Custom Perspectives

Perspectives are powerful custom filters that let you create personalized views of your tasks based on any combination of criteria.

What are Perspectives?

A Perspective is a saved filter that shows you exactly the tasks you want to see, when you want to see them.

Why Use Perspectives?

• Focus: See only what matters right now
• Context: Match tasks to your current situation
• Efficiency: Save time by not manually filtering
• Flexibility: Create unlimited custom views

Creating Perspectives

Basic Creation

1. Go to Perspectives tab
2. Tap + button
3. Name your perspective
4. Add filter rules
5. Save

Perspective Properties

Property	Description
Name	Clear, descriptive title
Icon	Optional visual identifier
Color	Color coding for quick recognition
Favorite	Pin to homepage
Rules	Filter criteria

Filter Rules

Available Rule Types

1. Status Rules

Filter by task completion status:

• Active tasks only
• Completed tasks
• On hold tasks
• Dropped tasks

2. Date Rules

Filter by dates:

• Due Date: Today, this week, overdue, etc.
• Defer Date: Available now, future dated
• Completion Date: Completed today, this week, etc.

3. Flag Rules

• Flagged tasks only
• Unflagged tasks
• All tasks

4. Project Rules

Filter by project:

• Include: Show tasks from specific projects
• Exclude: Hide tasks from specific projects
• No Project: Show tasks without a project
• Any Project: Show tasks with any project

5. Tag Rules

Filter by tags:

• Has All Tags: Task must have all specified tags
• Has Any Tag: Task has at least one specified tag
• Has No Tags: Task has none of the specified tags
• Without Any Tag: Task has no tags at all

6. Duration Rules

Filter by estimated duration:

• Less than X minutes
• Between X and Y minutes
• More than X minutes
• No duration set

7. Task Type Rules

• Tasks with subtasks
• Tasks without subtasks
• Top-level tasks only
• Subtasks only

Example Perspectives

1. 🔥 Today's Focus

Purpose: Most important tasks for today

Rules:

• Due Date: Today
• Flagged: Yes
• Status: Active

Use Case: Start your day by focusing on critical tasks.

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2. ⚡ Quick Wins

Purpose: Tasks you can knock out quickly

Rules:

• Duration: ≤ 15 minutes
• Tags: High Energy
• Status: Active

Use Case: Have 15 minutes? Get something done!

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3. 🏢 Office Work

Purpose: Tasks requiring office presence

Rules:

• Tags: Office
• Status: Active
• Defer Date: Available now

Use Case: You're at the office - what can you do?

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4. 📞 Calls to Make

Purpose: All phone-related tasks

Rules:

• Tags: Phone OR Communication
• Status: Active

Use Case: Batch all your calls together.

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5. ⏳ Waiting For

Purpose: Tasks blocked by others

Rules:

• Tags: Waiting For
• Status: Active
• Sort by: Due Date

Use Case: Follow up on blocked tasks.

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6. 📚 Learning Time

Purpose: Educational and growth tasks

Rules:

• Projects: Include "Learning & Growth" category
• Tags: High Energy OR Medium Energy
• Status: Active

Use Case: Dedicated learning sessions.

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7. 🌙 Evening Tasks

Purpose: Low-energy tasks for end of day

Rules:

• Tags: Low Energy
• Location: Home
• Duration: ≤ 30 minutes

Use Case: Wind down with easy tasks.

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8. 🎯 This Week's Goals

Purpose: Week-level planning

Rules:

• Due Date: This week
• Status: Active
• Sort by: Project, then Due Date

Use Case: Weekly review and planning.

