Third-year analyst here. I’ve tried every time-blocking method under the sun, but my calendar still gets nuked daily by last-minute client requests and MD whims. Heard rumors about ex-Wall Streeters using adaptive blocking strategies that actually survive deal tornadoes. For those who’ve made it work: what specific frameworks let you carve out personal time without getting steamrolled by the next fire drill? Bonus points for tactics that don’t require becoming a productivity robot.
timeblocking in IB? cute. reality check: your calendar belongs to the highest bidder. that color-coded masterpiece you made at 5am? MDs see it as a fun puzzle to destroy by noon. only ‘tactic’ that worked for me: schedule personal time as ‘client call - confidential’ and pray no one checks too close
my senior told me to use 15min buffer zones between blocks? but tbh i just end up eating cold pizza in those gaps lol. anyone try the pomodoro method during all-nighters??
The key is dynamic time-chunking rather than rigid blocks. I reserve morning hours for deep work when possible, keeping afternoons fluid for fire drills. Negotiate ‘anchor blocks’ with your staffer - 3 protected hours weekly for non-negotiables like therapy or family time. It requires brutal prioritization, but I’ve seen analysts maintain this for 11 months straight.
Had a VP who blocked Fridays 7-8pm as ‘Regulatory Compliance Review’ for 3 years straight - turned out he was coaching his kid’s T-ball team. Genius part? He’d occasionally send fake meeting notes to the group chat to maintain cover. The MDs never noticed.