Time Blocking 101: How to Schedule Your Day Like a CEO

Your calendar is full, but you’re getting nothing done.

Meetings. Emails. Slack pings. Random “quick questions.” By 5pm, you’ve been busy all day but accomplished zero important work.

Time blocking fixes this. Instead of letting tasks fill whatever time they take, you assign specific time slots to specific tasks.

Here’s how to do it right.

What Is Time Blocking?

Time blocking is exactly what it sounds like: you block out chunks of time on your calendar for specific tasks.

Traditional Calendar:
10am: Team meeting
2pm: Client call
(Rest of day = reactive chaos)

Time Blocked Calendar:
9-11am: Deep work on project proposal
11-12pm: Email and Slack
12-1pm: Lunch
1-2pm: Team meeting
2-3pm: Client call
3-4pm: Admin tasks
4-5pm: Planning tomorrow

Every hour has a job. No “free time” for distraction to fill.

Why Time Blocking Works

1. Parkinson’s Law

“Work expands to fill the time available.”

Without a deadline, writing an email takes 20 minutes. With a 5-minute time block, you finish in 5 minutes. Same email. 75% less time.

2. Decision Fatigue

Every time you think “what should I work on now?” you burn mental energy. Time blocking eliminates this question. Your calendar tells you what to do.

3. Realistic Planning

When you block 2 hours for a task, you can’t also block those 2 hours for other tasks. This forces honesty about what’s actually possible in a day.

The Basic Time Blocking Method

Step 1: Brain Dump Your Tasks

List everything you need to do:

Big projects
Small admin tasks
Recurring responsibilities
Personal tasks

Step 2: Estimate Time for Each

Be honest. Most people underestimate by 50%.

Rookie Mistake: “This report will take 2 hours”
Reality: Research (1h) + Writing (2h) + Editing (1h) = 4 hours

Step 3: Block Your Calendar

Put each task in a specific time slot. Treat these blocks like unmovable meetings with yourself.

Step 4: Include Buffer Time

Things take longer than expected. Add 25% buffer:

Planned: 2 hours
Time Blocked: 2.5 hours

Step 5: Review and Adjust Daily

Before bed, review tomorrow’s time blocks. Move things around based on energy levels and new information.

Time Blocking Templates

Template 1: The Deep Work Day

Best for: Creators, developers, writers

6:00-7:00 AM    Morning routine
7:00-7:30 AM    Exercise
7:30-8:00 AM    Breakfast + planning
8:00-10:00 AM   DEEP WORK Block 1
10:00-10:15 AM  Break
10:15-12:15 PM  DEEP WORK Block 2
12:15-1:00 PM   Lunch
1:00-2:00 PM    Email & messages
2:00-4:00 PM    DEEP WORK Block 3
4:00-5:00 PM    Admin tasks
5:00-6:00 PM    Planning + reflection

Total deep work: 6 hours
Total shallow work: 2 hours

Template 2: The Meeting Day

Best for: Managers, sales, client-facing roles

8:00-9:00 AM    Morning prep + emails
9:00-10:00 AM   Team meeting
10:00-10:30 AM  Follow-up tasks
10:30-11:30 AM  Client call
11:30-12:00 PM  Notes + action items
12:00-1:00 PM   Lunch
1:00-2:00 PM    Strategy session
2:00-2:30 PM    Break + walk
2:30-3:30 PM    1-on-1 meetings (x2)
3:30-4:00 PM    Email catch-up
4:00-5:00 PM    Project work
5:00-5:30 PM    Planning tomorrow

Key: Buffer time between meetings for notes and context switching.

Template 3: The Maker-Manager Hybrid

Best for: Solo founders, product managers

6:00-7:00 AM    Morning routine
7:00-9:00 AM    DEEP WORK (no meetings)
9:00-10:00 AM   Team standup
10:00-12:00 PM  DEEP WORK
12:00-1:00 PM   Lunch
1:00-3:00 PM    Meetings & calls (open slots)
3:00-4:00 PM    Admin + email
4:00-5:30 PM    DEEP WORK or meetings
5:30-6:00 PM    Planning + reflection

Strategy: Protect mornings for deep work. Afternoon is flexible for meetings.

Advanced Time Blocking Strategies

Strategy #1: Theme Days

Assign different types of work to different days:

Monday: Strategy & planning
Tuesday: Content creation
Wednesday: Meetings & collaboration
Thursday: Deep project work
Friday: Admin, cleanup, planning next week

This reduces context switching across days.

Strategy #2: Energy-Based Blocking

Match tasks to your energy levels:

High Energy (morning for most people):

Creative work
Complex problem solving
Important decisions

Medium Energy (afternoon):

Meetings
Collaboration
Routine tasks

Low Energy (end of day):

Email
Admin
Planning

Track your energy: Notice when you feel most focused. Schedule your hardest work then.

Strategy #3: The “Hell Yeah or No” Filter

Before blocking time for a task, ask: “Is this a hell yeah?”

If yes: Block time for it.
If no: Decline, delegate, or delete.

Your calendar should contain only:

Things you’re excited about
Things you absolutely must do

Everything else is a distraction.

Strategy #4: Meeting Clusters

Don’t scatter meetings throughout the day. Cluster them:

Bad: Meeting at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm
(Result: Four 2-hour blocks, all too short for deep work)

Good: Meetings at 2pm, 3pm, 4pm
(Result: One 5-hour morning block for deep work)

Common Time Blocking Mistakes

Mistake #1: Over-Scheduling

The Problem: You block 12 hours of work into a 10-hour day. Tomorrow you’re already behind.

