A place for everything on your mind. Hot is today, Warm is soon, and Cold can wait.
See a worked exampleHave a whole brain dump?
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Keep them there, or move what needs you today into Hot.
Hot
Today. Three spaces.
Warm
Soon. Keep it in view.
Cold
Later. Let it wait.
Today’s three spaces are full. Finish or move something before adding another.
Saved in this browser. Move buttons work on every device; dragging is optional on desktop.
A full list. A smaller today.
An example day, with room left in Hot. These are sample tasks, not a judgment about your priorities.
HotToday · 2 of 3 spaces
- Reply to the scheduling email due today
Someone needs an answer today.
- Wash the clothes I need for tomorrow
Tomorrow has a concrete need.
WarmSoon
- Draft notes for next week’s meeting
It matters, with time to return to it.
ColdLater
- Reorganize the spare cupboard someday
No deadline or immediate consequence.
Keeps your tasks. If Hot is full, the added tasks go to Warm. Undo is available.
How the Three-Pile System helps you choose
How to use it
Capture a task and choose its pile. The wording-based suggestion is only a starting point. Hot holds up to three unfinished tasks. Warm keeps things for soon, and Cold holds things that can wait. Completed tasks stay put until you clear them.
A useful boundary
This board doesn’t send reminders or sync to another device. A backup is a file you can restore later; restoring merges tasks by their IDs. The Undo button restores the board before your most recent change.
Read about ADHD prioritizationHow this tool is put together
Hot holds up to three active tasks. Warm keeps near-term work visible; Cold parks things for later. Word and date matching can suggest a pile, but you choose the destination. The three-space limit is a design constraint from Built For Chaos, not a researched optimum for every person.
Urgency in a sentence isn’t the same as a real deadline. Check consequences yourself. The board doesn’t send reminders or move work automatically when its due date arrives. A task parked in Cold still needs a later review.
NIMH describes organization challenges in adult ADHD. This board offers one way to make a choice visible, without claiming that this sorting system is a treatment. NIMH: ADHD in adults.