I got tired of spending more time organising tasks (ie copy paste and then reorder in notes) than actually doing them. Every task manager I tried either overwhelmed me with features or required constant manual categorisation. I'd waste mental energy deciding what to work on next instead of just working. The breaking point was realising I was avoiding my task manager because it felt like work to use it. I wanted something that would think for me, not add to my cognitive load.
The Three-Category System
Most productivity systems overcomplicate priority levels. I really liked one that I was taught; I can't remember the name. But, basically you set the date of when it needs to be done by, and you trust the calendar to show it to you when it needs to be done, and then you just get on with it then.
But, I really dislike the way outlook shows events and todos. So.. I settled on three categories because they match how I think about time:
Today covers anything due now or overdue. It's the "I have to deal with this whether I like it or not" bucket. Keeping this list short prevents overwhelm and makes it actually useful.
Tomorrow handles the near-term stuff - usually things due in the next few days. This prevents tasks from languishing in a vague "someday" pile until they become urgent. It's the planning I can mentally handle.
Later is everything else. Future deadlines, ideas, non-urgent tasks. It exists so these don't clutter your immediate pile but aren't forgotten either.
The system eliminates the constant mental work of deciding if something is "high priority" versus "medium priority." Time-based urgency is objective - either something is due today or it isn't.
Focus Integration I added the Timer because task selection and focus work are part of the same workflow.
Once you know what to work on, you shouldn't have to switch apps to start a focus session. The integration felt important - pick a task, start the timer, get to work. The automatic categorisation removes decision fatigue, and the timer structure removes the ambiguity of "I'll work on this for a while." Together, they create a clearer path from having tasks to completing them.
Was this a good approach? I would appreciate feedback on my concept or even the actual app if anyone here is such a legend that they download it.