A helpful to-do list is always current—a list of tasks meant for right now.
Nothing stale; no leftovers that are already done or no longer matter.
Nothing premature; no tasks surfaced before its time.
Just the work that belongs in this moment.
Pulling work *up—*for example, flagging some tasks as “high-priority”—implies you should work on them “before now,” which is impossible.
The only real option is to push the other work out (i.e., snooze tasks).
This shift creates immediate clarity: only current work stays at the surface.
And it makes the satisfaction of “zero” genuinely possible.
Remember: “later” doesn’t have to mean tomorrow. Snooze to “later today” to stay current without falling behind.
(To provide an extra layer of distinction, Backboard includes a starring feature for tasks, but stars do not override what’s considered current.)
Maintaining multiple to-do lists (or scopes in Backboard) can keep work organized—but having too many creates friction.
Think of scopes not as rigid categories but as mental modes of work. Each shift between modes is context-switching, and context-switching is costly.
Keep your scopes minimal, aligned with how you actually operate. Ideally that means fewer, more focused working sessions. If you notice yourself bouncing between two scopes in the same stretch of time, you may have split a natural focus area—consider consolidating.
Defined well, it should feel natural to move through Backboard one scope at a time.
Tip: schedule blocks of time at the scope level, and commit to clearing them to zero before the block ends.
(For day-planning, Backboard also provides a consolidated view of all current tasks across scopes—accessible by clicking the current count in the top right corner.)