Daily Planner

The Daily Planner skill helps you create structured, realistic daily plans that align with your priorities and energy levels. Rather than overwhelming you with endless tasks, this skill guides you through a thoughtful planning process that considers your goals, constraints, and natural rhythms.

This skill uses proven productivity frameworks like time blocking, prioritization matrices, and energy management to help you design days that are both productive and sustainable. It prompts you to identify your most important tasks, estimate time requirements accurately, and build in necessary breaks and buffer time.

The planning process is conversational and adaptive—it asks clarifying questions, helps you identify potential obstacles, and ensures your plan is actually achievable given your available time and energy.

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Morning Planning Session

1. Context Gathering: Asks about your available hours, existing commitments, and current priorities
2. Goal Identification: Helps you identify 1-3 most important outcomes for the day
3. Task Breakdown: Breaks down goals into specific, actionable tasks
4. Time Allocation: Estimates time needed and creates time blocks
5. Energy Mapping: Matches high-energy tasks with your peak performance hours
6. Buffer Building: Adds realistic buffer time for interruptions and transitions
7. Review & Refine: Presents complete plan and adjusts based on your feedback

Workflow 2: Quick Daily Snapshot

For when you need a fast plan:

1. Lists your top 3 priorities
2. Identifies any time-sensitive items
3. Creates a simple morning/afternoon/evening structure
4. Suggests one focused work block for deep work

Workflow 3: Mid-Day Replanning

When your day goes off track:

1. Reviews what's been completed
2. Reassesses remaining priorities
3. Adjusts afternoon plan based on new reality
4. Helps you let go of tasks that won't fit

Workflow 4: End-of-Day Review

Reflection to improve future planning:

1. What got done vs. what was planned
2. What took longer than expected and why
3. What should be carried forward
4. What should be delegated or eliminated

Planning Templates

Standard Day Template

MORNING (Peak Energy)
⏰ 9:00-11:00 | Deep Work Block - [Most Important Task]
⏰ 11:00-12:00 | Email & Communications

MIDDAY
⏰ 12:00-1:00 | Lunch & Movement
⏰ 1:00-2:00 | [Medium Priority Task]

AFTERNOON
⏰ 2:00-3:30 | [Collaborative Work/Meetings]
⏰ 3:30-4:00 | Buffer & Catch-up
⏰ 4:00-5:00 | Admin & Planning

EVENING (Optional)
⏰ 5:00+ | Personal Time

Maker's Schedule Template

For deep work days with minimal interruptions:

DEEP WORK SESSIONS
⏰ 9:00-12:00 | Session 1 - [Creative/Complex Work]
⏰ 12:00-1:00 | Break & Lunch
⏰ 1:00-4:00 | Session 2 - [Continued Deep Work]
⏰ 4:00-5:00 | Wrap-up & Tomorrow's Setup

Manager's Schedule Template

For days with many meetings:

⏰ 8:00-9:00 | Pre-meetings Focus Time
⏰ 9:00-12:00 | Meeting Block
⏰ 12:00-1:00 | Lunch
⏰ 1:00-3:00 | Meeting Block
⏰ 3:00-5:00 | Follow-up & Execution

Quick Reference

Planning Principles

The 1-3-5 Rule

• 1 Big Thing (most important)
• 3 Medium Things (significant tasks)
• 5 Small Things (quick wins)

Energy Management

• Peak Hours (usually morning): Deep work, creative tasks, important decisions
• Mid-Level Hours (early afternoon): Collaborative work, meetings, routine tasks
• Low Hours (late afternoon): Admin, organization, planning

Time Estimation Guidelines

• Add 50% buffer to your initial estimate
• Account for context switching time (15 mins between different types of work)
• Reserve 20% of your day for unexpected items

Realistic Constraints

• Maximum 4-5 hours of deep focused work per day
• Include transition time between tasks (5-15 minutes)
• Schedule breaks every 90-120 minutes
• Leave final hour for wrap-up and tomorrow's setup

Best Practices

• Plan the night before or first thing in the morning - Fresh perspective, no decision fatigue
• Start with constraints, not tasks - Block out fixed commitments first, then fill available time
• Protect your peak hours - Schedule your most important work during high-energy times
• Build in buffer time - Plans without buffers always fail
• Limit work-in-progress - Focus on completing tasks, not starting them
• Review and adjust - Your plan is a hypothesis, not a contract
• Celebrate completions - Acknowledge what got done, not just what's left
• Track your patterns - Notice what consistently takes longer or gets pushed
• Design for energy, not just time - A tired hour is not equal to a fresh hour
• Include non-work essentials - Exercise, breaks, and lunch aren't optional

Integration Points

This skill works well with:

• Goal Setter: Align daily plans with weekly/monthly goals
• Time Blocker: Implement the plan with calendar blocking
• Focus Timer: Execute time blocks with Pomodoro technique
• Habit Tracker: Incorporate daily habits into your schedule
• Journal Prompter: Reflect on how plans vs. reality compare

Example Planning Session

User: "plan my day"

Skill Response: "Let's design a productive day. A few questions first:

1. What hours do you have available today?
2. Do you have any fixed commitments (meetings, appointments)?
3. What's the ONE outcome that would make today feel successful?
4. What's your energy level today? (high/medium/low)

Take your time—good planning is worth the investment."

[Continues with personalized planning based on responses]