plan-my-day

name	plan-my-day
description	Generate an energy-optimized, time-blocked daily plan based on circadian rhythm research and GTD principles
version	2.0.0
author	theflohart
tags	["productivity","planning","time-blocking","energy-management","gtd"]

Plan My Day

Generate a clean, actionable hour-by-hour plan for the day based on priorities, energy patterns, and constraints.

Mode

Detect from context or ask: "Quick priorities, full day plan, or full plan + weekly structure?"

Mode	What you get	Best for
quick	Top 3 priorities + rough time blocks, 2 min	Morning sprint, already know the day
standard	Full hour-by-hour energy-optimized plan	Default daily planning
deep	Full plan + energy pattern analysis + weekly structure recommendations	Overhauling your schedule, high-performance week

Default: standard — use quick if they say "just help me prioritize." Use deep if they want to rethink their week, not just plan today.

---

Why This vs ChatGPT?

Problem with "just asking": You get a different plan each time. No consistency, no memory of what works, no optimization over time.

This skill provides:

1. Consistent methodology - Same decision framework every day (Top 3 priorities, energy windows, buffer rules)
2. Energy-aware scheduling - Automatically matches high-cognitive tasks to your peak hours
3. Constraint-aware - Respects your existing calendar, energy patterns, personal boundaries
4. Learning memory - Can track what scheduling patterns work best for you over time
5. Evening reflection built-in - Forces accountability on what actually got done

You can replicate this by writing the same detailed prompt every day, manually checking your calendar, remembering your energy patterns, and tracking completion rates. Or use this skill in 2 minutes.

Usage

/plan-my-day [optional: YYYY-MM-DD for future date]

With custom energy profile:

/plan-my-day --peak 9-11,14-16 --recovery 13-14

Planning Principles (Research-Backed)

1. Circadian optimization - Cognitive performance peaks ~2-3 hours after waking (Roenneberg, 2012)
2. Ultradian rhythms - Work in 90-minute blocks with 15-20 minute breaks (Ericsson, 1993)
3. Decision fatigue prevention - Schedule high-stakes decisions before 3pm (Kahneman, 2011)
4. Implementation intentions - Specific time+task combinations increase completion by 2-3× (Gollwitzer, 1999)

Energy Windows (Default - Customize Yours)

Peak Performance (Morning): 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Deep work, strategic thinking, complex problem-solving
• Highest cognitive capacity
• Schedule your #1 priority here

Secondary Peak (Afternoon): 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

• Focused work, meetings with decisions, creative work
• Still high capacity but slightly lower than morning

Administrative (Late Afternoon): 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

• Email processing, light tasks, 1-on-1s, planning
• Lower energy, avoid complex decisions

Recovery Blocks: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, 6:00 PM+

• Meals, exercise, walks, recharge
• Non-negotiable for sustained performance

Wind Down (Evening): After 7:00 PM

• Reflection, reading, light planning for tomorrow
• No high-cognitive work

Process

1. Gather Context (30 seconds)

• Check existing calendar events
• Review yesterday's incomplete tasks
• Identify any fixed commitments or deadlines
• Note current project priorities

2. Identify Top 3 Priorities (60 seconds)

Ask for each potential priority:

• Impact: Does this move a key metric or deadline?
• Urgency: Must it happen today?
• Effort: Can I complete it in available time?

Filter: Pick the 3 with highest impact×urgency score

3. Build Time-Blocked Schedule (90 seconds)

Sequencing logic:

1. Place fixed commitments (meetings, calls) first
2. Assign Priority #1 to longest peak energy block
3. Assign Priority #2 to secondary peak or next available
4. Assign Priority #3 to remaining focused time
5. Add 20-minute buffers between major blocks
6. Schedule admin work (email, Slack) in low-energy windows
7. Protect breaks and meals (non-negotiable)

