Contents
What problem does this solve?
When whatever you see becomes whatever you do next, the original goal can disappear from attention as soon as it disappears from view.
For example:
| Time | Action | Inner monologue |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | Sit down with a vocabulary book | “Twenty words, then a break.” |
| 20:02 | Reach “submarine” | “Interesting word. I’ll look up its roots.” |
| 20:05 | A dictionary recommends a Titanic video | “Just a minute. Background helps memory.” |
| 20:15 | Autoplay moves to deep-sea creatures | “Could a giant squid wrap around a submarine?” |
| 21:30 | Reply to an old classmate on social media | “They got married? Let me look at the photos…” |
The combo
- Describe the task and break it into steps.
- Spend a minute editing those steps so the sequence is easy to follow.
- Keep the current task visually persistent using widgets, in-progress reminders, Live Activities and Navigation Mode.
| What changes | Without a visible external reminder | With the task on screen |
|---|---|---|
| Working memory | New information displaces the old goal | The widget keeps the goal visible outside your head |
| Noticing distraction | Opening a social app can become automatic | A widget beside the app icons gives you another chance to notice the task |
| Time awareness | A minute of browsing quietly becomes half an hour | The timer or progress display makes passing time visible |
Put a Current Step widget on the Home Screen
- Touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen until editing starts.
- Open Add Widget using +, or Edit → Add Widget, depending on iOS.
- Search for PlanCoach and choose a Current Step widget.
- Place it somewhere prominent, such as the top or centre of your first Home Screen. Use a Lock Screen widget too if useful.
Use StandBy
On an iPhone with iOS 17 or later:
- Enable Settings → StandBy.
- Connect the phone to power and place it sideways.
- Touch and hold the StandBy display and replace one of its widgets with PlanCoach.
Use Live Activities
The current task can remain visible on the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen, with Live Activities also available on Apple Watch. Swipe left on the Lock Screen activity if you want to hide it.
Use Navigation Mode
Navigation Mode is PlanCoach’s guided focus view: keep only the current step in large text in front of you. Combine it with a widget or reminders for the moments when you leave the app.
See in-progress reminders and task visibility for the controls and the widget guide for more setups.
PlanCoachCombos