Cal Newport's minimalist approach to daily planning using plain text files for distraction-free time blocking without specialized software or complicated systems.
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Text File Time Blocking
Text File Time Blocking is Cal Newport's ultra-minimalist approach to daily time blocking that uses nothing more than a plain text file to plan and track your day, eliminating the overhead of complex productivity software.
Each morning, Newport opens a simple text file and types out a time block plan for the day:
8:00 - 9:00 | Deep work on book chapter
9:00 - 10:00 | Email processing
10:00 - 12:00 | Deep work - research
12:00 - 1:00 | Lunch
1:00 - 2:00 | Meetings
2:00 - 4:00 | Administrative tasks
4:00 - 5:00 | Planning tomorrow
Zero Setup: No apps to configure, no templates to design, no systems to maintain. Just open a text file and start planning.
Distraction-Free: Unlike calendar apps, task managers, or productivity suites, a text file offers zero notifications, no features to explore, and no interface to navigate.
Flexibility: Easy to revise on the fly. When plans change (which they always do), simply type a new schedule below the original.
Portable: Works on any device with a text editor. No vendor lock-in, no subscriptions, no platform dependencies.
Historical Record: Save each day's file to create a searchable archive of how you've spent your time.
This method appeals to:
Some practitioners enhance this method with:
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