The Time-Block Planner Feedback

 In this recent podcast episode, Dr. Cal Newport asked for feedback for his time-block planner. I purchased it at the end of last year to use over the Winter 2021 term. From that experience I bought a blank journal and created very similar organizational tools to the ones Dr. Newport has in his planner. I wrote and sent some feedback, but thought I'd share it here to describe what my planning process looks like. Here is what I sent him;

Dr. Newport,

In your recent Deep Questions podcast episode (Ep. 85: Are NFTs Frivolous or Fundamental?) you asked for feedback on your time-block planner. I used your planner over the Winter 2021 term to support my work as a math instructor and as the newly elected chairperson of the math department at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. Over the term I attempted to use the planner consistently, but as with any new process I had mixed results.

For the Spring 2021 term I bought this journal from Baronfig to time-block plan. I was primarily attracted to the form factor at 7.5 in. by 5.5 in. and that it lay flat. With the previous time-block planner it felt fairly bulky, and I had to clip the left side of the planner to my desk to keep it laying flat. Working from home I didn't have to worry about carrying the previous planner in a bag, and worry about the additional weight it might add. I also tried writing in the previous planner in a chair with a table or desk and found it flimsy, and it slid around. The Baronfig journal is small enough that I could support writing in it with one hand, and it had a hard backing for additional support. 

With a blank planner I knew I had to organize the pages, and thought in drawing the tables and schedules I might be more motivated to use them. Using a blank planner also gave me the opportunity to add components I wanted in the previous time-block planner. 

The first page has a quarter plan (We are on 10 week quarters.) with major events. Excuse the coffee stain. 

I included a monthly schedule for finer gradation in tasks and events. 

In reviewing the time-block planner at the end of last term I realized I only organized the weekly overviews in terms of days, and therefore added this page before the first week. 

One thing I've been playing with are sticky notes for tasks that continue from day-to-day, or reminders I want to keep on a daily basis. 

You mentioned not having a full two-page spread for weekends, and I agree, it seemed like wasted space. So far I've just added the dates of the weekend days on each page, and am planning rough sketches of the day, and/or notes for when my mind wanders back to work. 

After having used this journal for a week and a day I am a little worried about having so many calendars to update and cross reference within the journal. Quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily feel just a tad much, so I may take out the monthly calendar.

Drawing the calendars, tables, and charts is a nice crafty task I do at night with some music on. Drafting in high school apparently left a mark on what I find meditative and calming. While asking users to draw their own schedules in a consumer product might be a step too far, adding in elements where users customize them for their needs may be useful.

I also looked at The Perfect Notebook (https://perfect-notebook.com/) for its modularity, but I'm still trying to sort out what I want in my journal and went the hand-written route this time. In the future I would like the option of doing a little up-front work to customize my planner, but then it's set and I don't have to worry about that part again. This might be a nice way to tie in quarterly reflections about the previous planner, what worked and what didn't, and then create your new planner with those lessons in mind. 

Thank you for sharing your organizational methods and your expertise. I have greatly benefited from both. 

Highest regards,

Robert Weston