Running a business while working full-time is no small task. Since starting this journey in 2023, I’ve experimented with different methods to stay organized, productive, and intentional with my time. What started as simple to-do lists has evolved into a structured system that blends digital tools with physical planners, helping me balance everything without feeling overwhelmed.
At first, I relied heavily on Kanban boards to manage the chaos of juggling multiple responsibilities. Now, I use a mix of apps and strategies that keep me on track, minimize distractions, and help me make steady progress toward my goals. In this post, I’m sharing the tools that have been the most effective in keeping me focused and moving forward. Let’s dive in! 🌻
Notion: My Business Hub
Notion is the heart of everything I do. It’s where I track my habits, plan projects, set goals, and capture ideas —keeping everything organized in one place. I use it to break down tasks, assign due dates, and maintain a clear big-picture view of my business.
One of my favourite ways to use Notion is for weekly rosters, ensuring I’m balancing different areas of my business and not getting stuck in just one aspect. Every day, I check my Habit Tracker, Notion Projects, and Monthly Goals to stay aligned with what needs to get done. At the end of the week, I review my progress and plan for the next, keeping everything intentional and structured.
Whenever a new idea pops into my mind, I note it down in Notion rather than trying to remember everything. This frees up mental space, helping me stay present and focused on the task at hand.
I’ll be sharing a deep dive into how I manage my business while working full-time soon—stay tuned!
Milanote: My Creative Workspace
While Notion keeps everything structured, Milanote is where I bring ideas to life visually. I love using the Weekly Plan template in Milanote to structure my day and week — it just works better for me than Notion’s. It’s my go-to for creative brainstorming, whether it’s storyboards for YouTube videos, project briefs, or mood boards filled with colour palettes and inspiration.
Once I’ve set my weekly roster in Notion, I transfer my daily tasks into Milanote, categorizing them for a clear, visual overview of the week ahead. This helps me balance self-care, business tasks, household chores, and other commitments. Seeing everything laid out makes it easier to adjust when life happens, allowing me to stay flexible while maintaining an intentional workflow.
Notion Calendar & Google Calendar: Time-Blocking Essentials
I’ve recently started using Notion Calendar and Google Calendar, and they’ve quickly become essential to my workflow. I begin by mapping out each month, adding in known appointments, events, and commitments first. From there, I break it down week by week, noting when I’ll be away onsite. This gives me a clear picture of how much free time I actually have, allowing me to set realistic deadlines for projects, business tasks, launches, and newsletters without overcommitting.
With the month structured and my weekly plan laid out in Milanote, I use Notion Calendar or Google Calendar for daily planning, time-blocking my schedule the night before. This keeps me focused and intentional, with reminders on my watch guiding me through the day—so I always know exactly what to work on next.
Time Block Notepad & Physical Planners
Once my day is planned digitally, I like to note everything down on paper. Having a physical list to check off helps me stay focused without constantly checking my phone or laptop. It also allows me to adjust on the fly when tasks take longer than expected.
Over the years, I’ve tried multiple tools for this. I started with the Mi Goals Daily Planner to map out my daily schedule and am currently using the Mi Goals Focus Pad. Now, I’m in the process of designing my own planner—one that perfectly aligns with my workflow and productivity needs.
Monthly Desk Pad: A Big-Picture View
I love having physical tools that keep me organized at a glance without needing to turn on my laptop or check my phone. Right now, I use the Mi Goals Monthly Desk Pad, where I transfer everything from my Notion Calendar to create a clear, visual overview of the month.
Each day, I cross off completed dates, making it easy to see upcoming deadlines, events, and appointments. This simple habit helps me stay ahead of my schedule, ensuring nothing catches me off guard and that I’m always planning my weeks with the bigger picture in mind.
