Flowing with Your Keyboard
Your keyboard is your fastest path back to focus. MakeTimeFlow’s navigation shortcuts are designed around a simple idea: you should always be one keystroke away from what matters most.
The most important shortcut to learn is ⌘0 (or Ctrl0 on Windows/Linux). It takes you home — wherever “home” is right now.
Your Flow Home
When you’re in a flow session, your Flow Home is your active timer — the task you’re working on right now, with your notes, related tasks, and upcoming events.
When you’re not in a flow session, your Flow Home is the Focus page — where you choose what to work on next and start a new session.
⌘0 always takes you to the right place. You don’t have to think about it.
Think of it as your "home" key
No matter where you’ve wandered in the app — checking goals, reviewing tasks, looking at your calendar — ⌘0 brings you right back.
The Rhythm of a Flow Session
A typical flow session has a natural rhythm. Here’s how the keyboard supports each phase:
1. Choose What to Work On
Press ⌘1 to open Focus. Browse your @today tasks with j and k, then press Enter or Space to start a timer.
You’re now in Flow Mode.
2. Work Deeply
Flow Mode gives you a distraction-free environment. Your timer is running, your task is front and center. Toggle panels as needed:
| Key | Panel |
|---|---|
| n | Notes — capture thoughts without leaving flow |
| t | Tasks — see subtasks scoped to your current work |
| u | Upcoming — what’s coming next on your calendar |
| p | Pin the open panel to keep it visible |
The Tasks panel uses Focus In mode — it shows only the subtasks of your active task, not your entire list. This keeps your attention on what’s immediately relevant. Use ⌘⌥→ to zoom deeper into a subtask, or ⌘⌥← to zoom back out.
3. Complete and Move On
When you finish:
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| d | Done — task is truly complete |
| > | Done + followup — complete and create a followup task |
| w | Waiting for — the ball is in someone else’s court |
| s | Stop — end the session and choose what’s next |
After completing or stopping, you’ll land back on the Focus page, ready for your next session.
Breaking Away (and Coming Back)
Deep work doesn’t mean you never look away. Sometimes you need to check something — a goal, a task detail, a setting. The key is making the detour quick and effortless.
Navigate away:
| Shortcut | Destination |
|---|---|
| ⌘2 | Tasks — check or edit your task list |
| ⌘3 | Goals — review your success stories or smart bets |
| ⌘4 | Voice — talk to your AI coach |
| ⌘K | Command Palette — search for anything |
Come back:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘0 | Flow Home — back to your active session |
Your timer keeps running while you’re away. Nothing is lost. ⌘0 picks up right where you left off.
The goal is fewer detours, not zero detours
If you find yourself navigating away frequently, that’s useful information. It might mean your task needs to be broken down further, or your @today list needs a quick review. Use the Focus page between sessions to set yourself up for longer stretches of unbroken work.
The Five Shortcuts That Change Everything
You don’t need to memorize every shortcut. Start with these five and the rest will come naturally:
| Shortcut | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘0 | Flow Home | Always one key away from your work |
| ⌘1 | Focus page | Choose what to work on |
| ⌘K | Command Palette | Find anything instantly |
| ⌘ShiftA | Quick Add | Capture a thought without breaking flow |
| s | Start/Stop timer | Begin or end a flow session |
That’s it. Five shortcuts. Within a few days, they become muscle memory and you stop thinking about the tool entirely.
A Day in Flow
Here’s what a keyboard-driven day looks like:
Morning: ⌘1 to open Focus. Scan your @today tasks. Press Enter on your daily highlight to start a 45-minute session.
Mid-morning: Task done — press > to complete with a followup. You’re back on Focus. Pick your next task, press Enter.
Quick check: Need to verify a goal? ⌘3 to glance at Goals, then ⌘0 to snap back to flow. Five seconds.
Thought capture: An unrelated idea pops up. ⌘ShiftA to quick-add it, then you’re right back in your session. The idea is captured, your flow is intact.
Afternoon: Between sessions, you realize a task isn’t for today. ⌘2 to Tasks, move it to @next, then ⌘0 back to flow.
End of day: Your last timer finishes. Press s to stop. The Focus page shows your completed tasks. You’re done.
Related
- Focus Mode — Full guide to the Focus workspace and Flow Mode
- Flow Mode Shortcuts — Complete Flow Mode keyboard reference
- Keyboard Shortcuts — All shortcuts across the app
- The Zen Workflow — The philosophy behind how MakeTimeFlow works