How to Find “Hidden Pockets” of Time in Your 9-5 Schedule

Scene: Sunday Night at Target

You’re in that aisle. You know the one.

The aesthetic journals. The pastel pens. The beige planner that says “Boss Babe” on the cover.

You grab it. You feel organized just holding it. You tell yourself, “This week is going to be different. I’m waking up at 5 AM. Gym before work. Build my empire during lunch. Cook a real dinner. This is MY year.”

Cut to: Tuesday, 6:45 PM.

You’re sitting in your car in a high school parking lot. Your daughter’s at practice. You’re eating a granola bar for dinner because you forgot to meal prep. Again.

The planner? Buried under a pile of mail in the passenger seat. You haven’t opened it once.

Gyrl, I see you. And I need you to know, you’re not failing. The system failed you.

The Real Reason You Feel Like You Have No Time

I used to think I didn’t have time for a side hustle until I learned how to find hidden pockets of time inside my 9–5 schedule.

Let me guess:

You wake up already behind. You’re rushing to get yourself AND your kid ready. You’re mentally running through your work to do list while packing lunches. You’re hoping traffic isn’t bad because you cannot be late again.

You get to work and it’s back-to-back meetings, urgent emails, people needing things from you. You finally get a lunch break but you’re too mentally exhausted to think about your business, so you scroll instead.

You leave work, sit in traffic for 45 minutes, pick up your daughter, rush to practice or activities. By the time you get home, you still have to make dinner, help with homework, handle the bedtime routine.

And THEN, finally. When the house is quiet and it’s YOUR time?

You’re too tired to do anything but collapse on the couch and stare at your phone.

And the guilt hits. “I should be working on my side hustle. I should be building. Everyone else is making it work. What’s wrong with me?”

Nothing is wrong with you.

You’re just exhausted. And you’ve been trying to fit a “Perfect Day” routine into a life that’s anything BUT perfect.

We’ve Been Sold a Lie About Productivity

You know what really gets me?

Those influencers who post their “5 AM morning routines” with the candlelit journaling, the green smoothies, the yoga at sunrise.

And you’re watching it like, “Where is her KID? Who’s making breakfast? Who’s signing the permission slips?”

Or they say, “We all have the same 24 hours.”

NO. WE. DON’T.

That girl you follow on Instagram? She might have:

• No kids
• A partner who splits the load
• Works from home (no commute)
• A virtual assistant handling her admin
• A meal prep service
• Family nearby for help

Meanwhile, you’re a single mom with a 9-5, a commute, a kid with activities, bills that don’t stop, and a body that’s TIRED by 8 PM.

So when you see those routines and feel like you’re failing? You’re not. You’re comparing your real life to someone else’s highlight reel.

And I need you to stop.

The Planner Graveyard (Why We Keep Buying Them)

Let’s be honest.

How many planners do you have sitting in a drawer right now? How many apps have you downloaded? How many “systems” have you tried?

And every time, it’s the same cycle:

✨ You buy the planner and feel MOTIVATED
✨ You color code your week and feel ORGANIZED
✨ You schedule “Work on Business 8-10 PM” and feel DETERMINED

Then reality hits.

Your boss keeps you late. Traffic is a nightmare. Your daughter forgot her uniform and you have to turn around. You get home and you’re just… DONE.

So you don’t open the planner. You don’t follow the schedule. You don’t work on the business.

And by Sunday, you feel like a failure. Again.

But here’s the truth: You’re not failing because you lack discipline. You’re failing because you’re planning for a fantasy life instead of your REAL life.

The Shift: How I Found Hidden Pockets of Time in My 9-5

After I got my evenings regulated through an evening reset routine, something shifted.

I stopped beating myself up for not having 4-hour blocks of “free time” to work on my business.

Because girl, where? Between what and what?

Instead, I started noticing these little moments throughout my day. Moments I was already living through but completely wasting.

I call them “Hidden Pockets.”

And when I started using them intentionally? Everything changed.

The Commute (30-45 Minutes Each Way)

I used to blast my playlist the entire drive. Same songs, every single day. Just zoning out, trying to mentally prepare for work or decompress after.

But then I realized: That’s 60-90 minutes a day I’m giving to absolutely nothing.

So I started using it differently:

Morning commute: I listen to business podcasts, YouTube audio about Pinterest strategy, or audiobooks on digital products. I’m stuck in traffic anyway, might as well learn something that’s actually building my future.

Evening commute: I open my voice notes and just TALK. I brainstorm product ideas, outline content, vent about what I’m struggling with. By the time I get home, I have a whole list of ideas I can actually use.

That’s 7-10 hours a WEEK I was completely wasting. Now? It’s learning time. Strategy time. CEO time.

The Lunch Break (30-60 Minutes)

I used to eat at my desk while scrolling Instagram. Or I’d sit in the break room listening to office gossip that didn’t serve me.

And I’d tell myself, “I need this break. I’m tired.”

But was I actually resting? No. I was just wasting time AND still feeling drained.

So now? I take my lunch to my car, put on my headphones, and I work on ONE small task:

• Outline a product page
• Schedule 5 Pinterest pins
• Research trending keywords
• Write one email for my sequence
• Organize my Google Drive

It’s not glamorous. But it’s PROGRESS.

And here’s the beautiful part: Nobody at work knows what I’m building. They think I’m just eating lunch in my car. Meanwhile, I’m laying the foundation for my exit strategy.

The Practice Wait (45-60 Minutes, 2-3x Per Week)

This one was a game changer.

