gabrielmoreira Plan My Day
Most day-planning fails because it's a wish, not a schedule — a list longer than the hours, with no priorities and no slack, so one delay collapses it. This turns the pile into a real plan: the two or three things that actually matter, blocked into the time you have around what's already fixed, with buffer for reality — and the honesty to say what won't fit so you cut it on purpose instead of by 5pm panic.
What This Skill Produces
- Top 3 priorities — if the day goes sideways, these are what "a good day" means
- The time-blocked schedule — tasks slotted around fixed commitments, with buffer, matched to energy
- The cut list — what doesn't fit, named honestly, so overload is a choice not a failure
- The slip plan — if the morning runs late, what moves or drops first
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided:
- The brain-dump — everything on your plate today (rough is fine)
- Fixed points — meetings, appointments, school run, hard deadlines
- Hours & energy — when you start/stop, and when you're sharp vs. foggy
- What actually matters today — if you're not sure, the skill will help you pick the top 3
Framework: Plan the Day You'll Actually Have
- Priorities before slots. Pick the 2–3 that matter before filling time, so the important isn't crowded out by the urgent.
- Anchor to fixed points. Build around meetings/commitments first; free time is what's left, not what you wish.
- Match task to energy. Hard/creative work in your sharp window; admin in the trough.
- Buffer is real work. Leave slack between blocks — the plan with no gaps is the plan that breaks.
- Cut on purpose. If the list exceeds the hours, say so and cut now — an honest cut beats a dishonest cram.
- Batch and single-task. Group similar small tasks; protect one focus block from context-switching.
Output Format
Today — [available hours] · energy: [sharp when?]
Top 3 (if nothing else): 1) … 2) … 3) …
The plan
| Time | Block | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:30 | [fixed: standup] | |
| 9:30–11:00 | [priority 1 — deep work] | protect this |
| … | … | buffer |
Won't fit today — cut or defer
- [task] → [tomorrow / delegate / drop]
If you run late
- First to move: [x]. First to drop: [y].
Quality Checks
- Top 3 priorities are named before the schedule is filled
- Blocks are built around the stated fixed commitments
- There is real buffer between blocks (not a seamless wall)
- Demanding tasks are placed in the stated high-energy window
- If the list exceeds the hours, an explicit cut list is given — no dishonest cramming
- A slip/fallback plan is included
Anti-Patterns
- A plan longer than the day with no cuts — the classic setup for failure.
- No buffer — back-to-back blocks that one overrun destroys.
- Ignoring energy — scheduling the hardest task for the 3pm slump.
- All-urgent, no-important — a day of small fires and none of the top 3.
- Pretending it all fits instead of cutting honestly.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Plan my day — here's my to-do list and my meetings."
- "I have too much to do today, help me time-block it."
- "Organize my day around a 10am and a 2pm meeting."
- "Turn this brain-dump into a realistic schedule."
- "What should I actually get done today?"