Advanced Rule Combinations

AND Logic

All conditions must be met:

Rule 1: Tags include "Office"
AND
Rule 2: Duration ≤ 30 minutes
AND
Rule 3: Energy = "High"

Result: Short, high-energy office tasks

OR Logic

At least one condition must be met:

Rule 1: Projects include "Project A"
OR
Rule 2: Tags include "Urgent"

Result: Tasks from Project A OR urgent tasks

Complex Combinations

Mix AND/OR logic:

(Projects = "Work" OR Tags = "Office")
AND
(Duration ≤ 30 minutes)
AND
(Status = Active)

Result: Short work/office tasks that are active

Perspective Strategies

Time-Based Perspectives

Create perspectives for different time blocks:

• Morning Routine (6-9 AM)

  • High energy tasks
  • Important but not urgent
  • Planning and strategy

• Midday Focus (9 AM-12 PM)

  • Deep work tasks
  • Requires concentration
  • Longer duration

• Afternoon Batch (1-4 PM)

  • Communication tasks
  • Meetings
  • Collaboration

• Evening Wrap-up (4-6 PM)

  • Low energy tasks
  • Administrative work
  • Planning tomorrow

Context-Based Perspectives

Match perspectives to your contexts:

• At Desk: Computer tasks, writing, analysis
• In Meetings: Discussion items, presentations
• Commuting: Phone calls, audio learning, planning
• Errands: Shopping, pickups, deliveries

Energy-Based Perspectives

Align tasks with energy levels:

• Peak Performance: Most challenging tasks
• Steady State: Regular work tasks
• Low Energy: Simple, mechanical tasks
• Recovery: Easy, satisfying tasks

Starring Perspectives

Mark frequently used perspectives as favorites:

1. Open perspective
2. Tap star icon
3. Starred perspectives appear on homepage

When to Star

Star perspectives you use:

• Daily or multiple times per day
• For current priorities
• For ongoing contexts (e.g., "At Office")

Homepage Display

Starred perspectives show:

• Perspective name and icon
• Task count
• Quick access to filtered view

Perspective Management

Organizing Perspectives

Keep your perspectives organized:

1. Name Clearly: Use descriptive names
2. Use Colors: Color-code by type or priority
3. Review Regularly: Archive unused perspectives
4. Limit Active: Keep 5-10 active perspectives

Editing Perspectives

1. Go to Perspectives tab
2. Tap perspective to edit
3. Modify rules or properties
4. Save changes

Deleting Perspectives

1. Swipe left on perspective
2. Tap Delete
3. Confirm deletion

WARNING

Deleting a perspective doesn't delete the tasks - only the filter view.

Best Practices

1. Start with Templates

Use example perspectives as starting points:

• Today's Focus
• Quick Wins
• Waiting For
• Weekly Review

Customize them to your needs.

2. Test and Refine

Create a perspective, use it for a week, then refine:

• Are the rules too broad or too narrow?
• Are you getting the right tasks?
• Does it help your workflow?

3. Seasonal Perspectives

Create perspectives for specific times:

• Tax Season: Finance-related tasks
• Holiday Planning: Gift shopping, travel
• Spring Cleaning: Home organization
• Annual Review: Goal setting, reflection

4. Project-Specific Perspectives

For major projects, create dedicated perspectives:

🚀 Product Launch
- Project: Product Launch
- Status: Active
- Sort by: Due Date
- Show: Next actions only

5. Review Workflow Perspectives

Support your GTD workflow:

• Inbox Processing: Inbox items only
• Weekly Review: Projects needing review
• Monthly Goals: Flagged + This month
• Someday/Maybe: Deferred tasks

Perspective Shortcuts

Action	Gesture
Quick access	Tap starred perspective on homepage
Edit	Long press perspective
Star/Unstar	Tap star icon
Delete	Swipe left

Common Perspective Patterns

The "Next Actions" Pattern

Show only the next doable task:

• Status: Active
• Defer Date: Available now
• No dependencies/blockers
• Sorted by priority

The "Review" Pattern

Tasks needing attention:

• Overdue tasks
• Tasks due soon
• Tasks without next action
• Projects needing review

The "Batch Processing" Pattern

Group similar tasks:

• All phone calls
• All emails
• All errands
• All quick tasks

The "Context Switch" Pattern

Different work modes:

• Deep work tasks
• Shallow work tasks
• Creative tasks
• Administrative tasks

Next Steps

• Learn about Calendar Integration
• Review Getting Started Guide
• Check out FAQ for more tips