Customization
Customization changes how Work Compass behaves in future planning runs. You describe the behavior you want, review the proposed effect, and approve the change. You do not need to edit configuration files.
If you change a setting, it changes what Work Compass does next time. Nothing already planned is changed unless you ask Work Compass to revisit it.
Open the behavior you want to change.
01I want to decide what deserves my attention this week
What changes
You choose whether Weekly Planning uses active priorities, your To-Do List, or asks you which approach to use each week.
The Priorities workflow defines high-level priorities. During Weekly Planning, you activate the priorities that matter for that week and define the tasks that move them forward.
What it affects
The selected approach shapes the weekly baseline. It does not cause Daily Check-in to rebuild the week from scratch.
Focus Work uses 30, 60, or 90-minute planning sizes. Work larger than 90 minutes is split into finishable pieces before it can be scheduled. To-Do List items are handled as a group rather than given individual duration estimates.
How to change it
Ask:
Show me the planning approaches I currently use, explain what each one changes, and tell me which approach fits my work.
Then say:
Change how I plan my week to active priorities, To-Do List, or ask me each week. Show me the effect before saving.
How do you know it is working?
Your weekly plan has a clear baseline, with either active priorities or selected To-Do List work, plus Focus Work that fits the available time.
If you change your mind
Change the planning approach before a future weekly planning session. Existing weekly plans remain unchanged unless you explicitly request a recalculation.
02I want to plan around the commitments I already have
What changes
You decide how each connected calendar should affect planning. A calendar can represent committed work, personal commitments, soft holds, planned work, or reference information.
A personal event containing “placeholder” is treated as a soft hold. It stays visible but does not block scheduling unless you confirm that it should become a real commitment.
What it affects
Work Compass uses committed events, protected breaks, working hours, and approved focus time to calculate available capacity. Events with other people are treated as real commitments and are surfaced when they conflict with planned work.
How to change it
Ask:
Show me which calendars affect planning and how each type of event is treated.
Then say:
Treat [calendar or event type] as a committed event, soft hold, planned work, or reference information. Show me the effect before saving.
How do you know it is working?
Your plan explains why time is available or unavailable, and new commitments affect the next planning or daily review.
If you change your mind
Change the treatment for future planning runs. Previous plans remain historical records unless you explicitly request a recalculation.
03I want to protect the time that matters
What changes
You choose whether approved Focus Time remains planning-only or becomes Busy time on the official work calendar.
Focus Time is Busy by default. You can choose Free for an individual block when the time should remain visible as planned work without blocking availability.
What it affects
Focus Time is written as a one-time event on the Priority Calendar after you approve it. Customer-booking availability takes priority, so focus work inside a published booking window remains Free and available for booking.
Work Compass does not automatically accept, decline, move, or delete invitations or other calendar events.
How to change it
Ask:
Show me my planned Focus Time and explain which blocks are Busy and which are Free.
Then say:
Keep [block] planning-only” or “Protect [block] as Busy time. Show me the effect before saving.
How do you know it is working?
Your Work Plan shows the work you intend to do, while the official calendar blocks only the time you chose to protect.
If you change your mind
Change the availability of a future focus block. If a conflict appears, Work Compass shows the overlap and you decide whether to keep, revise, or remove the focus assignment.
04I want to add urgent work without losing my weekly plan
What changes
You can add new work to the current planning cycle without automatically replacing the weekly baseline.
The new work is sized before scheduling. Focus Work uses 30, 60, or 90-minute sizes. Larger work is split into finishable pieces. To-Do List work is grouped without individual duration estimates.
What it affects
If the week has room, the new work can fit into remaining capacity. If the week is full, Work Compass shows what would need to move before the work is added.
Work is never silently carried forward as a new planning object. Unfinished Focus Work stays in the weekly log, and unfinished To-Do List work stays in its normal list.
How to change it
Ask:
Add this work to my current plan and show me what would need to move before scheduling it.
How do you know it is working?
The urgent work is visible, sized, and either placed into available time or held for a deliberate decision.
If you change your mind
Reduce the task, split it, defer it to a future week, or decide which existing work should move.
05I want to define the boundaries my plan should respect
What changes
You can define working hours, lunch, protected breaks, recurring commitments, weekend approval, and event-specific boundaries.
For example, lunch can remain unavailable for scheduling, while a recurring personal event marked “placeholder” can remain a soft hold.
What it affects
Work Compass calculates discretionary time only after accounting for core hours, protected breaks, committed events, and planned focus time. Weekend work requires explicit approval before it is scheduled.
How to change it
Ask:
Add [commitment or boundary] to my planning rules and show me how it will affect available time.
Or:
Treat [event or event type] as unavailable time. Show me the rule and effect before saving.
How do you know it is working?
The next weekly or daily planning run applies the boundary when proposing work.
If you change your mind
Update or retire the boundary for future planning. Previous plans remain unchanged unless you explicitly request a recalculation.
06I want Work Compass to fit the way I work
What changes
You can change planning preferences such as your weekly planning mode, Focus Work sizes, Focus Time availability, calendar treatment, recurring boundaries, and the way small work is grouped.
What it affects
The change becomes part of the planning behavior that uses it. Fixed safety rules remain in place, including the requirement for a valid writable Priority Calendar, explicit approval before calendar writes, and user decisions when calendar conflicts occur.
How to change it
Describe the behavior you want:
I want Work Compass to [desired behavior]. Show me the current behavior, the proposed change, and what it will affect before saving.
How do you know it is working?
The next affected planning run applies the new behavior and explains the result in practical terms.
If you change your mind
Ask to restore the previous preference, retire the boundary, or compare the current and previous behavior.