Focus Mode¶

Focus Mode is Asset Optics' smart prioritization system that tells you exactly what to work on next. Instead of manually sorting through tasks, Focus Mode analyzes your work and surfaces the most important items.

Overview¶

Focus Mode answers the question: "What should I work on right now?"

It organizes your tasks into three categories:

Category	What It Means
NOW	Work on these immediately - your top priorities
NEXT	Coming up soon - complete NOW tasks to move these up
LATER	Lower priority - backlog grouped by milestone

How It Works¶

Focus Mode analyzes your tasks based on multiple factors:

Priority Algorithm¶

Tasks are ranked by:

Priority Level: Urgent > High > Medium > Low
Due Dates: Approaching deadlines rank higher
Milestone Dependencies: Tasks blocking other milestones rank higher
Task Age: Older incomplete tasks get attention
Blocked Status: Blocked tasks rank lower until unblocked

NOW Section¶

The NOW section shows your immediate priorities:

Hero Card: The #1 priority task with expanded details
Supporting Tasks: Next 2-3 highest priority items

The Hero Card displays:

Full task title and description
Linked assets with thumbnails
Checklist progress
Quick action buttons

NEXT Section¶

Tasks that are coming up soon:

Complete NOW tasks to move these up
Typically shows the next 5-10 priorities
Click any task to see details

LATER Section¶

Lower priority and backlog items:

Grouped by milestone
Locked milestones show which dependencies must be completed first
Good for planning future work

Snooze and Boost¶

Temporarily adjust task priority without changing the actual priority field:

Snooze¶

Push a task down temporarily:

Hover over a task in NOW or NEXT
Click the Snooze button
Choose duration (1 hour, 4 hours, 1 day, 1 week)
The task moves down in priority
Returns to normal ranking after the snooze period

Use snooze when:

You're waiting on something external
You need to focus on something else first
The task isn't relevant right now

Boost¶

Pull a task up temporarily:

Find a task in NEXT or LATER
Click the Boost button
The task moves to NOW
Returns to normal ranking after you mark it Done or after 24 hours

Use boost when:

Something became more urgent
You want to work on a specific task now
A stakeholder requested priority

Using Focus Mode Effectively¶

Daily Workflow¶

Start your day in Focus Mode
Review the Hero Card - this is your #1 priority
Work through NOW tasks in order
Check back periodically to see updated priorities
Mark tasks Done as you complete them

Milestone Focus¶

Focus Mode respects your milestone selection:

If you select a specific milestone, only those tasks appear
Select "All Milestones" for the complete picture
Use milestone focus during sprints or when approaching deadlines

Handling Blockers¶

When a task is blocked:

Move it to the Blocked column in Planning Board
Focus Mode automatically deprioritizes it
Once unblocked, it returns to its natural ranking

Focus Tips¶

Check Focus Daily

Make it a habit to open Focus Mode each morning to set your priorities.

Trust the Algorithm

The priority algorithm considers multiple factors. Trust it and work through tasks in order.

Use Snooze Sparingly

Don't over-snooze - if a task keeps getting snoozed, consider whether it should be done at all.

Limit In Progress

Keep your "In Progress" tasks to 2-3 at most. Focus on finishing before starting new work.

Smart Suggestions¶

Focus Mode may display contextual tips:

"Consider breaking down this large task"
"This task has been blocked for 3 days"
"Milestone deadline approaching in 2 days"
"You have 5 urgent tasks - consider delegating"

These suggestions help you stay on track and identify potential issues.

Focus Mode vs. Planning Board¶

Aspect	Focus Mode	Planning Board
Purpose	What to work on	Managing all tasks
View	Prioritized list	Kanban columns
Best for	Daily work	Planning sessions
Shows	Incomplete tasks	All task states

Use both:

Planning Board for adding/organizing tasks
Focus Mode for executing on priorities