Build me a realistic productivity plan for the next [PLANNING PERIOD]. I want a plan based on my actual capacity, not an idealized schedule. Help me decide what to defer, delegate, reduce, or stop. My priorities and commitments: [OUTCOMES] [FIXED COMMITMENTS] [TASK LIST] [AVAILABLE TIME AND ENERGY]
[CONSTRAINTS] [CURRENT BOTTLENECK] First, translate my outcomes into no more than three measurable priorities for the planning period. For each task, classify it as a project action, maintenance, meeting, waiting-for-someone-else, or optional work. Estimate focused work in time blocks only when my notes support an estimate; otherwise mark it as an assumption. Then make a capacity calculation: fixed commitments, available focus blocks, administrative buffer, and contingency buffer. Do not schedule more focused work than the remaining capacity. Identify tasks that should be deferred, delegated, batched, or broken into a first visible deliverable. If deadlines conflict, explain the tradeoff and recommend the sequence that protects the highest-consequence work. Produce a calendar-style weekly plan with specific blocks, grouped tasks, start conditions, and a definition of done for each priority block. Include a daily 10-minute planning ritual, a shutdown ritual that captures loose ends, and a recovery rule for a missed block. Build in communication time so messages and approvals do not silently consume the plan. Output: capacity summary, priority decisions, weekly schedule, task parking lot, and daily operating rules. Before answering, check that every scheduled block fits within the availability I gave and that every stated priority has at least one protected action block. Flag any outcome that cannot realistically be advanced this period. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [PLANNING PERIOD] | State the dates or timeframe the plan should cover. | Monday September 28 through Friday October 2. |
| [OUTCOMES] | List the important outcomes, deadlines, and what completion means for each. | Send a draft client strategy by Thursday 3 pm; finish first-pass hiring scorecard; exercise three times for 30 minutes. |
| [FIXED COMMITMENTS] | List meetings, appointments, recurring duties, travel, and other non-movable time. | Daily standup 9:30-9:45; client calls Tuesday 1-3 pm and Thursday 10-11 am; school pickup Wednesday 3:30 pm. |
| [TASK LIST] | Paste the tasks, estimated effort if known, due dates, and dependencies. | Analyze client interviews, 4 hours; draft strategy, 3 hours; review with colleague, 45 minutes; hiring scorecard, 2 hours; inbox and Slack, 30 minutes daily. |
| [AVAILABLE TIME AND ENERGY] | State your working hours, best focus periods, breaks, and days with lower capacity. | Work 9 am-5 pm; best focus is 9-11:30 am; low energy after 3 pm; lunch 12-12:45. |
| [CONSTRAINTS] | State limits such as caregiving, team response times, budget, health needs, or tools you cannot use. | No evening work; colleague needs one business day to review; keep a 30-minute buffer before client calls. |
| [CURRENT BOTTLENECK] | Describe what is currently causing delays, avoidance, overload, or rework. | I switch between inbox and deep work and leave analysis until the day before the deadline. |
How to use
- Define outcomes as completed results, such as a submitted draft or approved decision, rather than broad labels such as “work on project.”
- Paste the commitments that interrupt your day, including communication obligations and transition time.
- Move deferred work into a visible parking lot instead of leaving it on the same list as this week's commitments.
- Follow up with: “Replan Tuesday after this interruption: [WHAT HAPPENED], while preserving the Thursday deadline.”
Variations
Daily planner
Use this for a single overloaded day rather than a full week.
Plan my workday from [START TIME] to [END TIME]. My non-movable commitments are [COMMITMENTS], my must-finish outcome is [OUTCOME], and my remaining tasks are [TASKS]. My best focus window is [FOCUS WINDOW], and my constraints are [CONSTRAINTS]. Produce a time-block plan with one primary outcome, two secondary tasks, communication windows, breaks, and a 15-minute shutdown. Do not schedule more than 70 percent of open time. Include a fallback plan if the primary block is interrupted.
Team plan
Use this when a shared project needs clear ownership and dependencies.
Create a one-week team productivity plan for [PROJECT] with this deadline [DEADLINE]. Team members and capacities are [TEAM AND CAPACITY]; tasks and dependencies are [TASKS]; risks are [RISKS]. Produce a table with owner, first deliverable, dependency, due date, review point, and definition of done. Identify decisions that need an owner now and work that can proceed in parallel. Do not assign work beyond a person's stated capacity or hide approval time.
Recovery plan
Use this after falling behind and needing a credible reset.
Help me recover this plan. Original commitments were [ORIGINAL PLAN], completed work is [COMPLETED], remaining work is [REMAINING], and the new constraint is [NEW CONSTRAINT]. Recalculate capacity through [NEW DEADLINE]. Recommend what to cut, renegotiate, delegate, or sequence, then produce a revised schedule and a concise status update I can send to [STAKEHOLDER]. Do not pretend all original commitments still fit; state the tradeoffs explicitly.
Tips
- Protect the first block of your strongest energy period for the work that changes the deadline or outcome, not inbox triage.
- Plan only the next concrete deliverable for a large project: an outline, annotated source set, decision memo, or first draft beats “make progress.”
- Leave a buffer between meetings and focused work. Context switching, notes, and follow-up are work with real time cost.
- When you miss a block, reschedule it once using an explicit tradeoff; repeatedly moving it without dropping something else creates a fictional plan.
FAQ
How many priorities should a weekly productivity plan have?
Usually one to three outcome-level priorities. Everything else should support them, maintain operations, or sit in a deliberate parking lot.
Should I schedule every task on my list?
No. Schedule the tasks that fit real capacity and make the rest explicitly deferred, delegated, or optional.
What if urgent requests arrive during the week?
Use your contingency buffer first. If it is exhausted, make a visible tradeoff by moving or renegotiating planned work.