Date:
Project / client:
Primary (must finish for today to count):
Secondary (only after Primary):
If time:
Waiting on (other people / systems):
Need from me (promises I owe):
First move (next 2 to 5 minutes):
Notes:
Realistic plan example
Date: 2026-09-13
Project / client: Northwind FAQ refresh
Primary:
Ship FAQ section 5 after Mira’s return-window answers land in the shared doc
Secondary:
Smoke-test payment empty states on staging
If time:
Draft two support macros for refund questions
Waiting on:
Mira: return-window policy wording in the FAQ doc
Need from me:
Confirm staging URL in #northwind before 11:00
First move:
Open the shared FAQ doc and highlight every unanswered policy line in yellow
Notes:
Demo is Thursday. If Mira is quiet by 14:00, send a one-line ask with the yellow highlights attached.
Shorter version
Primary:
Secondary:
If time:
Waiting on:
Need from me:
First move:
About this template
What this is for
Choose what makes today count before you schedule focus blocks. This is priority selection, not a block-by-block calendar.
When should you use it?
Use at the start of the day, or after a hard interrupt when priorities got muddy. Fill this before you open a Pomodoro planner or calendar.
When should you skip it?
Do not use it as a weekly roadmap or a dump for every open ticket. If the day is already over, write an end-of-day handoff or status instead. If you only need to surface a stuck dependency, use the blocker update.
Why this example works
Primary is one finishable outcome. First move is a two-minute action. Waiting on and Need from me stay separate so ownership is obvious.
Job this solves
Remote mornings often start with a full board and no clear win. This template forces one Primary outcome, one optional Secondary, and a first move small enough to start without another planning spiral.
How to fill it
Write one Primary outcome that makes today count if nothing else ships.
Add at most one Secondary that only starts after Primary.
Park If time items so they cannot steal the morning.
Separate Waiting on (other people) from Need from me (promises you owe).
Write a First move you can do in two to five minutes, then start.
When the day breaks
After a hard interrupt, rewrite the plan. Do not force yesterday’s list onto a shorter afternoon. Shrink Primary, move unfinished work to Secondary or tomorrow, and pick a new First move.
Common mistakes
Listing five Primaries so nothing is primary
Making First move a vague topic instead of a tiny action
Mixing waits you own with waits others own
Turning If time into the real plan by noon
Skipping Waiting on until a blocker shows up mid-afternoon