From to-do lists to Day Themes system

The tyranny of the to-do list

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been at war with the to-do list. Standard task management just doesn’t work for my brain.

Traditional productivity frameworks lean on rigid, 9-to-5 workflows that assume a neurotypical way of working, and that mismatch is where my friction starts.

A single list with my personal life, freelance work, and startup ideas all mixed together is a recipe for overwhelm. The context-switching is exhausting, and my rapidly changing interests mean the list is often outdated before I even begin.

I’ve tried different methods. I love the analog feel of writing in a notebook, so I made several enthusiastic attempts at bullet journaling. The Bullet Journal system is wonderfully flexible, but the need to maintain it meticulously every single day eventually felt like another chore, and I lost interest each time. I tried to use various apps for task management, but they all felt too rigid and didn’t fit my brain’s needs.

A small breakthrough with Time Bubbles

My first real insight came when I realized the problem wasn’t the tasks themselves, but the time. It doesn’t matter what’s on a to-do list if I don’t allocate time and energy to that direction.

So, I created a system I called “Time Bubbles.” A time bubble is just a block of time dedicated to an activity: “take a shower,” “work on client project,” “write content.” I used a notebook and later the ‘Structured’ app to plan my days this way. A typical day might look something like this:

For a few months, it was amazing. But time still had a habit of running away from me, and eventually, the micro-management of blocking out every part of my day became its own chore, and I lost interest again.

Rising of the Day Themes system

I needed to zoom out. Instead of managing hours, I needed to manage intention. Neurodivergent brains thrive when they can pivot inside a flexible boundary. The freedom to switch tasks within a theme keeps my dopamine up and my productivity flowing.

This led me to my latest experiment: Day Themes. Instead of a detailed schedule, I now have a simple “menu” of themes for my days. Each morning, I choose one Primary Theme as my main focus, and sometimes an optional Secondary Theme.

I built out this ‘Personal OS’ in Notion, where I can see all the themes in one place and link them to my daily log.

The menu has themes for every area of my life:

1. 📢 Amplify Day: For building my personal brand and creating content.
2. 💼 Client Focus Day: For focusing on paid client work.
3. 🎨 Create Day: For making art for its own sake.
4. 🧠 Decompress Day: For guilt-free, essential rest.
5. 🔋 Explore Day: For leaving my sanctuary and experiencing the outside world.
6. 🚀 Founder Day: For dedicated CEO time for my startups.
7. ⚙️ Life Admin Day: For the high-stakes tasks like bills and paperwork.
8. 🔋 Recharge Day: For actively restoring my physical and mental energy.
9. 🏡 Sanctuary Day: For building and maintaining my personal fortress of comfort.

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Day Themes Notion template

The complete system from this post, ready for you to use. It’s a free and fully customizable Notion template to help you organize your days with intention.

Get the Free Notion Template

Why this works

The most important part of this system is what I call Rule Zero: This is a guide, not a cage.

By deliberately minimizing the number of truly time-sensitive commitments in my calendar, I create space to honour the ones that remain without burning out. I am the CEO of my day, and I can change the plan based on my real-time energy and interest levels.

This system works where others have failed because it’s built on a foundation of flexibility and self-trust. It’s not a list of things I must do. It’s a menu of possibilities that helps me align my limited energy with what matters most to me today. And for a brain like mine, that makes all the difference.