Time blocking: build a day that actually fits

Start with fixed commitments and the time left between them. Work through this fictional office day, then revise it when a meeting runs over.

1. Put fixed commitments in first

Suppose work starts at 09:00, lunch is at 12:00, a meeting starts at 14:00, and departure is fixed at 18:00. Drafting and reviewing can move; those commitments cannot. Count the gaps before adding tasks, including meals, travel, and rest in the full day.

Name a deliverable rather than an entire project: “draft the conclusion and one table” is easier to check than “report.” If the duration is unknown, use a small initial slot to find out what fits. The morning drafting slot is an example; move it if another period works better for your circumstances.

2. Enter the plan in 24Houring

1. Open the planner and choose Table from the view menu. The office-worker template is another starting point. Export any existing plan you need to preserve before replacing it.
2. Edit activity names and start/end times. Enter times such as 09:30, then leave the field or press Enter. Use the add button below the table for a new block. Split/merge controls are available in the circle view.
3. Return to the full circle to inspect meals, travel, and personal time. Moving a boundary also affects its neighbouring block; check both.
4. Check the saved-on-this-device status. Local saving uses this browser's storage. Keep an exported file separately for important plans.

3. Replan when the meeting runs over

Change the meeting's end to 15:40. Its extra 40 minutes consume the 30-minute buffer plus 10 minutes of revision time. Shifting everything later would change departure. If departure cannot move, scope or the day assigned to some work must change.

Revision time falls from 90 to 80 minutes. Name what you moved instead of assuming the same work will be faster. If both deadline and scope are fixed, discuss priorities with the people involved; editing a timetable alone cannot resolve that constraint.

Troubleshooting and tradeoffs

Too many tiny blocks?

Group similar activities instead of scheduling each message. A role requiring immediate responses may need shorter task units rather than long uninterrupted sessions.

Unused buffer feels wasteful?

Use it to rest or prepare. Filling all spare capacity with new work removes room for the next delay.

No two days are alike?

Begin with a sequence such as getting ready, travel, first appointment. Add exact times when commitments become known.

Leave one useful observation

Instead of “the report took too long,” write “finding the data for the table was missing from the estimate.” Use the time-audit walkthrough to compare a plan with recorded activity.