You know that time you spend sitting in the parking lot or on the bleachers while your kid is at practice? That dead zone where you’re just… waiting?

Most moms are scrolling TikTok or watching other moms scroll TikTok.

But that’s 45-60 minutes. Multiple times a week. That’s 2-3 hours a week you already have.

I started bringing my tablet or laptop, and I use that time to:

• Design pins in Canva
• Write blog post outlines
• Update my product listings
• Create mockups for new offers

Some of my best products were literally created in a high school parking lot. And honestly? That’s the energy.

I’m not waiting for the “perfect time” to build. I’m building in the cracks and crevices of my real life.

Before Bed (15-30 Minutes)

After my evening reset, if I have the energy, I give myself ONE small task. Not a whole project. Just ONE thing:

• Draft a pin description
• Outline tomorrow’s to-do list
• Create one Canva template
• Edit a product page

Some nights, I’m too tired and I just rest. And that’s OKAY. Rest is productive too.

But most nights? I can give 15-30 minutes. And that adds up faster than you think.

But Here’s What Changed Everything: Energy-Based Planning

This is where I was messing up for YEARS.

I’d schedule “Write an Ebook” for 8 PM on a Tuesday. After working all day. After traffic. After dinner and homework and bedtime routines.

And then I’d wonder why I couldn’t focus. Why I’d just stare at the screen. Why I’d end up scrolling instead.

Because by 8 PM on a Tuesday, my brain is FRIED.

So I stopped forcing myself to do high energy tasks during low energy times.

I started matching my tasks to how I actually felt:

High Energy (Morning/Lunch):
Creation mode – writing, designing, recording, strategic planning

Medium Energy (Afternoon/Early Evening):
Organization mode- scheduling pins, organizing files, research, outlining

Low Energy (Late Evening):
Admin mode – answering emails, light edits, checking analytics, simple repetitive tasks

No Energy:
Rest mode – I actually REST. Watch TV. Read. Do NOTHING. Because rest is part of the plan.

When I stopped fighting my energy and started flowing WITH it? I stopped failing. I stopped feeling guilty. I stopped giving up every single week.

I Got Tired of Planners, So I Built Something That Actually Works

Here’s my problem with traditional planners:

They require daily maintenance. You have to check them, update them, rewrite them every single day. It becomes another task on your already overwhelming to do list.

I didn’t need another chore. I needed a system that would do the thinking FOR me.

That’s why I created the Soft Structure Routine Builder™ App.

It’s not a daily planner you have to babysit. It’s a one time setup tool that builds your entire 90-day roadmap based on YOUR actual life.

Here’s How It Works:

Step 1: You Tell It About Your REAL Life

Not your fantasy life. Your REAL one.

• What time do you work?
• When do you have sports/activities?
• When are you most exhausted?
• What days feel “heavy” vs “light”?
• What are you actually trying to build?

Step 2: It Builds a Custom 90-Day Plan Just for YOU

It analyzes your schedule, your energy patterns, your challenges, and your goals. Then it creates a personalized roadmap that shows you:

• Exactly WHERE your hidden pockets are
• WHAT tasks match your energy levels
• WHEN to work on specific things (commute, lunch, practice waits)
• HOW to break down big goals into bite-sized actions that fit your life

Step 3: You Execute, Automate, and Only Come Back When Life Changes

You’re not living in this app. You’re not checking it every single day.

You use it to BUILD the plan. Then you execute the plan. Then you automate what you built (Pinterest, email sequences, passive sales).

You only come back when your routine shifts, like when soccer season ends, summer starts, or your work schedule changes.

It’s the bridge from “I don’t have time” to “My business runs on autopilot.”

Real Talk: This Is How I Built My First Product

My first digital product. The one that made me my first $100 wasn’t built during some magical 4-hour block on a Saturday.

It was built in hidden pockets:

📍 Outlined during lunch breaks (30 minutes, 4 days)
📍 Designed in my car during practice waits (45 minutes, 3 sessions)
📍 Wrote the content during evening resets (20-30 minutes over 2 weeks)
📍 Created the sales page on a Sunday afternoon (2 hours total)

Total time? About 10-12 hours spread across a month.

I didn’t quit my job. I didn’t wake up at 5 AM. I didn’t sacrifice time with my daughter. I didn’t burn out.

I just stopped wasting the time I already had.

And within 90 days, I went from “I’m too busy” to “My 5-9 funds my life.”

You’re Not Behind. You’re Just Using the Wrong System.

If you’re nodding your head reading this…

If you’re tired of buying planners that collect dust…

If you’re exhausted from feeling guilty for “not having time”…

If you’re watching other women build their dreams while you feel stuck…

This is for you.

You don’t need more discipline. You don’t need to wake up at 5 AM. You don’t need a personality transplant.

You need a system that works with your ACTUAL life, not some influencer’s fantasy version.

The Soft Structure Routine Builder™ App was created for the 9-5 woman who’s tired of feeling like she’s failing when she’s actually just been set up to fail by unrealistic systems.

Stop planning for a life you don’t live. Start building with the life you actually have.

Next Time on Hey Gyrl Thrive…

Okay, so now you’re regulated, and you have your roadmap.

But you’re probably still looking at your boss thinking, “I really can’t do this for another year.”

Don’t quit yet.

The next post is about the exit strategy. I’m going to show you why your 9-5 isn’t your enemy, it’s actually your biggest investor. And how to use it to build your freedom without the panic.

Stay soft, sis. 🤎