Deep Work Time Blocking Template
Two long focus blocks sit in the morning and early afternoon, when most people have the most attention to spend. Messages are corralled into two short admin windows so they cannot leak into everything else.
Plan the day + review goals7:30am–8:00am · 30m
Deep work block 18:00am–10:00am · 2h
Walk / stretch10:00am–10:15am · 15m
Email + messages10:15am–11:00am · 45m
Meetings / calls11:00am–12:00pm · 1h
Lunch12:00pm–1:00pm · 1h
Deep work block 21:00pm–2:30pm · 1h 30m
Buffer2:30pm–2:45pm · 15m
Shallow tasks + errands2:45pm–4:00pm · 1h 15m
Email + messages4:00pm–4:30pm · 30m
Shutdown: review + plan tomorrow4:30pm–5:00pm · 30m
| Time | Block | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30am–8:00am | Plan the day + review goals | Shallow / admin |
| 8:00am–10:00am | Deep work block 1 | Deep work |
| 10:00am–10:15am | Walk / stretch | Break / meals |
| 10:15am–11:00am | Email + messages | Shallow / admin |
| 11:00am–12:00pm | Meetings / calls | Meetings / calls |
| 12:00pm–1:00pm | Lunch | Break / meals |
| 1:00pm–2:30pm | Deep work block 2 | Deep work |
| 2:30pm–2:45pm | Buffer | Break / meals |
| 2:45pm–4:00pm | Shallow tasks + errands | Shallow / admin |
| 4:00pm–4:30pm | Email + messages | Shallow / admin |
| 4:30pm–5:00pm | Shutdown: review + plan tomorrow | Shallow / admin |
11 blocks · 3h 30m of deep work · 7:00am to 5:00pm
Who it's for
Writers, developers, analysts and anyone whose best work needs long uninterrupted stretches.
Why it's laid out this way
- Cal Newport, who popularised the term "deep work", recommends scheduling it in advance rather than hoping for a quiet moment. This template does exactly that.
- Email twice a day instead of constantly keeps response times reasonable while cutting the number of task switches.
- The shutdown block closes open loops so the evening stays yours.
Make it yours
- Night owl? Slide both focus blocks later and keep the same order.
- If meetings are fixed, place them first and fit the focus blocks around them.
Questions people ask
Can I edit the deep work day template?
Yes. Press "Use this template" and it loads into the free Executoday planner, where you can drag, resize, rename and delete blocks. Your edits are saved in your browser.
Can I add it to Google Calendar?
Load it into the planner and use "Export to calendar (.ics)". Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook can all import the file.