Buffer rule: Only schedule 80% of available time

4. Apply Constraints

• Personal boundaries: No work before 8am or after 7pm (customize)
• Meeting limits: Max 4 hours of meetings per day
• Focus blocks: Minimum 90 minutes for deep work (no interruptions)
• Break enforcement: 15-minute break every 90 minutes

Output Format

# Daily Plan - [Day], [Month] [Date], [Year]

## Today's Mission

**Primary Goal:** [One-sentence outcome for the day]

**Top 3 Priorities:**
1. [Priority 1 with specific, measurable outcome]
2. [Priority 2 with specific, measurable outcome]
3. [Priority 3 with specific, measurable outcome]

**Success looks like:** [What "done" means today]

---

## Time-Blocked Schedule

### 8:00 - 9:00: Morning Prime 🌅
**Focus:** Wake up, coffee, light movement, review plan

- [ ] Morning routine (30 min)
- [ ] Review today's plan + priorities (10 min)
- [ ] Quick inbox scan (15 min - flag only, don't respond)

**Energy level:** Building

---

### 9:00 - 11:00: Deep Work Block 1 🎯 [PRIORITY #1]
**Focus:** [Specific priority 1 task]

- [ ] [Concrete subtask 1]
- [ ] [Concrete subtask 2]
- [ ] [Concrete subtask 3]

**Target:** [Measurable outcome by 11:00]

**Protection:** Phone off, Slack paused, door closed

---

### 11:00 - 11:15: Break ☕
**Focus:** Step away from desk

- Physical movement (walk, stretch)
- Hydrate
- No screens

---

### 11:15 - 12:30: Deep Work Block 2 🎯 [PRIORITY #2]
**Focus:** [Specific priority 2 task]

- [ ] [Concrete subtask 1]
- [ ] [Concrete subtask 2]

**Target:** [Measurable outcome by 12:30]

---

### 12:30 - 1:30: Lunch Break 🍽️
**Focus:** Eat, recharge, disconnect

- Proper meal (not at desk)
- 15-minute walk if possible
- No work talk

**Energy level:** Recovery

---

### 1:30 - 3:00: Focused Work Block 🎯 [PRIORITY #3]
**Focus:** [Specific priority 3 task]

- [ ] [Concrete subtask 1]
- [ ] [Concrete subtask 2]

**Target:** [Measurable outcome by 3:00]

---

### 3:00 - 3:15: Break ☕
**Focus:** Recharge

---

### 3:15 - 4:30: Meetings / Collaborative Work 👥
**Focus:** [Meeting name or collaborative task]

- [ ] [Meeting 1 with agenda]
- [ ] [Follow-up actions from meetings]

**Prep:** Review agendas 10 minutes before

---

### 4:30 - 5:30: Admin & Communication 📧
**Focus:** Process inbox, respond to messages, light tasks

- [ ] Clear email inbox (respond, archive, defer)
- [ ] Slack catch-up and responses
- [ ] Update project trackers
- [ ] Quick wins / small tasks

**Energy level:** Lower (perfect for admin)

---

### 5:30 - 6:00: Planning & Wrap-Up 📋
**Focus:** Close the day, plan tomorrow

- [ ] Evening check-in (see below)
- [ ] Tomorrow's top 3 priorities draft
- [ ] Inbox zero for peace of mind
- [ ] Close all work apps

---

### 6:00 PM+: Personal Time 🏡
**No work beyond this point**

---

## Success Criteria

### Must-Have (Non-Negotiable) ✓
- [ ] Priority 1 complete: [Specific outcome]
- [ ] Priority 2 complete: [Specific outcome]
- [ ] At least 80% progress on Priority 3

### Should-Have (Important) ⭐
- [ ] [Secondary task 1]
- [ ] [Secondary task 2]

### Nice-to-Have (Bonus) 💡
- [ ] [Bonus task 1]
- [ ] [Bonus task 2]

---

## Evening Check-In (5 minutes at 5:30 PM)

**Completion status:**
- Priority 1 done? **YES / NO** - [If no, why?]
- Priority 2 done? **YES / NO** - [If no, why?]
- Priority 3 done? **YES / NO** - [If no, why?]

