# Calendar blocking Calendar blocking is the [[Productivity]] technique that involves scheduling tasks in a calendar that do not strictly have a time component. The premise is that adding something to your calendar sets up a prompt and claims a space in your day for something important, but not time-sensitive, to get done. ## Appropriate tasks - Personal development or career-oriented research [^5am] - Time slots available for meetings, and time slots *not* available for meetings - Quality time with family and friends, which often gets overridden by work commitments - Personal health and hygiene commitments ## Arguments for - Calendars are a daily plan for what is important. What isn't on a calendar may never get done. - The act of scheduling a task may be enough intentional action for you to follow through on that task. [^5am] - The concept of [[10,000 hours for expertise]] assigns a concrete time to mastery of a skill, which lends itself well to calendar blocking. - Eyal argues that it is the only way to gauge [[sources/Book/Indistractable|Indistractability]]. [^eyal] ## Arguments against - Calendars should be protected as sacred. Knowing that only time-sensitive appointments reside on a calendar gives you the freedom to rearrange your schedule because you'll know at a glance what _must_ be done today. Adding non-time-sensitive tasks dilutes the value of a calendar. [^gtd] - Scheduling absolutely everything on a calendar can feel restrictive for some personality types. ## Tools for calendar blocking - [[Reclaim.ai]] is a great tool that uses smart algorithms to assign timeslots to accomplish tasks, but also intelligently rearrange schedules when something new comes up. [^gtd]: Allen, D. (2015). _Getting things done: The art of stress-free productivity_. Penguin Books. [^5am]: Sharma, R. (2018). _The 5 AM club_. HarperCollins Publishers. [[Shortform-The 5 AM Club]] [^eyal]: Eyal, N. (2019). _Indistractable: How to control your attention and choose your life._ BenBella Books. [[Shortform-Indistractable|Shortform highlights]] and [[sources/Book/Indistractable|My thoughts on the book]].