How to plan your day by energy, not the clock
Most planners want to know when you'll do each task. You give everything a time slot and the day looks great on paper.
Then 2pm comes, the slot says "write the report", and your brain refuses. The plan falls apart, and it's easy to feel like you fell apart with it.
There's a different question you can plan around: what can I do with the energy I have right now?
Why the clock isn't enough
A time-based plan assumes your energy stays the same all day. For many people, and especially for ADHD brains, it doesn't. Focus comes and goes. Some hours you could run the world, and some hours a text message feels like too much.
If the plan ignores that, you either push through on empty or give up on the plan. Planning by energy lets you work with the swings.
Three tides
We sort tasks into three groups, which we call tides.
Low tide is for when you're foggy, tired or overwhelmed. These tasks take about two minutes and almost no thinking: taking out the recycling, replying "thanks!", refilling your water bottle.
Mid tide is for okay-but-not-great days. Errands, replies and anything with clear steps go here, like booking an appointment, folding laundry or paying a bill.
High tide is when you're sharp and motivated. Save it for the hard thing that needs your best thinking: the proposal, the trip plan, the difficult conversation.
Planning a day this way
- Get every task out of your head and into one list. Don't sort anything yet.
- Go down the list and give each task a tide. Be honest about how much energy it really needs. Most things turn out to be low or mid.
- Check how you feel right now, not how you felt this morning.
- Pick one task from the matching group and write down its first tiny step, like "open the document".
- Check in with yourself again later. When your tide changes, pick from a different group.
What about deadlines?
They still count. This doesn't replace deadlines, it just makes them easier to meet without burning out.
When something is due, figure out which tide it needs and save your next high tide for it. On low days, do the small prep jobs instead, like finding the file, writing the title or gathering your notes. Then your good hours can go straight to the real work.
Why it feels kinder
With a time-based plan, there's one way to get the day right and lots of ways to get it wrong. With an energy-based plan there's always something you can do, even on a terrible day, and a two-minute task still counts.
After a few weeks you may also start to notice when your high tides usually show up, which makes planning easier.
Try it free
Our free Starter planner for Notion is built this way. Add a thought, give it a tide, and it moves to the right column. Tick up to three for today. Nothing ever turns red.
Wall of Okay makes planning tools, not medical advice. If ADHD is making life hard, a doctor or therapist can help you find what works for you.