gh-lyndonkl-claude/skills/focus-timeboxing-8020/resources/template.md

Focus, Timeboxing, and 80/20 Templates

Quick-start templates for identifying high-impact work, designing focus blocks, and timeboxing your schedule.

80/20 Analysis Template

Goal: Identify the vital 20% of tasks that drive 80% of your results.

Step 1: Brain Dump All Tasks

List everything competing for your attention (work tasks, projects, meetings, admin):

1. [Task/Project 1]
2. [Task/Project 2]
3. [Task/Project 3] ...

Step 2: Force Rank by Impact

For each task, ask: "If I could only do ONE task this week, which would create the most value?"

Rank	Task	Impact Score (1-10)	Effort (1-10)	Impact/Effort Ratio
1	[Highest impact task]	10	6	1.67
2	[Second highest]	8	4	2.0
3	[Third]	7	5	1.4
...	...	...	...	...

Step 3: Identify Your Vital Few (Top 20%)

If you have 10 tasks → Top 2 are vital few If you have 20 tasks → Top 4 are vital few

My Vital Few (20% that drive 80% of results):

1. [Task 1] - Why: [Impact/outcome if done well]
2. [Task 2] - Why: [Impact/outcome if done well]
3. [Task 3] - Why: [Impact/outcome if done well]

Step 4: Allocate 80% of Focus Time to Vital Few

This week's deep work allocation:

• Task 1: [X hours / Y focus blocks]
• Task 2: [X hours / Y focus blocks]
• Task 3: [X hours / Y focus blocks]

Remaining 80% (trivial many): Batch, delegate, defer, or eliminate.

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Focus Block Design Template

Goal: Design distraction-free time blocks for high-value work.

Block Configuration

Task: [What you'll work on]

Duration: [25 min / 50 min / 90 min / 120 min] (see guidance below)

When: [Day + time, e.g., Monday 9-10:30am]

Energy required: [Low / Medium / High]

Pre-work (prep before block starts):

• [Gather all materials/resources needed]
• [Clear goal/outcome for this session]
• [Close email, Slack, unnecessary tabs]
• [Phone away, notifications off]
• [Set timer]

During block:

• Focus: [Single clear objective, e.g., "Draft product spec sections 1-3"]
• No: [List specific distractions to avoid, e.g., "No Slack, no email, no meetings"]

After block:

• [Take break - walk, stretch, water]
• [Quick note on progress/what's next]
• [Update task status]

Duration Selection Guide

Duration	Use When	Max Per Day
25 min	High resistance, procrastination, building habit	8-10
50 min	Moderate complexity, mixed tasks	6-8
90 min	Deep work, complex thinking, creative work	3-4
120 min	Maximum deep work, flow state (experienced only)	2-3

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Weekly Timeboxing Template

Week of: [Date]

Top 3 Priorities (from 80/20 analysis):

1. [Priority 1] - Target: [Outcome/milestone]
2. [Priority 2] - Target: [Outcome/milestone]
3. [Priority 3] - Target: [Outcome/milestone]

Weekly Calendar Allocation

Day	Morning (9am-12pm)	Afternoon (2-5pm)	Notes
Monday	Deep Work: Priority 1 (2× 90min)	Meetings + Code Reviews	Peak energy on Priority 1
Tuesday	Deep Work: Priority 1 (2× 90min)	Team Collab + Planning	Continue momentum
Wednesday	Deep Work: Priority 2 (2× 90min)	Meetings + Admin Batch	Shift to Priority 2
Thursday	Deep Work: Priority 3 (1× 90min)	Meetings (batch afternoon)	Mix priorities
Friday	Deep Work: Priority 1 wrap-up (1× 90min)	Admin Batch + Weekly Review	Close loops, plan next week

Deep Work Total: [X hours across Y blocks]

Meeting Blocks: [Tue/Thu afternoons]

Admin Batches: [Fri afternoon, daily 3:30-4pm]

Buffer Time: [20% of week = ~8 hours unscheduled]

Protection Rules

• No meetings before 12pm Mon-Wed (deep work sacred)
• Email checked 2× per day only (11am, 4pm)
• Slack DND during focus blocks
• Hard stop at 5pm daily (no evening work)
• Friday afternoons for planning/admin/cleanup

