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Boost Personal Productivity with ClickUp Custom Fields

Using ClickUp for daily planning becomes far more powerful when you combine tasks with Custom Fields designed specifically for personal productivity. This guide walks you through practical ways to set up, customize, and use these fields to organize your time, priorities, and energy each day.

All examples and steps below are based on the official feature documentation, adapted into a clear, how-to format you can apply immediately in your workspace.

Why Use ClickUp Custom Fields for Personal Productivity

Standard task fields like due dates and assignees are useful, but they rarely capture everything you need to manage your own workload. Custom Fields let you add personal details to your tasks so you can make better decisions about what to do next.

With the right configuration, you can:

  • Organize tasks by time of day or focus block.
  • Limit how many high-effort items you take on at once.
  • See your energy and focus needs for each task.
  • Quickly sort and filter your work to match your current context.

The following sections show you how to create a personal productivity system using Custom Fields that can be reused in any List or Folder.

Plan Your Day with ClickUp Time Block Fields

Time blocks help you map your day into focused segments instead of working from an unstructured list. You can use Custom Fields in ClickUp to define and plan those blocks.

Create a Time of Day Custom Field in ClickUp

Use a Dropdown Custom Field to specify when you plan to work on a task.

  1. Open the Space, Folder, or List where you manage your personal tasks.

  2. Click the + Add column button in the List view header.

  3. Select Custom Field and choose the Dropdown type.

  4. Name the field, for example: Time of Day.

  5. Add options such as:

    • Morning
    • Afternoon
    • Evening
    • Anytime

  6. Save the field so it appears on every task in that location.

Apply this field to your tasks so you can group or sort by time segment and avoid overloading any part of your day.

Use a Duration Field to Estimate Effort

A time estimate field helps you understand how long tasks may take during specific blocks.

  1. Add another Custom Field column.

  2. Select the Number or Time field type, depending on your preference.

  3. Name it something like Estimated Duration (min) or Time Estimate.

  4. Use minutes or hours consistently across all tasks.

Once set, you can total estimates in a List view or use them while planning your calendar to avoid scheduling more work than you can complete.

Prioritize Tasks with ClickUp Custom Priority Fields

Systematic prioritization keeps you focused on the right work at the right time. You can build simple or advanced priority systems using Custom Fields in ClickUp.

Set Up a Priority Level Dropdown

For a clear, simple system, create a dropdown Custom Field to represent priority tiers.

  1. Add a new Dropdown Custom Field column.

  2. Name the field, for example: Personal Priority.

  3. Create options such as:

    • Must Do Today
    • High
    • Medium
    • Low

  4. Optionally, assign colors that visually match urgency (for instance, red for Must Do Today).

Use this field along with the built-in task Priority if you want to separate team priorities from your own personal ranking.

Build a Simple Scoring Model in ClickUp

If you want a more structured approach to deciding what to do first, you can create a scoring model using multiple Custom Fields.

  1. Create three Number fields, such as:

    • Impact (1–5)
    • Effort (1–5)
    • Urgency (1–5)

  2. For each field, define what the numbers mean for you. For example, 1 = lowest and 5 = highest.

  3. Use these values to calculate an overall score manually or by eye, such as: Impact + Urgency − Effort.

By sorting tasks on these numeric fields, you can see which items deliver the most value for the least effort, helping you choose your next action more confidently.

Track Energy and Focus Using ClickUp Custom Fields

Not all tasks require the same type of energy. Custom Fields in ClickUp can capture what kind of work each task involves so you can match tasks to your current focus level.

Create an Energy Level Dropdown

Use an energy indicator to avoid pairing low-energy blocks with deep-focus work.

  1. Add a Dropdown Custom Field.

  2. Name it Energy Level or Energy Needed.

  3. Add options, for example:

    • High focus
    • Moderate focus
    • Low energy

Update this field on each task. When you feel low on energy, filter or group tasks to see only low-energy items and still move your work forward.

Tag Tasks by Work Type in ClickUp

Combine energy and context by adding another dropdown field for work type.

  1. Add a new Dropdown Custom Field.

  2. Name it Work Type.

  3. Add options such as:

    • Deep work
    • Admin
    • Meetings
    • Planning
    • Learning

Grouping tasks by Work Type lets you batch similar activities together, reducing context switching and saving mental energy.

Organize Weekly Planning with ClickUp Lists and Fields

Once your Custom Fields are ready, you can build a repeatable weekly planning process in ClickUp.

Set Up a Weekly Planning List

  1. Create a dedicated List called something like Weekly Plan in your personal Space or Folder.

  2. Ensure the List includes all the Custom Fields you created for:

    • Time of Day
    • Estimated Duration
    • Personal Priority
    • Energy Level
    • Work Type

  3. Add or move tasks into this List during your weekly review.

Use the List view to sort and group tasks based on the fields that matter most for your schedule that week.

Use Views and Filters in ClickUp to Stay Focused

With fields in place, you can customize your views to focus on what matters at any moment.

  • Group by Time of Day to see your morning, afternoon, and evening work.
  • Filter by Energy Level when you feel drained or highly focused.
  • Sort by Personal Priority so the most important work is at the top.
  • Filter by Work Type to batch similar tasks together.

Adjust your filters throughout the day to match your real-time capacity and environment.

Best Practices for Maintaining ClickUp Custom Fields

To keep your system effective, spend a few minutes each day maintaining your Custom Fields.

  • Update during capture: When you create a new task, fill in at least Priority and Work Type.
  • Refine weekly: During your weekly review, adjust Time of Day, Duration, and Energy fields to reflect your schedule.
  • Archive unused fields: If a Custom Field no longer helps you, remove or hide it to keep your interface clean.
  • Reuse templates: Create task or List templates that include your Custom Fields so new workflows stay consistent.

Learn More About ClickUp Custom Fields

To dive deeper into the underlying features and options, review the official documentation used as the basis for this how-to guide. You can find it here: Use Custom Fields for personal productivity.

If you need advanced implementation help, workflow consulting, or broader productivity system design around ClickUp, you can explore services from Consultevo, a consultancy that specializes in digital operations and tooling.

By combining thoughtful Custom Fields, clear weekly planning, and focused daily views, you can turn ClickUp into a flexible personal productivity hub tailored to the way you actually work.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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