**What went well:**
[What worked today? What helped you execute?]

**What got stuck:**
[Where did you lose time? What blocked you?]

**Energy assessment:**
- Peak hours productive? **YES / NO**
- Breaks taken? **YES / NO**
- Felt energized or drained? **[Score 1-10]**

**Tomorrow's adjustment:**
[What to change in tomorrow's plan based on today?]

---

## Quick Decision Framework

**Before saying YES to anything today:**

1. **Is this one of my top 3 priorities?**
   - YES → Schedule it in appropriate energy window
   - NO → Go to #2

2. **Does this directly support today's mission?**
   - YES → Add to relevant time block
   - NO → Go to #3

3. **Can this wait until tomorrow?**
   - YES → Add to tomorrow's list
   - NO → Question if it's really urgent

**If NO to all three → Decline or defer**

---

Real Examples

Example 1: High-Output Day (Founder/Exec)

Context: Product launch week, high-stakes demos, team coordination

## Top 3 Priorities:
1. Finalize launch announcement (900 words, 3 versions) - DONE by 11:30
2. Run partner demo with clear next steps - DONE by 3:00
3. Team sprint planning with Q2 priorities set - DONE by 5:00

## Schedule:
- 9:00-11:30: Deep work → Launch copy (Priority #1)
- 12:30-2:45: Partner demo prep + execution (Priority #2)
- 3:00-4:45: Sprint planning with team (Priority #3)
- 5:00-5:30: Email/admin/wrap

## Evening Check-In:
✓ Priority 1: YES (shipped 3 versions, CEO approved)
✓ Priority 2: YES (partner committed, contract signed)
✓ Priority 3: YES (team aligned, stories pointed)

What worked: Protected deep work time for writing, prepped demo thoroughly
Tomorrow: Start execution on sprint, less coordination overhead

Example 2: Deep Work Day (Individual Contributor)

Context: IC developer, needs 6+ hours of uninterrupted coding

## Top 3 Priorities:
1. Ship authentication refactor (PR ready for review) - DONE by 12:00
2. Debug production issue #847 (root cause found + fix deployed) - DONE by 4:00
3. Documentation for new API endpoints (published) - DONE by 6:00

## Schedule:
- 9:00-12:00: Deep work → Auth refactor (Priority #1)
- 1:00-4:00: Deep work → Debug + deploy (Priority #2)
- 4:15-5:45: Documentation writing (Priority #3)
- 5:45-6:00: Update tickets, close day

## Protections:
- Slack: Paused 9am-12pm, 1pm-4pm
- No meetings scheduled
- Phone: DND mode

## Evening Check-In:
✓ Priority 1: YES (PR approved, merged)
✓ Priority 2: YES (issue resolved, monitoring green)
✓ Priority 3: 90% (docs drafted, needs final review tomorrow)

What worked: Zero meetings = maximum flow state
Tomorrow: Finish docs, start new feature work

Example 3: Meeting-Heavy Day (Manager/Director)

Context: Leadership role, multiple teams, coordination day

## Top 3 Priorities:
1. Align exec team on Q2 budget priorities - DONE by 11:00
2. Resolve team conflict (performance conversation) - DONE by 3:00
3. Approve 3 critical design reviews - DONE by 5:30

## Schedule:
- 8:30-9:00: Pre-meeting prep (agendas, talking points)
- 9:00-11:00: Exec budget meeting (Priority #1)
- 11:15-12:15: 1-on-1 performance conversation (Priority #2)
- 1:30-3:00: Design review meetings (Priority #3, all 3 back-to-back)
- 3:15-4:30: Email/admin/follow-ups from meetings
- 4:30-5:00: Next week prep + team updates

## Evening Check-In:
✓ Priority 1: YES (budget approved, owners assigned)
✓ Priority 2: YES (performance plan agreed, follow-up scheduled)
✓ Priority 3: YES (2 approved, 1 needs revision)

