How to Set Up Routine Blocks

This guide walks you through setting up routine blocks for the first time — from defining your wake/sleep times to creating your first blocks and scheduling a task. It takes about 10 minutes and only needs to be done once (you'll tweak it over time).

What you'll do

1. Set your wake and sleep times
2. Create 2–4 routine blocks
3. Optionally add daily schedule items (meals, breaks)
4. Verify blocks on the Calendar
5. Schedule your first task into a block

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1. Set wake and sleep times

Wake and sleep times define the boundaries of your day. They show as hashed bands on the Calendar and help you see when you're actually available.

1. Open Routines from the sidebar (in the collapsible section below the main nav).
2. Click Wake & Sleep.
3. Set a wake time for each day (e.g. 7:00 on weekdays, 8:30 on weekends).
4. Set a sleep time for each day (e.g. 23:00).
5. Use quick fill to apply the same time to all weekdays or weekends at once, then adjust individual days.
6. Save.

Tip: Be honest with your wake/sleep times. The Calendar is most useful when it reflects your real day, not an aspirational one.

2. Create your first routine blocks

Routine blocks are the recurring time slots that define what kind of work happens when. Think in terms of modes, not projects.

Good block names:

• "Deep Work" — Focused, uninterrupted work
• "Admin" — Emails, scheduling, small tasks
• "Meetings" — Calls and syncs
• "Creative" — Design, writing, brainstorming

To create a block:

1. On the Routines page, click Add Routine.
2. Enter a name (e.g. "Deep Work").
3. Select days of the week it repeats on (e.g. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday).
4. Set the start time and end time (e.g. 9:00–11:00).
5. Pick a colour — this helps distinguish blocks visually on the Calendar.
6. Save.

Repeat for 2–4 blocks. A typical first setup might look like:

Start simple. You can add more blocks and refine times as you learn what works.

3. Add daily schedule items (optional)

Daily schedule items mark non-work time — meals, breaks, commutes. Tasks can't be scheduled into these, but they help you see your full day.

1. On the Routines page, click Add Daily Schedule.
2. Choose a type: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Custom.
3. Set a start and end time for each day.
4. Use quick fill for consistency, then adjust individual days.
5. Save.

These appear as hatched blocks on the Calendar, visually distinct from your routine blocks.

4. Check the Calendar

Now verify everything looks right:

1. Click Home in the sidebar to open the Calendar.
2. Switch to Week view (press V).
3. You should see:
   • Hashed bands at the top and bottom for wake/sleep times.
   • Hatched blocks for any daily schedule items (meals, breaks).
   • Faint/outlined blocks for your routine blocks — these are template ghosts. They'll turn solid once you add tasks or edit them.

If something looks off, go back to Routines and adjust times or days.

5. Schedule your first task

With blocks in place, try scheduling a task:

1. Make sure you have at least one task (create one with Cmd + Shift + T if needed).
2. On the Calendar, expand the left sidebar (Cmd + ←) to see your todo and shaping tasks.
3. Drag a task from the sidebar into one of your routine blocks.
4. The ghost block turns solid, and the task is now scheduled for that day and block.

That's it — your weekly structure is set up and you've scheduled your first task.

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Evolving your routine

Your first routine setup is a starting point, not a commitment. As you use MONOid, you'll notice patterns:

• A block is always empty? Remove it or shrink it.
• A block is always overflowing? Make it longer or split it into two.
• You keep overriding the same block on specific days? Update the template instead of overriding weekly.
• A specific day is different? Use a date-specific override instead of changing the template.

The goal is a week structure that feels believable — not optimistic, not restrictive, just honest about how you spend your time.

Next steps

• How to Plan Your Week — Use your new blocks to plan a full week
• Routine Blocks — Full reference for blocks, overrides, and task assignment
• Daily Schedule — Reference for wake/sleep and schedule items
• Calendar — How the Calendar renders blocks and tasks