Stop Managing Time. Start Managing Defaults.
There is a pervasive myth in the coaching industry that if you just found the right planner, time-blocking technique, or productivity app, the feeling of overwhelm would finally dissipate.
Yet, so many high-achieving coaches end their weeks feeling exhausted, realizing they spent 40 hours working but only 4 hours actually moving the needle on their business. They confuse urgency with leadership.
In her recent keynote, "Make Time Matter," I Love Coaching Co. co-founder Jess Webber delivered a hard truth: Your calendar isn't the problem. Your defaults are.
The Invisible Trap of "Default" Decisions
A "default" is a decision you make without realizing you are making it. It’s the automatic pattern that dictates how you allocate your most precious resource.
The Email Default: Opening your inbox first thing in the morning is a default decision to prioritize other people's demands over your own strategic goals. As Jess notes, "Your email is just a to-do list created for you by others."
The Availability Default: Believing you must be constantly accessible to clients to provide value is a default that leads to burnout, not better outcomes.
If you don't consciously design your patterns, your patterns will design your life. Coaching is a profession that will take everything you give it if you let it.
The Reset Sequence: The BEAT Method
You cannot schedule your way out of a behavioral problem. You don't need to "make space" in your calendar for later; you need to interrupt the pattern right now.
In her keynote, Jess introduced the concept of a "reset sequence"—a deliberate mechanism to break free from unproductive loops. We call this the BEAT Method.
Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life overnight, the goal is to install just one new default.
If your current default is reactive (checking Slack immediately), your new default must be proactive (spending the first 60 minutes on client creation activities before opening any communication channels).
Your Time Is Not a Productivity Contest
Ultimately, how you spend your days is how you spend your life. Time management isn't about squeezing more efficiency out of every hour; it's about ensuring your daily actions align with the business—and life—you are trying to build.
Stop trying to manage the calendar. Start identifying the unconscious defaults that are managing you.
Ready to reset your patterns and focus on what matters? Stop the reactive spinning and start building the mechanisms that actually grow your business.