in both clearing out my calendar to have large amounts of white space, blocking similar activities together, and stacking multiple tasks together. And there’s always outsourcing.

For 12 years, I had nannies care for our family. Before going any further, let me acknowledge that a nanny or childminder comes at a high cost and might be out of your budget. I get it. But for my family – where both my husband and I worked challenging jobs and traveled, it was the way we survived and thrived.

And yes, it might seem like a nanny looks after your children, but if you plan the work right, they are a huge time saver for you. I would write up the weekly menu – they would cook. When they dropped the kids at activities, they would run errands like return books to the library or grab groceries. They did the kids’ laundry and made sure the homework was completed. I treated them as a member of the family but also as an employee. So they were accountable and saw that I was also treating them as a professional.

As my children grew older, I’ve had to drive them around a lot more. You’ll find the different seasons of life will need adjustments to maintain balance. So, when I’m driving, I load up my favorite podcasts (plus it saves me from overindulging on social media later in the day) and listen to them. And I’ll chat with the kids when we’re in the car together. Having time with your kids is a huge gift. Use it carefully and treasure the moments. I find the discussions to be entertaining and sometimes surprising. And because I do treasure them so much, I view time as a benefit to my state of happiness.

It’s amazing how even the simple things in life can bring you pleasure if you frame them that way. So instead of thinking, “I have to drive the kids to a mountain bike race,” I’ll frame it as “I have the privilege of driving the kids to the mountain bike race, which makes them happy. I love talking with them about how they prepare for the race, how they are feeling, and what a good race will look like. My kids are growing up quickly, and I love seeing them thrive and be healthy”.

Another way I clear out my calendar is by blocking time every day for nothing. Maybe you feel this isn’t possible. And believe me, for a while, I didn’t either. I would let others add appointments and meetings to my calendar. Often meeting for 10 or 12 hours straight without even a bathroom or lunch break. Flying internationally and going straight from an overnight flight to meetings. But let’s be honest. This is craziness!

Not only was it resulting in poor sleep (read how I now track my readiness using the Oura ring), but it also made me less productive. I was tired, grumpy, and wasn’t showing up the way I wanted to. Which then led to a vicious cycle of more overwork, being even less productive and even grumpier. I’m sure you get it.

Blocking time became a big game-changer. It gave me time to be more mindful. It gave me choices. And it was a forcing function to make time. I now choose the activities that benefit me. If I can’t find joy in it, I rarely do it. But on the rare occasion that it isn’t the best use of my time, I’ll look at it in a different light. I’ll ask myself, “What can I learn from this?” or “What can I get out of this?”.

So, that’s it for Week 1 of the Feel Less Busy series. I hope you found it helpful! And I’d love to hear what you do to feel less busy in the comments. Remember that time is both precious and plentiful. So enjoy its abundance and joy.