As part of the D.A.R.T. Method® of deliberate planning, we approach calendar management a little differently than what you might be used to. Instead of blocking time to do activities, we block out time to get a specific result.
Especially for long projects and for tasks and initiatives to whom you are accountable to no one but yourself, blocking time in the calendar to "do stuff" is basically ensuring it will take 3 or 4 times as long as it needs to.
Under the D.A.R.T. Method, you should manage your calendar to outcomes, results, and what you create, produce, or decide in any given time slot.
What will you have to show for your time?
For example:
Instead of, "Work on clinical article," the D.A.R.T. Method would recommend, "Review peer review comments and delegate responses to specific team members."
Instead of, "Lunch with Anna," the D.A.R.T. Method would improve this to, "Re-establish networking with Anna over lunch."
Or rather than, "Kids to park," you could adjust it to, "Play games with kids and name favorite parts of their day."
"Create a sh***y first draft of Board 10 slides," is MUCH better than the ambiguous and daunting, "Work on Board presentation."
Is it more work to determine what results you will be shooting for? Yes. It it more effective? 100%!
Name your results. In advance.