A focused life management system designed for clear execution

Most productivity software prioritizes flexibility. Compass prioritizes clarity.

The system is built around a specific method of working, with defaults that guide behavior rather than asking the user to decide everything upfront. Wherever intent or structure can be inferred, Compass does so automatically.

The result is software that participates in the workflow instead of merely recording it.

Compass is designed through subtraction.

When multiple ways exist to accomplish the same outcome, the system is intentionally shaped toward a single, clear path. This reduces ambiguity, speeds up decisions, and keeps cognitive load low.

Subtraction is not about limiting capability. It is about removing unnecessary choice so effort is spent on the work itself.

Structure that emerges automatically

Compass minimizes upfront categorization.

A task becomes a project automatically when a subtask is added. The user does not need to decide in advance whether something is a task or a project, structure emerges from behavior.

Projects are kept out of the main execution view by default, while subtasks remain visible so work continues uninterrupted.

When the final subtask of a project is completed, the project resurfaces intentionally, prompting a clear decision to either mark it complete or continue planning. This prevents projects from silently disappearing unfinished.

The Home view in Compass is not a list of everything.

It is a curated decision surface designed to show only what is relevant right now. Items that are not actionable or not yet relevant stay out of the way until they matter.

Work is ordered deliberately, not chronologically or arbitrarily.

Home view ordering

1. Scheduled items Tasks explicitly scheduled for the current day appear first.
2. Waiting items Follow-ups and items where progress depends on someone else are surfaced next, ensuring responsibility is not forgotten.
3. Priority-ranked tasks All remaining actionable work is ordered by priority.
4. Delayed items Tasks intentionally pushed out appear last, clearly deprioritized but still visible.

This separation keeps urgency, responsibility, and importance from competing with each other.

Priority is explicit, not implied

In Compass, priority is not inferred from due dates or urgency alone. It is an intentional signal created by the user and then trusted by the system.

How priority is set

Each task can be scored across multiple priority dimensions using a simple 0-10 scale.

The interaction is intentionally fast:

• open the priority control,
• score each dimension,
• move on.

The goal is not perfect analysis, but clear relative judgment. Compass combines these scores into a single priority value that the system uses consistently.

How priority is used

Priority only applies after time-based and responsibility-based items are accounted for.

• Scheduled work answers when something matters.
• Waiting work answers who progress depends on.
• Priority answers what matters most once timing and responsibility are clear.

This ensures priority is meaningful and stable, rather than constantly overridden by dates or noise.

The result

• important work stays visible,
• lower-priority work naturally sinks,
• and ordering reflects deliberate decisions rather than algorithmic guesses.

This reliability enables focused execution and structured thinking workflows.

The Five-Minute Method

Compass includes a structured thinking session designed to resolve ambiguity, not just track tasks.

During a Five-Minute Method session:

• tasks are presented one at a time,
• each receives focused attention for a short, intentional interval,
• and the system moves forward automatically.

Tasks are completed, clarified, or broken into next steps. By the end of a session, the system is smaller and clearer than before.

This is not a timer feature, it is a workflow designed to turn vague tasks into executable work.

Compass treats goals as an active part of daily execution, not a separate exercise.

The goals system is designed to encourage focus through constraint. Broad goal lists are intentionally narrowed so attention stays aligned with what matters most.

Direction is reinforced continuously, not revisited once a year and forgotten.

Compass demonstrates a different model of automation.

Instead of relying on rigid rules or scripts, the system automates:

• structure,
• resurfacing,
• prioritization,
• and flow control,

based on how work actually unfolds.

As the system understands the workflow more deeply, proactive automation becomes possible without increasing complexity. Automation is the outcome of understanding, not an add-on feature.

Compass is actively evolving.

Features are added when they reduce friction and removed when they introduce unnecessary complexity. Ambiguities are treated as design problems to be solved by the system, not delegated to the user.

The trajectory is toward fewer decisions, clearer defaults, and smoother execution over time.