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Book time for an item from Attention

Drag an Attention item onto the Today column to book half an hour for it, then move, resize, complete or focus on the block, and watch the Overdue radar.

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The right-hand side of the Attention page carries two panels: Today, a column showing today's calendar, and Overdue radar, a list of what has slipped past its date. Drag an item from your queues onto Today and PlexiDesk books half an hour for it at that time. The block stays linked to the item, so closing one can close the other.

Use it when an item needs real time, not just a place on a list, and you want to decide when you will do it without leaving Attention.

Before you start

  • Booking time from Attention is available on every plan.
  • Open the Attention page: in the Desk area, click Attention in the side menu.
  • Today and Overdue radar need room. They appear on the right when the page is wide enough. If you cannot see them, make the PlexiDesk window wider.
  • Dragging rows works when Group by is set to Queue. See Reorder, nest and bulk-close items.

The Today column

Today shows today as a single calendar column, the same as one day on the Calendar page:

  • the hours down the left, opening at the current hour
  • the blocks and meetings already on your calendar today
  • along the top, chips for Attention items due today, with a line such as +2 more due when there are more than two

Click Calendar at the top right of the panel to open the full Calendar.

Book time for an item

  1. Find the item in the queues. If its full text is open, click its title to fold it first.
  2. Drag the row across to the Today column.
  3. Drop it at the time you want to start.

A 30-minute block appears at that time, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. It shows the item's title, in the colour of the item's queue. The item stays in its queue; the block is time set aside for it.

You can also drag one of the due chips at the top of the column down into the hours. The chip stays where it is, because it marks the due date, which booking time does not change.

Adjust the block

  • Move it. Drag the block up or down.
  • Change its length. Drag its top edge to change the start time, or its bottom edge to change the end time. Times move in 15-minute steps.
  • Open the item. Click the block. Edit item opens, where you can change anything about the item. See Close, snooze, archive and edit an item.
  • Delete it. Rest the pointer on the block and click Delete block (the ×). The item is not affected. An Undo option appears in case you change your mind.

Close the item from its block

A block booked for an open item shows the same empty circle as the queue row. Rest the pointer on it to see the item's closing word, for example Done — complete the item and this block.

Click the circle to close the item with its queue's word and mark the block done. The usual questions about sub-items and finishing the desk can follow. See Close, snooze, archive and edit an item.

Start a focus session from a block

Blocks booked for a desk, and blocks not linked to anything, have a Start a focus session for this block button when you rest the pointer on them. Click it to start a focus session as long as the block. If the block is booked for a desk, that desk opens too. See Start a focus session.

Blocks booked for an Attention item do not have this button. To focus on an item, open its desk from the item's row and start a session there.

Book other time from the column

Click an empty time in Today to open Book time at that time. To choose the length as you go, press on an empty time and drag down to where it should end.

In Book time:

  1. Choose Focus time or Meeting at the top.
  2. Type a title, or leave it empty to use the suggested one.
  3. Click the end time to make the block longer, or Shift-click it to make it shorter.
  4. To link it, click Attach a desk or work item, search, and pick a desk or an Attention item.
  5. Click Book it, or Schedule meeting for a meeting. Press Esc to discard it.

See Book time and meetings on the calendar.

Put a Meet item on the calendar

An item in the Meet queue can go on the calendar at its meeting time:

  1. Double-click the item to open Edit item.
  2. Under The meeting, set When, and a Length if you know it. Without a length, the meeting is booked for 30 minutes.
  3. Click Put on calendar. The form says On your calendar.

If you change the time later, click Update the calendar to move the booking. The meeting needs a date and time first; otherwise the form asks for one.

Overdue radar

Overdue radar sits under Today. The number beside its name counts your open items that are past their due date.

  • It lists up to eight overdue items, the longest overdue first.
  • Under Next 48 hours, it lists up to five items due in the next two days.
  • When nothing is overdue, it says Nothing overdue. Empty is the goal.

Click an item to see its details and actions in place, or double-click it to open the full item. To book time for one, drag its row from the queues onto Today.

What you will see

  • A booked item's block takes its queue's colour, so a Review block looks different from a To Do block.
  • Blocks that have finished turn grey. Blocks marked done turn green and their title is struck through.
  • Five minutes before a block starts, PlexiDesk shows a reminder notification. See Desk nudges, notifications and the Attention count.

Tips

  • Work from the Overdue radar down: drag each overdue item from its queue into a free slot today, or give it a new date in Edit item.
  • Book the first 30 minutes of a large item to get it started, then stretch the block if it is going well.
  • Let Plexii lay out the whole day instead: click Plan my day → in Start here. See Get started with Plexii from Attention.

Common questions

I cannot see the Today column. The page is too narrow for it. Make the window wider, or open the Calendar page instead.

I dropped an item but nothing happened. Drop it inside the hours of the column, not on the header. Rows can only be dragged when Group by is set to Queue and the row's full text is folded.

Does booking time change the item's due date? No. The due date stays as it was. The block only sets aside time.

Can I book the same item twice? Yes. Each drop books a new block, which is useful for work that takes more than one sitting.

Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].