Planning
Timing your passages through the week
Knowing how many free hours you have is only half of planning side work. The other half is knowing how they're broken up, and how much each break costs you in setup.
Write down last week's passages
Using your calendar and messages, list every window last week when you were genuinely free and awake: not commuting, not working, not with family. Note the start and end of each.
Subtract the fill
From each window, take off about fifteen minutes for getting started and five or ten for closing up. A one-hour window becomes roughly forty useful minutes. A three-hour window keeps most of its time.
Match work to passage length
- Short passages suit work with very little to reload, like answering messages or short tasks.
- Regular two-hour evenings suit steady work with deadlines in days, like writing or editing.
- Long weekend passages suit work with real setup, like repairs, events or anything that needs travel.
Make the next fill shorter
End every session by writing one line about what to do next. Keep your files and tools where you left them. These habits cut filling time more than any app.
Keep one gate shut
Don't use every window in the first month. Leave one free so a busy week doesn't sink the whole plan.
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