DeepWorkCalTime blocking
Each weekday he reviews his weekly plan and his calendar, then makes a time-block plan for the day. Weekends get something looser.
Cal Newport's Planning System (In Detail) ↗ · September 2, 2022 · Cal Newport on YouTube
Go to the source
Learn from
Cal Newport.
Our tools are a place to practice. His writing explains the ideas behind them.
Cal, in his own words
Four ideas, one short clip each.
Each clip plays only the minute or less where he explains one idea, from his official YouTube channel. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press the button.
Deep vs shallow
Why formatting a chart isn't deep work, and why checking your inbox every few minutes turns a hard task into what he calls pseudo-deep work.
Core Idea: Deep Work ↗ · February 14, 2022 · Cal Newport on YouTube
The shutdown
To a listener worn out by afternoon meetings: it's fine to deal with the inbox and the plan at lunch, before the calls begin.
Do You Have Any Tips for Closing Out My Work Day? ↗ · January 25, 2022 · Cal Newport on YouTube
The planner
How he tallies deep work in the Time-Block Planner: 30-minute steps, and a thick border around each deep block so the day reads at a glance.
How Should I Track Deep Work in my Time-Block Planner? ↗ · February 3, 2022 · Cal Newport on YouTube
Reading and full videos
Book
Deep Work ↗
Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Newport's book is the source for the deep/shallow distinction and his discussion of focused work habits. Visit his official book page.
Official essay
Take control of your time ↗
Newport describes assigning work to time blocks and updating the remaining day when the schedule changes. A useful companion to our planner.
Official essay
Planning every minute of your work day ↗
A closer look at a written daily schedule and revising it. Read this alongside our step-by-step exercise.
Official video · Cal Newport on YouTube · September 2, 2022 · about 18 minutes
Cal Newport's Planning System (In Detail) ↗
Newport walks through the written planning system he says he has used for about a decade. Values and strategic plans feed a weekly plan, and each weekday he builds a time-block plan from the weekly plan and his calendar. He also covers a clear end-of-work shutdown and capturing tasks so they don't stay in your head. Our planner only covers the daily layer.
Nothing loads from YouTube until you press the button (privacy-enhanced mode), and the video waits for you to press play. Our note above is a summary, so you don't have to watch to follow the site.
Official video · Cal Newport on YouTube · January 25, 2022 · about 4 minutes
How Do You Tiime-block with a job Requiring Deep Work and Reactive Parts? ↗
A listener who manages a busy hospital pharmacy team asks how to plan around constant questions. Newport suggests going easy on yourself, negotiating a protected stretch early in the day, and, in very reactive jobs, blocking out only the big things so you can see the shape of the day. Worth watching if your day looks nothing like our examples.
Nothing loads from YouTube until you press the button (privacy-enhanced mode), and the video waits for you to press play. Our note above is a summary, so you don't have to watch to follow the site.
Official video · Cal Newport on YouTube · February 3, 2022 · about 5 minutes
How Should I Track Deep Work in my Time-Block Planner? ↗
On counting deep work hours, Newport suggests 30-minute steps to match the planner and drawing a thick border around deep work blocks so you can see them at a glance. He adds that he now tracks hours less often and asks a simpler question: did I follow my plan?
Nothing loads from YouTube until you press the button (privacy-enhanced mode), and the video waits for you to press play. Our note above is a summary, so you don't have to watch to follow the site.