1. Collect what is on your mind
Before opening the timer, write down the tasks taking up your attention. Separate work and personal life into projects. This first step helps you stop relying on memory, without assuming everything must happen today.
Write specific actions. “Prepare the three meeting points” is easier to start than “Meeting”. When a task combines research, writing and reviewing, consider splitting it into steps.
2. Choose up to three priorities
Look at your deadlines and the result you need by the end of the day. Choose up to three tasks to guide your plan. Three is an organisational limit, not an obligation: on a day full of appointments, one priority may be enough.
In Dotask, the daily review lets you choose these priorities without removing the rest of your list. If something urgent comes up, review your choice. The plan should follow your day.
3. Check your schedule before estimating
Add fixed appointments first. Then identify blocks when you can work. A morning between meetings is not the same as four free hours.
Use an initial Pomodoro estimate for larger tasks. It is a planning assumption, not a measure of time already worked. Leave room between blocks for transitions and surprises.
4. Start with a single focus block
Choose a task and define what you want to achieve in the next block. Dotask uses the usual cycle of 25 minutes of focus followed by a short break. Close anything unnecessary for that activity and start.
If you are interrupted, pause or end the timer to reflect what happened. The aim is a useful record, without turning an unpredictable day into a competition.
Example: a morning with an 11 am meeting
At 9 am, use a block to collect the points for a proposal. After the break, use another to write a first draft. Reserve a moment to review what is missing before the 11 am meeting.
“Finish the proposal” may take longer than you expected. After two blocks, the useful result is knowing what progressed and what still needs work. Adjust your next task using that information.
5. End the day with a short review
Check completed tasks and focus records. Correct an assignment if a Pomodoro was linked to the wrong project. Reconsider overdue tasks and choose a date only when it makes sense.
Dotask does not automatically create new tasks for missed focus time. You decide what continues, what changes and what can leave the plan. A few minutes of review prevents starting tomorrow with a plan that no longer fits.