The Unsexy Calendar Hack That Changed My Life
How blocking out 2026 now stopped me from living everyone else's priorities
Hey friends!
My last couple newsletters have been pretty heavy so I thought this week I’d lighten things up a bit. I want to talk about planning for 2026.
I know, I know. “Planning for 2026” sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry. But stick with me here - this is the unsexy stuff that actually changed my life.
Here’s what used to happen: I’d get invited to a concert I’d been dying to see, check my calendar, and realize I’d already said yes to three client calls that day because I hadn’t blocked anything off. Or Josh would suggest a weekend trip and I’d feel guilty because I “should” be working. Or I’d realize in March that I hadn’t taken a single day for myself since New Year’s.
Now? If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t exist. And more importantly, if it IS on the calendar, it happens.
So I thought I’d share the exact process I use, plus some genius tips I’ve stolen from friends and business besties over the years.
Master Calendar Plan for 2026
Start with the non-negotiables:
Put all birthdays, anniversaries, or special dates in your calendar. Your people matter. Act like it.
Block off all major holidays. Bonus points if you include the other bank holidays. You never know when you might want to jet off to the Caribbean on President’s Day Weekend. 🙂
If your kids are in school, add the entire school calendar. This includes college kids too. Holiday breaks, parent’s weekend, exam week, you get the drift. Trust me on this one - knowing when spring break is in January saves you from double-booking yourself in March.
Add your kids’ sports or other activities. Don’t know the exact dates yet? Put in temporary placeholders based on this past year’s schedule. You can always adjust.
Add any work trips/commitments you’ve already agreed to. Get them on there now before you accidentally schedule three other things that same week.
Now for the good stuff - your life:
Plan out ALL the vacations you want to take next year. And I mean all of them. Big trips, weekend getaways, family functions (weddings, graduations, etc.). Block those dates now. This is how date nights and vacations actually happen instead of remaining on some imaginary “someday” list.
Add in date nights. Monthly? Weekly? Whatever works for you. But schedule them. Otherwise six months goes by and you realize you’ve had exactly zero quality time with your partner. This can and should include dates with your friends (that monthly or weekly lunch with your bestie.)
Put in any workshops, conferences, or working weekends with friends. The stuff that feeds you professionally and personally. This can also include in hobby workshops too!
If you’re a coach or someone who does launches, block those out now. Give yourself breathing room before and after.
Add the stuff that matters to your family. In our house, we have to include all big Michigan State football games. TBH Josh thinks all games are do or die, so they all go on the calendar. (If the schedule for next year isn’t published, hold space based on this year’s schedule.) God forbid I forget to block off the NCAA tournament! It would be mutiny!
Schedule your self-care appointments if they aren’t already on there. Doctor, dentist, hair appointments. Yes, I am one of those crazy people who schedules their hair appointments out 6-9 months in advance. It is one of my non-negotiables! If I don’t protect this time, it disappears.
Here’s the most important one:
Find 1 day a month that is just for you. Block it out right now for the entire year. Not a spa day (unless that’s your thing). Not errands. Not “catching up on work.” A day that is purely for whatever makes YOU happy. Reading all day. Hiking. Shopping. Sitting in a coffee shop with your laptop writing bad poetry. I don’t care what it is - but it needs to be protected time for you and you alone. No chores, no stress, just fun for you.
This was the game-changer for me. Before I started doing this, months would go by and I’d realize I hadn’t done a single thing for myself. I was just moving from one obligation to the next, getting more resentful and burned out. Now I have 12 days built into my year where I remember who I am outside of business owner, mom, partner, friend.
Why This Actually Matters
Here’s the number one thing I learned by following these steps: If it is on my calendar, it happens. Period.
I know this stuff isn’t sexy. It’s not a productivity hack or a revolutionary time management system. But it’s the reason my date nights happen, vacations happen, time for me happens.
When I didn’t approach my calendar like this, it was so easy to skip that play, miss the concert I’d been wanting to see, cancel the weekend trip with Josh because “work was too busy.” Everything else took priority over the things that actually matter.
This simple practice helps me prioritize what’s most important to me. It keeps me honest about where my time is actually going. And it gives me permission to say no to things that don’t fit because I can see - right there in black and white - that I’m already committed to something better.
So yeah, it’s just calendar planning. But it’s also how I stopped letting my life happen to me and started designing it on purpose.
How do you prioritize and plan your next year? Hit reply and let me know what works for you.
xx, Heather
P.S. I’m writing a new book, The Nurture Method: The Real Life Guide to Raising Your Business and Family, that will be released March 2026. If you’d like to get an early reader invite plus lots of other goodness, reply to this email. I’ll add you to the group!