Optimizing “My Tasks” in Asana
⏱ 5-10 min Read / 20-25 min Setup
📝 Updated 2025 – Simplified setup, updated instructions, and screenshots to reflect Asana updates
🥈 We won an award in Asana’s Optimizing My Tasks competition for an earlier version of our approach.
Our My Tasks system ensures you have visibility into your tasks and never miss a deadline. This setup is designed for anyone who wants a fast and straightforward way to get started in Asana. We’ll release a supporting video for the article shortly. Let’s get started!
Add Custom Fields
Before you begin, you will need to create/add two custom fields, Priority [org] and Status [org], to build the rules as they are shown in this article:
⚠️ If you have or are working with us, you already have custom Priority [org] and Status [org] fields in your library. Please use those.
⚠️ If you do not have these two fields, feel free to add them to your organization or skip that portion of the rule. You can learn about our Essential Custom Fields and Rules in Asana in this article.
🔘 Action item 1: Add Priority [org] and Status [org] to your My Tasks from your Custom Field Library.
🔎 Tip: Always search your Asana Custom Field Library before creating a new custom field. This improves collaboration, automation, and reporting while reducing overall complexity.
Set up your view
🔘 Action item 2: Navigate to the List View of your My Tasks. In the top right corner, use Filter to select Incomplete Tasks. Keep Group by set to Sections: Custom Order. Use Sort to add Due Date, Priority, and Alphabetical (all Ascending).
This approach surfaces your most important tasks in each section, maximizes what you can see, and gives you great context for making decisions about your work.
🔎 Tip: You can change your sort settings any time. Changes are saved automatically.
🔎 Note: You can create multiple views. We’ll dive deeper into Views in an upcoming article.
Setup your Sections
Sections help sort your tasks into more digestible buckets, and emojis help drive clarity across Asana. Rules (which we’ll set up later) automatically sort and update tasks in our Sections as work accumulates or is completed.
🔘 Action item 3: Create/Update Sections in your My Tasks by copying/pasting the Section headers below.
🔋 Focus
This section is for tasks you’re working on right now. Move tasks here as you need them and try to limit this to 1-3 tasks at a time. This is great for days when you may have more tasks than you can handle at a given moment.
◻️ Recently assigned
This is an Asana default and the only Section that cannot be deleted. Anything assigned to you lands here. Update and sort tasks as needed by dragging each to the appropriate section and/or multi-selecting and moving them in small batches.
❌ Overdue
Exactly what it sounds like! Overdue tasks are moved here automatically (at midnight in your timezone). Complete overdue tasks as soon as possible, give them a realistic due date, and/or communicate with teammates in comments to determine next steps.
📗 Today
Anything due today is automatically moved here. Review this section each morning to update deadlines, prioritize your work, and communicate with your team.
📘 Tomorrow
This section shows you what is coming up tomorrow. It gives you a chance to prepare and stay ahead. It’s a great way to avoid surprises!
📙 Upcoming (7d)
Tasks two to seven days out accumulate here. See what’s coming with clarity and move anything you don’t need to address this week to Later. Check this section weekly to anticipate upcoming work.
⚪️ Later
A catchall section for all incomplete tasks not requiring your immediate attention. Feel free to move any task with a due date, blocked tasks, or other long-term tasks here. They will surface automatically using your automations, so you don't have to worry about missing them.
🏆 Complete
Anything that is completed automatically moves here. This improves load times and keeps your My Tasks running smoothly.
🕖 Recurring
When a recurring task is completed, the next iteration of that task is automatically moved here. Enabling this feature is a small exception to the way Asana typically works.
🔘 Action item 4: Enable this feature by navigating to: Settings › Hacks › Recurring Tasks in Last Section of My Tasks › Reload to Apply Changes
Set up your Rules
Once you’ve added all the sections, you can create rules to organize your work automatically. Follow the steps below to create each of the seven rules.
🔘 Action item 5: Create your first rule
Navigate to the top right corner of your My Tasks and click Customize. A sidebar will open.
Select “Rules”, then click “Add”, and then create the following rules using the “Create custom rule” button.
Once in the “Rule Builder”, name your rule for easy recognition.
Use the steps and images (below) to verify the rules are built correctly.
1. Task Complete
When a task is marked complete, it’s removed from view and stripped of priority and status to keep your My Tasks organized and reporting clean. If a task is later marked incomplete, it returns to view for triage and reprioritization.
Actions:
When – Task completion status is changed
Check if – Task is marked as Complete
Do this 1 – Move to section Complete
Do this 2 – Clear Priority
Do this 3 – Clear Status
Otherwise if – Task is marked as Incomplete
Do this – Move to section Recently Assigned
Settings:
In the top right corner of the Rule Builder, click the gear icon (Rule Settings), toggle off “Run on subtasks”.
🔎 Note: All tasks and subtasks assigned to you appear as parent tasks in your My Tasks. Disabling this setting ensures rules behave as expected.
2. Task Due Today
Tasks due today are automatically surfaced to help you focus on what may need immediate attention.
Actions:
When – Due date is approaching: Due Today
Check if – (Remove this condition; not needed)
Do this – Move to section Today
Settings:
Toggle off “Run on subtasks.”
🔎 Note: Time-based rules run at midnight in your timezone.
3. Task Due Tomorrow
Tasks due tomorrow are moved in advance, so you can plan ahead and prepare accordingly.
Actions:
When – Due date is approaching: Due 1 day before
Check if – (Remove this condition; not needed)
Do this – Move to section Tomorrow
Settings:
Toggle off “Run on subtasks.”
🔎 Note: Time-based rules run at midnight in your timezone.
4. Task Due 7 Days
Tasks due in seven days are brought into view early to support proactive planning and time management.
Actions:
When – Due date is approaching: Due 1 week before
Check if – (Remove this condition; not needed)
Do this – Move to section Upcoming (7d)
Settings:
Toggle off “Run on subtasks.”
🔎 Note: Time-based rules run at midnight in your timezone.
5. Task Unblocked
When a task becomes unblocked, it's returned to view so you can reassess and decide on the next action.
Actions:
When – Task is no longer blocked
Check if – (Remove this condition; not needed)
Do this – Move to section Recently Assigned
🔎 Note: This rule runs instantly.
6. Task Overdue 1 day
Incomplete tasks that remain unresolved after one day are surfaced to prompt a decision or update.
Actions:
When – Task is overdue: 1 day after
Check if – (Remove this condition; not needed)
Do this – Move to section Overdue
🔎 Note: Time-based rules run at midnight in your timezone.
7. Sections - My Tasks
This rule updates tasks based on the section it’s moved to, communicating status or triggering your “Task Complete” rule. This keeps your My Tasks up to date and accurate.
Actions:
When – Task is moved to a section
Check if – Section is Focus
Do this – Set Status [org] to In Progress
Otherwise if – Section is Complete
Do this – Complete Task
🔎 Note: This rule runs instantly.
Stay in control, stay focused
With your My Tasks now customized, sorted, and automated, you’ve created a system that works for you — not against you. You’re set up to focus on what matters most without letting anything fall through the cracks.
To stay on top of your tasks:
Check My Tasks each morning and keep it open as you work.
Review your Today section and move key items to Focus as needed.
Update due dates, custom fields, and add comments — especially when collaborating.
Sort tasks into the right sections to reflect your current priorities.
You’ve set the structure. Now trust it — and stay focused on what matters most. 💪
“I’ve been putting [your My Tasks recommendations] into practice over the last couple of weeks, and y’all, it really is a game-changer. It makes My Tasks so much more manageable. It’s just way better with those automations.”
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