Use a Commitment Device to Guard Your Blocked Time

A calendar block you can silently ignore is just a suggestion to yourself. It has no weight, so it is the first thing sacrificed when something more urgent-feeling shows up. A commitment device adds real friction to breaking your own promise: tell a colleague you will share a draft by 3 PM, book a study room, or pay for a class in advance.

The goal is not to trust yourself more — it is to make backing out slightly more expensive than following through. Small external stakes protect blocked time better than good intentions ever will.