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Daily Timeboxing Template

Date: [Today's date]

Top Goal: [Most important outcome for today]

Energy level: [High / Medium / Low] (adjust plan if low)

Time-Blocked Schedule

Time	Block Type	Activity	Done?
8:00-8:30	Morning Routine	Exercise, breakfast, prepare for day	[ ]
8:30-9:00	Planning	Review daily plan, gather resources	[ ]
9:00-10:30	Deep Work 1	[Task: X - clear outcome]	[ ]
10:30-10:45	Break	Walk outside, stretch, water	[ ]
10:45-12:15	Deep Work 2	[Task: Y - clear outcome]	[ ]
12:15-1:00	Lunch	Eat away from desk, NO email	[ ]
1:00-2:00	Meetings	[Standup, 1:1, team sync]	[ ]
2:00-2:15	Break	Quick walk, coffee	[ ]
2:15-3:15	Moderate Work	[Code reviews, moderate tasks]	[ ]
3:15-4:00	Admin Batch	Email, Slack, expense reports, planning	[ ]
4:00-4:30	Buffer / Overflow	Catch up on anything that ran over	[ ]
4:30-5:00	Daily Review	What got done? What's tomorrow's top priority?	[ ]
5:00pm	HARD STOP	Close laptop, NO evening work	[ ]

Total Deep Work: 3 hours (2× 90min blocks)

Distraction Log (track interruptions):

• [Time] - [What interrupted] - [How handled]

Energy Notes:

• Peak energy: [When did you feel most focused?]
• Low energy: [When did focus drop?]

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Pomodoro Session Template

For high-resistance tasks or building focus habit.

Task: [What you'll work on]

Total Pomodoros needed: [Estimate: 1-8 Pomodoros]

Session Tracker

Pomodoro #	Start Time	Task/Subtask	Completed?	Distractions
1	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]
2	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]
3	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]
4	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]
Long Break	15-30 min	Walk, snack, completely disconnect	[ ]
5	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]
6	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]
7	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]
8	[Time]	[Specific subtask]	[ ]	[Count: X]

Rules:

• 25 min work, 5 min break (non-negotiable)
• After 4 Pomodoros, take 15-30 min break
• If interrupted mid-Pomodoro, mark as void and restart
• Track distractions (awareness helps reduce them)

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Task Batching Template

Goal: Group similar low-cognitive-load tasks to minimize context-switching.

Email Batch (30 min, 2× per day)

Times: 11:00am and 4:00pm

Process:

1. Sort by priority (VIP, team, automated)
2. Respond to urgent only (2-min rule: if <2 min, do now)
3. Archive/delete automated/low-value
4. Flag for follow-up (action items)
5. Close email app after 30 min (set timer)

Not allowed: Checking email outside these times

Meeting Batch (Afternoons: Tue/Thu 2-5pm)

Tue 2-5pm:

• 2:00-2:30: 1:1 with [Person A]
• 2:30-3:00: 1:1 with [Person B]
• 3:00-3:30: Team sync
• 3:30-4:00: Product review
• 4:00-4:30: Planning meeting

Thu 2-5pm: [Similar structure]

Protection: No meetings Mon/Wed/Fri mornings (deep work)

Admin Batch (Fri 3-5pm)

Checklist:

• Expense reports
• Timesheets
• Planning for next week (review priorities)
• Clear inbox to zero
• Update project status
• File/organize docs
• Clean up desk/digital workspace

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Weekly Review Template

Week of: [Date]

Purpose: Assess what worked, what didn't, and adjust next week's plan.

1. Deep Work Quality

Focus blocks completed this week: [X out of Y planned]

Quality rating (1-5, where 5 = completely undistracted):

• Monday: [Rating] - [Notes]
• Tuesday: [Rating] - [Notes]
• Wednesday: [Rating] - [Notes]
• Thursday: [Rating] - [Notes]
• Friday: [Rating] - [Notes]

Average: [X.X / 5]

What protected focus?

• [e.g., Morning schedule-free zone, Slack DND]

What interrupted focus?