What got stuck: Back-to-back meetings = no thinking time
Tomorrow: Block 2-hour deep work window, fewer meetings

Real Case Study

User: Marketing manager at B2B SaaS company, struggled with reactive days

Before using skill:

• Average day: 6-8 hours in meetings, 2 hours of "work" squeezed in
• Top priorities rarely completed
• Constant email/Slack interruptions
• 15% weekly goal completion rate
• Felt productive but accomplished little

After implementing plan-my-day:

• Used skill every morning (2-3 minutes to generate plan)
• Protected 9-11am deep work block (calendar marked "Focus Time")
• Set clear Top 3 priorities each day
• Added evening check-ins to track completion

Results after 8 weeks:

• 74% weekly goal completion rate (+59 points)
• Meetings reduced from 6-8 hrs/day to 3-4 hrs/day
• Deep work blocks protected 4 days/week (vs 0 before)
• Self-reported energy levels: 8.2/10 (vs 4.1/10 before)
• Team feedback: "You're more present and decisive"

Key insight: "The daily plan gave me permission to say no. If it wasn't in my Top 3, I deferred it. That one change unlocked everything."

Configuration Options

Standard Mode (default)

/plan-my-day

• Balanced energy windows
• 8-hour workday assumption
• 20% buffer time

High-Output Mode

/plan-my-day --mode high-output

• 10-hour workday
• More aggressive scheduling
• 10% buffer time
• Best for: Launch weeks, crunch periods

Deep Work Mode

/plan-my-day --mode deep-work

• Maximum uninterrupted blocks
• Minimal meetings
• 30% buffer time
• Best for: Individual contributors, creators

Meeting-Heavy Mode

/plan-my-day --mode coordination

• Meeting-first scheduling
• Work blocks fit around commitments
• 25% buffer time
• Best for: Managers, executives, client-facing roles

Installation

# Copy skill to your skills directory
cp -r plan-my-day $HOME/.openclaw/skills/

# Verify installation
/plan-my-day --version

No dependencies required - Pure planning logic.

Future Integrations (Coming Soon)

• Google Calendar sync - Auto-import existing events
• Completion tracking - Analytics on your planning accuracy over time
• Energy pattern learning - Adapts to when you actually perform best
• Team coordination - Sync focus blocks across teams

Pro Tips

1. Run it FIRST thing - Before checking email or Slack. Set the day, don't react to it.
2. Protect Peak hours - Block 9-11am as "Focus Time" on your calendar. Decline meetings here.
3. Track completion rates - Use evening check-in data to improve your estimations
4. Adjust energy windows - Default is 9-11am peak, but if you're different, customize it
5. Combine with "shutdown ritual" - Evening check-in + tomorrow's prep = mental closure
6. Don't over-schedule - If plan shows 7 hours of tasks for 8-hour day, you're on track

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Planning too much - If you schedule 100% of your time, you'll fail. Always leave 20% buffer. ❌ Ignoring energy windows - Putting hard thinking work at 4pm sets you up for failure. ❌ Skipping breaks - 90-minute focus blocks REQUIRE 15-minute breaks or performance drops. ❌ No evening reflection - Without check-ins, you can't improve your planning accuracy. ❌ Changing Top 3 mid-day - Unless genuinely urgent, stick to morning priorities.

Quality Checklist

A good daily plan has:

• Clear Top 3 priorities with measurable outcomes
• #1 priority scheduled in peak energy window
• 20% buffer time (not every minute scheduled)
• Breaks scheduled every 90 minutes
• Protected lunch break (minimum 30 minutes)
• Evening check-in template included
• No work scheduled after 7pm (personal time protected)

Support

Issues or suggestions? Provide:

• Your typical day structure (work hours, meeting load)
• Top 3 priorities example
• Energy pattern (when you're most focused)
• What's not working in current output

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Built on circadian rhythm research (Roenneberg), deliberate practice principles (Ericsson), and GTD methodology (Allen).

Plan your day in 2 minutes. Execute with focus. Win consistently.