--- url: /recipes/focus-day-with-a-timer.md description: Pick today's tasks in the morning and work through them one timer at a time. --- # Plan a focus day with a timer This recipe is for anyone whose day gets eaten by switching between tasks. In the morning you choose what today is for; during the day you work on one task at a time with a [timer](/guides/track-time) running, and in the evening you see the time logged on each task. You need tasks with a due date, [assigned](/guides/assign-and-watch-tasks#assign-a-task) to you. New tasks have no assignee unless you set one. After step 1 turns **Assignee** on, assign your tasks to yourself as you create them, or add the **Auto-assign** automation ([Create an automation](/guides/create-an-automation)). ::: warning The lists need three features on A list you create in the app starts with the [**Simple list** preset](/guides/set-up-a-list#turn-features-on-or-off), which has the three features of step 1 off. Step 1 turns them on. ::: ## End result: a Today view and a timer * A [personal view](/concepts/personal-and-work) **Today** that opens when you open Hule and shows your open tasks that are due today or overdue, across all your [workspaces](/concepts/hule-model). * A timer on the task you are working on, which logs its time to that task. * A record of the day: the time logged on each task. ## Lists and Today view setup 1. In each list you take today's tasks from, open **Configure** → **Features** and switch on ([Turn features on or off](/guides/set-up-a-list#turn-features-on-or-off)): * **Assignee**; * **Time Tracking**; * **Timer**. Tasks show an assignee field and a play button (**Start**) in their **Time tracking** row. ::: tip One click with a preset The **Teamwork** preset turns all three on, but it replaces the list's whole set: it turns **Repeats** and **Story Points** off. ::: 2. In the sidebar's **User Views**, hover over the row with your name and choose **+** → **New view** ([Create the view](/guides/build-a-today-view#create-the-view)). The view form opens. 3. In **Name**, type **Today**, and in **Display Mode** choose **List**. 4. In **Source**, pick every workspace you work in, and choose **Create**. **Today** appears under **User Views**. 5. Click **Filter** in the view's header and add three rules with **+ Rule** ([Today's filter](/guides/build-a-today-view#today-s-filter-due-open-yours)): * **Due date** · **on or before / ≤** · **Today** (on the **Relative** tab); * **Assignee** · **is** · **Me (current user)**; * **Stage** · **none of** · **Done**. 6. Click **Save** on the filter strip. **Today** now lists only your open tasks due today or earlier. ::: warning Today is empty? Only tasks with a due date that are assigned to you show. Give today's tasks a due date and assign them to yourself. ::: 7. Right-click **Today** in the sidebar and choose **Set as home** ([Home page](/guides/build-a-today-view#home-page-open-today-at-start)). Hule now opens on **Today**. ![The personal List view Today under User Views: five tasks due today or overdue from two workspaces, with the filter rules above them](/shots/recipes/focus-day-1.light.webp){.light-only} ![The personal List view Today under User Views: five tasks due today or overdue from two workspaces, with the filter rules above them](/shots/recipes/focus-day-1.dark.webp){.dark-only} ## Daily routine: morning, day, evening **Morning, five minutes.** 1. Open Hule. **Today** is the first thing you see. 2. For each task, keep it or move its due date. Aim for a list you could really finish. 3. To move several at once, **Cmd+click** (Mac) or **Ctrl+click** (Windows, Linux) them and change **Due date** in the bulk bar ([Edit tasks in bulk](/guides/edit-tasks-in-bulk#change-the-selected-tasks)). **During the day.** 1. Open the top task and press the play button (**Start**) in its **Time tracking** row. The **Focus session** card opens ([Run a timer](/guides/track-time#run-a-timer)). ::: warning Start does nothing? Only one timer runs at a time. Click the clock at the top of the sidebar to open the task it runs on, and press **Stop** there. ::: 2. Pick a length, then press **Start**: * **25**, **50** or **90** minutes; * your own length, typed in the field, such as `45m`; * **∞**, a timer that counts up. The clock runs in the task and at the top of the sidebar. ![An open task with the Focus session card: 25 minutes selected among 25, 50, 90 and ∞, the field for a custom length, and Start](/shots/recipes/focus-day-2.light.webp){.light-only} ![An open task with the Focus session card: 25 minutes selected among 25, 50, 90 and ∞, the field for a custom length, and Start](/shots/recipes/focus-day-2.dark.webp){.dark-only} 3. Work only on that task. When you finish, press **Stop**. The time is logged on the task. A session with a length stops and logs by itself when it runs out. **Evening, two minutes.** 1. Mark finished tasks complete. 2. Open a task's [**Time logs**](/guides/track-time#log-time-afterwards) tab to see what you logged. 3. Select what's left and set **Due date** to **Tomorrow** in the bulk bar. ## Timer and Today problems * **No Start button on a task.** Its list has **Timer** or **Time Tracking** switched off: turn both on in the list's **Configure** → **Features** ([Turn features on or off](/guides/set-up-a-list#turn-features-on-or-off)). Or you can't log time there: you need **Edit** access to the list and **Create** in **Time logs** ([Permissions and access](/reference/permissions-and-access)). * **Start does nothing.** A timer already runs on another task. Click the clock at the top of the sidebar to open that task, then press **Stop**; see [Run a timer](/guides/track-time#run-a-timer). * **No assignee field on a task.** Its list has **Assignee** switched off, as new lists do. Turn it on in the list's **Configure** → **Features** ([Turn features on or off](/guides/set-up-a-list#turn-features-on-or-off)). * **Today is empty but you have work.** Your tasks have no due date or aren't assigned to you. Give today's tasks a due date and assign them to yourself, or drop the **Assignee** rule; see [Build your own Today view](/guides/build-a-today-view). ## Variations * **Time-blocked day.** Use a **Calendar** view in **Day** range instead of a list, and give tasks a due time to place them on the day ([Calendar](/guides/plan-on-timeline-and-calendar#calendar-block-time-by-the-hour)). * **Pomodoro.** Use 25-minute **Focus session** blocks with a break after each one, as in the [Pomodoro Technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique). * **Where the time goes.** Create a personal view with **Display Mode** set to **Dashboard**, pick your workspaces in **Source**, and add the **Time logged by List** widget ([Add widgets](/guides/build-a-dashboard#add-widgets)). It shows all the time tracked on each list's tasks, not one week's.