The Fix: Block maximum 6-7 hours of focused work per day. The rest is buffer, breaks, and unexpected tasks.

Mistake #2: No Task Switching Buffer

The Problem: Email block ends at 10:00 AM. Deep work block starts at 10:00 AM. You’re still thinking about emails at 10:15 AM.

The Fix: 10-15 minute buffer between different types of tasks:

9:00-10:00 AM   Email
10:00-10:15 AM  BUFFER (walk, coffee, transition)
10:15-12:15 PM  Deep work

Mistake #3: Treating Blocks as Suggestions

The Problem: “I’ll just answer this Slack message quickly” during deep work block. 30 minutes later, you’re still in Slack.

The Fix: Treat time blocks like real meetings. You wouldn’t leave a client call to answer email. Don’t leave your deep work block either.

Mistake #4: Not Rescheduling When Plans Change

The Problem: Unexpected urgent task comes up. You handle it, but don’t move your blocked tasks. Now you’re double-booked.

The Fix: When plans change, immediately reschedule affected blocks. Your calendar should always reflect reality.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Personal Time

The Problem: You block every hour from 6am to 10pm with work. Burnout arrives in 3 weeks.

The Fix: Block time for:

Exercise
Meals
Family
Hobbies
Rest

These aren’t optional. They’re what keep you productive.

Tools for Time Blocking

Digital Calendars

Google Calendar

Free
Color-code different types of blocks
Easy to move blocks around
Set reminders

Notion Calendar

Connects to your tasks
Clean interface
Multiple calendar views

Fantastical (Mac/iOS)

Natural language input (“Block 2 hours for writing tomorrow at 9am”)
Best user experience
Paid

Time Blocking Apps

SavvyCal

Schedule blocks
Share availability
Great for client meetings

Clockwise

AI automatically finds best time for focus blocks
Protects deep work time
Team coordination

Motion

Automatically schedules tasks from your to-do list
Expensive but powerful
Best for busy managers

Analog Options

Paper Planner

No digital distractions
Satisfaction of writing by hand
Can’t be “hacked” or crash

Post-It Time Blocks

Write tasks on post-its
Stick to calendar printout
Easily move when plans change

Our Weekly Quest Planner is designed specifically for analog time blocking.

Time Blocking + Other Systems

Time Blocking + Pomodoro

Block 2 hours for deep work, then use Pomodoro within that block:

9:00-11:00 AM: Deep Work Block
  - 9:00-9:25: Pomodoro 1
  - 9:25-9:30: Break
  - 9:30-9:55: Pomodoro 2
  - 9:55-10:00: Break
  - 10:00-10:25: Pomodoro 3
  - 10:25-10:30: Break
  - 10:30-10:55: Pomodoro 4

Time Blocking + GTD (Getting Things Done)

Use GTD to organize tasks. Use time blocking to execute them:

Sunday: GTD weekly review → Create time blocks for next week
Daily: Check GTD lists → Adjust time blocks as needed

Time Blocking + Habit Stacking

Block time for habit stacks:

6:00-7:00 AM: Morning Stack
  - Wake up
  - Drink water
  - 20-min exercise
  - Cold shower
  - Coffee + journaling

Build with our Morning Routine Builder.

How to Start Time Blocking Tomorrow

Tonight (15 minutes):

List tomorrow’s tasks
Brain dump everything you need to do
Estimate time for each
Add 25% buffer to your estimates
Block your calendar
Assign each task a specific time slot
Set 3 non-negotiables
What MUST get done? Protect those blocks.

Tomorrow Morning (5 minutes):

Review your blocks
Adjust based on how you feel
Prepare your workspace
Close unnecessary tabs/apps
Start your first block
Phone on silent. Do not disturb mode. Go.

Tomorrow Evening (10 minutes):

What got done?
Check off completed blocks
What didn’t?
Move to tomorrow or delete if not important
What took longer/shorter than expected?
Improve your time estimates
Block tomorrow
Repeat the process

Real Examples from Successful People

Elon Musk

Time blocks his day in 5-minute increments. Extreme, but shows the power of precision.

Cal Newport (Author of Deep Work)

Blocks every minute from wake-up to sleep. Includes email time, walking time, even “shutdown ritual” time.

Bill Gates (During Microsoft Days)

“Think Weeks” — blocked full weeks with zero meetings for deep thinking.

Troubleshooting

“Unexpected tasks always ruin my plan”
→ Block 1-2 hours daily for “urgent/unexpected.” If nothing urgent comes up, use it for important but not urgent tasks.

“I feel trapped by my schedule”
→ You’re blocking too rigidly. Leave 20-30% of your day unblocked for flexibility.

“I can’t estimate how long tasks take”
→ Track actual time for 1 week. You’ll get better at estimating.

“My boss/clients don’t respect my blocks”
→ Don’t show blocks as “Busy.” Show as specific meetings: “Strategy Session,” “Project Work.” People respect meetings.

The Bottom Line

Time blocking isn’t about rigid schedules. It’s about intentionality.

Instead of reacting to whatever’s loudest, you decide in advance how to spend your time. You become proactive instead of reactive.

Start small:

Block just your morning tomorrow
See how it feels
Expand from there

Most people who try time blocking for one week never go back.

Next Steps: