Timeline Day guide
How to time block your day: a simple method with an example
To time block your day, list what you want to get done, estimate how long each task takes, and place the fixed events (meetings, school run, gym class) on your day first. Then fit your most demanding task into the hours when your energy peaks, batch small jobs together, and leave gaps between blocks for overruns. When the day slips, replan the rest of it instead of abandoning the plan.
What time blocking is
A to-do list tells you what to do. Time blocking adds when: every task gets a start time and a length, so your day becomes a row of blocks. It stops you overfilling the day, because a 10-hour plan can't fit into 8 hours, and it removes the "what next?" decision between tasks.
How to do it, step by step
- List today's tasks. Include the small ones, such as emails and errands, because they take time too.
- Estimate each one, then add a bit. Most of us underestimate. Adding a quarter is a good habit.
- Place the fixed events first. Meetings, appointments, meals and travel can't move, so they go on the timeline before anything else.
- Put your hardest task in your best hours. Usually that's the morning, but follow your own rhythm.
- Batch the small stuff. One 30-minute block for email and messages beats checking them all day.
- Leave buffers. Keep short gaps between blocks and roughly a fifth of the day free.
- Plan tomorrow tonight. Five minutes at the end of the day makes the next morning easy to start.
Match tasks to your energy
| Your energy | Good for | Block length |
|---|---|---|
| High (your peak) | Writing, problem-solving, studying | 60–90 min |
| Medium | Meetings, calls, planning | 30–60 min |
| Low (often after lunch) | Email, admin, tidying, errands | 15–30 min |
An example day
Worked example
7:30 Morning routine (45 min) · 8:30 Write the report, deep work (90 min) · 10:00 Break (15 min)
10:15 Team call (45 min) · 11:00 Free gap (30 min) · 11:30 Plan next week (30 min) · 12:00 Lunch and a walk (60 min)
13:00 Email and admin batch (30 min) · 13:30 Errands (45 min) · 14:15 Free gap (45 min) · 15:00 Second focus block (60 min) · 16:00 Wrap up and plan tomorrow (15 min)
About an hour and a half of the day is left unplanned, counting the short gap after the routine. That's not wasted: it's what lets the day survive a long phone call.
When the day slips
It will. A plan is a guess, not a promise. When a block overruns, you have two good options: move the unfinished task into the next free gap, or push the rest of the day later and drop or postpone whatever is least important. Don't try to cram the original plan into what's left.
Time blocking on a phone
Paper calendars make moving blocks messy. Timeline Day shows your day as a vertical timeline of colourful blocks:
- Quick add in plain English. Type "Gym at 6pm for 45m" and it lands at 6pm for 45 minutes. It understands dates (tomorrow, friday, 20 oct, in 3 days), repeats (every day, weekdays, every monday), "all day" and energy (!high, !low). Anything without a time goes to your inbox.
- Free gaps and a live now marker show what's left of the day at a glance.
- Drag to move, drag the handle to resize. Blocks snap to 5 minutes.
- Routines are back-to-back steps, like a morning routine, you can drop onto any day.
- Fill the day suggests blocks for your free gaps using the Balanced template.
- Reminders at or before a block's start while the page is open, a day ring that fills as you tick blocks off, and a shareable My Day card.
It's free with no account or ads, works offline and keeps your plan on your device, including 2 routines of your own. Timeline Day Pro ($2.99 once) adds a week view, unlimited routines, energy day templates and Replan, which moves unfinished tasks into free gaps or pushes the rest of the day later.
Common mistakes
- Planning every minute. No gaps means the first delay ruins the day.
- Ignoring travel and setup time between blocks.
- Putting deep work after lunch when your energy dips.
- Abandoning the plan at the first slip instead of replanning.
- Blocks that are too vague, such as "work". Name the actual task.
Questions
What is time blocking?
Time blocking means giving every task a slot on your calendar, with a start time and a length, instead of keeping an open-ended to-do list. You plan the day before it starts, then follow the blocks.
How long should a time block be?
Deep work suits 60 to 90 minutes; small admin jobs work best batched into one 30-minute block. Anything shorter than 15 minutes is usually better grouped with similar tasks.
What if I fall behind my time blocks?
Replan rather than give up. Move the unfinished block into the next free gap, or push the rest of the day later and drop the least important task.
How much free time should I leave in a time-blocked day?
Leave around a fifth of the day unplanned. Short gaps between blocks soak up overruns, interruptions and breaks.
Is time blocking good for ADHD?
Many people with ADHD find a visual timeline helpful because it makes time and what comes next easy to see. Keep blocks short, add buffers and treat the plan as a guide, not a test.
Is Timeline Day free?
Yes. The timeline, inbox, quick add, reminders and 2 routines of your own are free, with no ads or account. Timeline Day Pro, a one-time $2.99 upgrade, adds week view, unlimited routines, energy day templates and Replan.