Oct. 16, 2025

How I Use My Calendar to Get Through My Inbox

If you’ve ever looked at your inbox and felt completely overwhelmed—you are not alone. But good news... you can always implement time blocking in your balloon business!

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite time management hacks. It’s a simple change I picked up from the book Make Time (which I highly recommend), and it’s completely changed how I approach email... and how much I actually get done each day.

The thing is, every email is a task. And those tasks take time—sometimes a lot of time.

The Problem with “Unread” Emails

For the longest time, my system was to read an important email, mark it unread, flag it, and promise myself I’d come back to it later.

But “later” never came. Before I knew it, I had an inbox full of unread flags and lingering tasks I was avoiding—especially the big ones like custom quotes and large event proposals.

The worst part? These are often the highest-paying jobs... and I was letting them sit in limbo because they weren’t quick fixes.

The Game-Changer: Dragging Emails to My Calendar

The lightbulb moment came when I read Make Time. The authors made one point that hit hard: “Each email represents a chunk of your day.”

Now, instead of letting emails pile up, I drag them directly onto my Google Calendar and block out 30-minute chunks to deal with each one.

This does a few things:

It turns vague tasks into scheduled commitments
It keeps my inbox clean
It makes sure I actually do the work (and on time!)

Why This Works Better Than a To-Do List

To-do lists are great... until they become overwhelming. I found myself constantly shuffling tasks to the bottom—the ones I didn’t feel like doing—and they would sit there forever.

But when I schedule a task into my calendar, I treat it like an appointment. It gets done. And if I miss the block? I have to manually move it—which creates just enough friction to stay accountable.

Time Block by Energy, Not Just Time

Another bonus? I’ve started matching the type of task with my energy level throughout the day.

For example, I’m most creative in the morning, so I block time for proposals and design work then. I save quick responses or admin work for later in the day when my brain’s running lower.

Try It for Yourself

Whether you use Gmail, Outlook, or even a paper planner—give this strategy a try. Instead of letting your inbox run your day, start assigning those emails actual time on your calendar.

It’s been a game-changer for me, and I hope it helps you too.

Listen to the related podcast episode here: 30. Make Time | A simple Inbox Hack.