Hey there,
You don't have a time problem; you have a tracking problem.
I was drowning in back-to-back meetings, barely coaching my team, and burning out fast. Most leaders just push through until they crack. I decided to get data on where my time was actually going, and what I found shocked me: 20+ hours a week in internal meetings that weren't moving the needle. Once I could see it, I could fix it.
Here's what we're covering today:
The free Google Calendar feature that shows exactly where your time goes
How to label your meetings so you can spot burnout patterns before they hit
The "perfect week" framework to optimize your calendar around your energy
Let me show you the exact system I use.
3 Steps To Reclaim Your Calendar With Data-Driven Time Blocking Even If You're Booked Solid
To take control of your schedule, you need visibility, categories, and a baseline for your ideal week.
Here's how to set it up in less than 10 minutes.
Step 1: Turn On Time Insights in Google Calendar
Go to Gmail and look for "Time Insights" on the left sidebar.
Click "More insights" and a breakdown of your meetings will pop up.
This is your dashboard.
Right now it's probably generic, but we're going to customize it so you can actually see patterns.
Most people think they know where their time goes, but feelings aren't facts. This feature gives you hard data on exactly how many hours you're spending in each type of meeting, and that's when you can start making real changes.
Step 2: Create Custom Labels For Your Meeting Types
Click the pencil icon to edit labels and create categories that match your actual work.
Here’s a snapshot of mine:
Customize these based on your role.
The key is making them specific enough to be useful but broad enough to stay consistent.
Now, every time you create or accept a meeting, tag it with the appropriate label.
Or tag them during your weekly review.
After a week or two, you'll start seeing patterns.
Maybe you're spending 15 hours a week on internal calls when you thought it was 5. Maybe your "focus time" is getting crushed by last-minute internal syncs. The labels surface the truth.
Step 3: Find Your Perfect Week Baseline
Track your energy and performance for a few weeks.
Pay attention to which days feel productive versus draining.
For me, anything over 17 hours of internal meetings and I'm toast.
I can't think strategically, I'm short with my team, and I bring that stress home.
Your number might be different. Once you know your threshold, you can design your week around it.
Use the Time Insights dashboard to course-correct weekly. If you're trending toward burnout territory, you have advance warning instead of realizing it when you're already fried.
That's it.
Here's what you learned today:
Time Insights in Google Calendar tracks where your hours actually go, not where you think they go
Custom meeting labels reveal patterns in your schedule that cause burnout before it happens
Your "perfect week" baseline lets you design your calendar around your energy, not just availability
Start labeling your meetings today; two weeks from now, you'll have a clear picture of where your time is going and exactly what to fix.
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