Notepad: Catching Distractions Before They Take Over
As simple as it may seem, keeping a notepad on my desk has been a game-changer for staying focused and productive. When I’m deep in work, my mind often sparks “great” ideas—things to search for, check on, or look into. Instead of giving in to the impulse, I note them down and save them for my next break.
More often than not, by the time I revisit the list, most of those thoughts no longer feel relevant—they were just distractions in the moment. This small habit has made a huge difference, especially during tedious admin work or challenging projects when the temptation to switch to something easier or distract myself is strong. Instead of seeking quick relief, I stay present and push through, which ultimately leads to a greater sense of accomplishment.
Eventually, I’d love to make this a habit beyond my desk—carrying a notepad with me so I can write down ideas and inspiration when it strikes instead of instinctively reaching for my phone to scroll.
AppBlock: Eliminating Digital Distractions
AppBlock is an app I use every day to help me stay focused. It allows you to create time periods where certain apps are either blocked or only specific ones are allowed. For me, only essential and learning apps—like Calculator, Google Maps, messaging apps, Audible, Spotify, and Camera—are accessible throughout the day. The rest of my phone is locked down, except for a short window between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM when I can access everything. Apps like Instagram, Etsy, Gmail, and web browsers tend to be my biggest distractions, so they stay off-limits.
One of the best features of AppBlock is its "Strict Mode", which prevents you from pausing restrictions or uninstalling the app to bypass them. This means I’m far less likely to reach for my phone because I know I won’t be able to use it for distractions, even if I wanted to.
I also use the web version to block distracting websites that tend to eat into my focused work sessions. This simple tool has made a huge difference in minimizing distractions and helping me stay on track
One Sec: Training Myself to Pause
As frustrating as it can be, this app has been incredibly effective in helping me stay focused. It enforces a short waiting period before allowing access to any non-essential apps, giving me a moment to pause before mindlessly opening an app. Whenever I try to open a restricted app, a message appears: "It's time to take a deep breath..."—followed by a wait time that I find slightly annoying but ultimately beneficial. The delay can be customized to different levels, from short to extreme (mine is set to the longest wait time).
After the wait, the app presents two options: "I don’t want to open [app name]" or "Continue on [app name]." I love this feature because it not only forces me to wait but also encourages me to be mindful of my actions. More often than not, I either get frustrated with the wait and put my phone down, or I choose "I don’t want to open [app name]" and realize I was just reaching for my phone out of habit—usually to avoid something difficult or out of boredom.
Toggl Track: Measuring My Progress
Toggl Track is the app I use to measure how much time I dedicate to my business. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is:
What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get managed.
If you feel like you’re not putting in enough hours, you probably aren’t.
When I first started tracking my time with Toggl Track, I quickly realized I wasn’t hitting anywhere near the hours I had set for myself. This insight helped me adjust my schedule to make those hours a reality. Over time, I could see patterns emerge—how much time I could realistically dedicate each week and what an achievable goal looked like for me. Now, I aim for 20 hours per week alongside my full-time job, typically landing between 18 and 23 hours. Tracking my hours not only gives me a sense of accomplishment, knowing I’ve put in the time I intended to, but it also allows me to step away without guilt. I can fully enjoy personal time, rest, and moments with loved ones, knowing I’ve done the work.
Toggl Track offers many features, though I only use a few. I can see how many hours I've worked over the week, break down my time by projects and daily work to see where I’m spending too much or too little time. These insights are invaluable, helping me identify areas that demand more attention and those that may need better time management.
Final Thoughts
Over time, I’ve refined my system to balance structure and flexibility, allowing me to stay organized without feeling overwhelmed. Whether it’s Notion for planning, Milanote for creativity, AppBlock for reducing distractions, or Toggl for tracking progress—each tool plays a key role in helping me work intentionally.
At the end of the day, productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most. By tracking my time, minimizing distractions, and staying aligned with my goals, I’m able to make meaningful progress while also making time for rest, creativity, and life outside of work.
What are your favourite productivity tools? 💛
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