• [e.g., Emergency meeting Tuesday, email compulsion]

2. 80/20 Alignment

Did I spend 80% of focus time on vital few (top 20%)? [Yes / No]

Time allocation:

• Priority 1: [X hours] - Target: [Y hours]
• Priority 2: [X hours] - Target: [Y hours]
• Priority 3: [X hours] - Target: [Y hours]
• Low-value tasks: [X hours] (should be <20%)

Misallocations (time spent on 80% low-impact):

• [Task that consumed time but low impact]
• [Why: urgent but not important, hard to say no, etc.]

3. Energy Management

Peak energy hours: [When did I feel most energized?]

Did I schedule deep work during peak energy? [Yes / No]

Energy drains:

• [e.g., Back-to-back meetings, late-night email checking]

Energy boosters:

• [e.g., Morning walk, breaks between blocks, hard stop at 5pm]

4. Wins & Challenges

Wins (what went well):

1. [Win 1]
2. [Win 2]
3. [Win 3]

Challenges (what didn't work):

1. [Challenge 1] - Fix: [What to try next week]
2. [Challenge 2] - Fix: [What to try next week]
3. [Challenge 3] - Fix: [What to try next week]

5. Next Week Adjustments

Changes to make:

• [e.g., Block Monday mornings for deep work]
• [e.g., Batch meetings on Thu afternoon only]
• [e.g., Set phone timer for breaks]

Commitments:

• [Specific commitment, e.g., "No email before 11am"]
• [Specific commitment, e.g., "Take full lunch break away from desk"]

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Focus Time Tracker (Weekly Log)

Track focus blocks to identify patterns and improve over time.

Date	Start Time	Duration	Task	Quality (1-5)	Distractions	Outcome
Mon	9:00am	90 min	Payment API design	5	0	Completed spec
Mon	11:00am	90 min	Payment implementation	4	1 (Slack ping)	60% done
Tue	9:00am	90 min	Payment implementation	5	0	Completed
Tue	11:00am	90 min	Testing + bug fixes	3	2 (meeting interrupt)	Partial
Wed	9:00am	90 min	Documentation	4	1 (email)	80% done

Weekly Totals:

• Focus blocks completed: [X]
• Average quality: [X.X / 5]
• Total deep work hours: [X hours]
• Most productive day: [Day]
• Biggest distraction source: [e.g., Slack, meetings, email]

Insights:

• [What patterns emerge? e.g., "Quality drops after lunch," "Mornings consistently 5/5"]
• [Action for next week: e.g., "Schedule deep work only in mornings"]

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Quick Examples by Role

Example 1: Software Engineer

Vital Few (80/20):

1. Ship payment feature (customer-requested, revenue impact)
2. Fix critical performance bug (customer escalation)
3. Code review backlog (team velocity blocker)

Weekly Plan:

• Mon-Wed 9am-12pm: Payment feature (3× 3hr deep work blocks = 9 hours)
• Thu-Fri 9am-11am: Performance bug (2× 2hr deep work blocks = 4 hours)
• Afternoons: Code reviews (1hr/day batched), meetings, admin

Outcome: Payment shipped Wed, bug fixed Fri. Code reviews cleared. vs. scattered attention = weeks of delays.

Example 2: Product Manager

Vital Few (80/20):

1. Q3 roadmap (exec review next week)
2. User research synthesis (inform roadmap)
3. Pricing experiment design (potential 20% revenue lift)

Weekly Plan:

• Mon-Tue mornings: Roadmap deep work (4× 90min = 6 hours)
• Wed-Thu mornings: Research synthesis (4× 90min = 6 hours)
• Fri morning: Pricing experiment design (2× 90min = 3 hours)
• Afternoons: Stakeholder meetings (batched Tue/Thu 2-5pm), 1:1s, admin

Example 3: Writer/Researcher

Vital Few (80/20):

1. Draft chapter 3 (book deadline approaching)
2. Revise chapter 2 based on feedback
3. Outline chapters 4-5

Weekly Plan:

• Mon-Thu 6-9am: Writing deep work (4 days × 3hrs = 12 hours)
• Afternoons: Research, reading, notes, admin
• Fri: Buffer for overflow, planning next week

Protection: Morning = writing only. No email, no calls, no meetings before noon.