On this page
Rename the column. Update the factory. Fix the failing test. Ask Sam about the API key.
Sound familiar? Those are the small steps of the task you are on right now. Your issue tracker holds the backlog and your editor holds the code, but neither is a good home for them. So they live in your head, and every window switch shakes a few loose.
An always-on-top checklist keeps them in view while you work.
In short
- A list that floats above your editor stays in sight, so you see the next step without switching windows.
- Writing tasks down is a form of cognitive offloading, and studies found external reminders helped people remember intentions.
- Focus Pad is a small Markdown checklist that opens from any app with one shortcut.
- Priority, deadlines, colors and Pesky reminders mark what matters without turning it into a project manager.
Why on top, and why small
A list behind your editor is a list you forget. A list that floats above everything sits at the edge of your vision. The next step is right there.
Size matters too. A full task manager invites planning. A small window invites one thing: write the next step, do it, check it off.
Research supports writing tasks down. Using an external tool to reduce memory load is called cognitive offloading (Risko & Gilbert, 2016). In experiments with 1,196 people, external reminders improved performance on a task where people had to remember intentions for later (Gilbert, 2015).
Focus Pad: a Markdown checklist that stays on top
Focus Pad is part of DevWorkspace Pro. It is a Markdown checklist in a small window that stays above your other windows.
Today
Pesky
Fix checkout bug from #334
acme-shop
Call off Pesky
| Action | macOS | Windows and Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Show or hide Focus Pad | ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ T | Ctrl Alt Shift T |
| Complete a task | ⌘ + click the checkbox | Ctrl + click the checkbox |
| Search | ⌘ F | Ctrl F |
| Find, make or switch a collection | ⌘ K | Ctrl K |
| Move tasks up or down | ⌥ ↑ / ⌥ ↓ | Alt ↑ / Alt ↓ |
The show/hide shortcut works from any app. Say you are in your browser. Press the shortcut, type a task, press it again, and you are back where you were.
Completing a task is deliberate
A normal click on a checkbox only selects the task. To complete it, hold ⌘ (or Ctrl) and click. Focus Pad then removes the task from the list.
This stops accidental completions. It also keeps the list short, because only open tasks stay.
Want completion to feel good? Turn on Dissolve Checked Items or Confetti on Check-Off in Preferences.
It is plain Markdown
Nested tasks move with their parent. Notes, headings and code blocks can sit between tasks.
Focus Pad stores the priority, color, deadline and reminder of a task in a hidden comment at the end of its line. The file stays readable in any Markdown viewer.
Mark what matters
A flat list hides the urgent item. Focus Pad has light tools to make it stand out:
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Priority 1 to 5 | Priority 5 gets a red mark, priority 4 an amber mark. The top right corner shows their counts. |
| Deadline | Presets such as In 1 hour, End of today, Tomorrow morning, End of week. Labels turn amber within 24 hours and red when overdue. |
| Colors | Eight text colors. Name them per collection, for example "Deep work" or "Waiting on review". |
| Sorting | By priority, color or deadline, in the order you choose |
| Pesky | A desktop notification at a fixed interval until you complete the task |
Hover over a task to see its toolbox. Select several tasks to change them together.
Feed the list from your work
Not every task starts at your keyboard:
- GitHub issues. In Git › Issues, click Send to Focus Pad. When you complete the task, Focus Pad asks if you want to close the issue on GitHub.
- AI agents. With the Focus Pad MCP server on, Claude Code and other MCP clients can add tasks and set their priority and deadline.
- Telegram. Link your account to the DevWorkspace Pro Telegram bot. Each message you send it becomes a task.
Tasks can go out, too. Click the sparkle icon (✦) on a task to send it to your AI coding tool, in the project you select.
A simple daily workflow
- Start a task. Press the shortcut and write the next three to five steps.
- Keep Focus Pad in a corner of your main screen.
- When an idea for something else pops up, write it down and get back to work.
- ⌘-click each step when it is done.
- At the end of the day, whatever is left is your plan for tomorrow.
Use it on more than one computer
Cloud Save keeps an end-to-end encrypted copy (AES-256-GCM) in your DevWorkspace Pro account. The key comes from a recovery key that only you have, so the server cannot read your tasks.
If two computers change the list, Focus Pad asks which version to keep. It never overwrites your work without asking.
References
- Risko, E. F., & Gilbert, S. J. (2016). Cognitive offloading. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(9), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.002
- Gilbert, S. J. (2015). Strategic offloading of delayed intentions into the external environment. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 68(5), 971–992. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2014.972963
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I open Focus Pad from another app?
Press Control+Option+Command+T on macOS, or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T on Windows and Linux. The shortcut shows or hides Focus Pad from any app. It needs an active license.
Is Focus Pad a project management tool?
No. Focus Pad is for the tasks you work on now, not for long-term plans. Keep your backlog in your issue tracker.
Where are my tasks stored?
On your computer. To keep an end-to-end encrypted copy in your DevWorkspace Pro account, turn on Cloud Save. It is off by default.
How do I complete a task?
Hold Command (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows and Linux) and click the checkbox. A normal click selects the task, so you do not complete tasks by mistake.
Does Focus Pad use memory when it is hidden?
When you hide Focus Pad, it closes after some time to save memory. Your tasks stay saved, and Pesky reminders continue.