Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#31

Post by ysavir » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:34 PM UTC

I have a big whiteboard on the wall and write my to-dos on there. Being big and in the open is important--if you can hide away the task list, it won't be effective. It needs to hang over you, literally. You need to be able to see it •unintentionally* and think "oh, right, that. Better get it done".

I also have an accountability check-in every other week with a friend, where we set goals and talk about getting them done, etc, as a means of having some accountability to someone other than ourselves.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#32

Post by knbrlo » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:34 PM UTC

One word: Todoist.

- I've been using it for 7 years and there's nothing better out there.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#33

Post by yakshaving_jgt » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:36 PM UTC

The tool should be the least interesting component of your system for getting things done. It should be so simple that it never distracts you. Trello works for me, but other things would too.

There’s no tool that can mask a lack of disciplined, conscientious work.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#34

Post by PainfullyNormal » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:38 PM UTC

karmelapple wrote: post #29

Things on my Mac, iPhone, and Watch. The watch is particularly effective since I have the next "TODO" right there on my wrist every time I check the time. https://culturedcode.com/things/

Does that keep the list up to date? I use the things widget on my phone's home screen. It doesn't update unless I tap it, which makes it pretty useless. I just open the app (when I remember to).

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#35

Post by FiddlerClamp » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:38 PM UTC

Windows Notepad. Simple, plain text. I've developed my own annotation and formatting system (CAPS for titles, single dashes for bullets, indented dashes for sub-bullets, triple-asterisks for follow-up, and so on). I've been using it since Windows 3.1.

I use Google Keep for shopping lists because of the checkbox functionality and sync to Android, but I expect to keep using Notepad until it's sunsetted.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#36

Post by whateveracct » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:38 PM UTC

I print out a physical checklist a few times a year & magnet it to my fridge.

Then every week, I pull a few into my planner and try to do a couple things a day, which I micromanage with a daily bullet journal style thing.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#37

Post by treeman79 » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:39 PM UTC

yakshaving_jgt wrote: post #33

The tool should be the least interesting component of your system for getting things done. It should be so simple that it never distracts you. Trello works for me, but other things would too. There’s no tool that can mask a lack of disciplined, conscientious work.

Always fun when a co worker decides to write a custom todo app for the company.

Dude I love your initiative. But mo.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#38

Post by mejutoco » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:39 PM UTC

I use todoist [1]. What I like about it is that it is very easy to add tasks and that all the tasks are actionable (tasks don’t have length, the happen at a specific time)

1 https://mejuto.co/how-i-use-todoist/ an article I wrote about my usage

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#39

Post by Ambolia » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:40 PM UTC

nstart wrote: post #8

GTD. Been using the gtd system with obsidian for almost 2 years now. I sometimes fall out of sync with it, particularly during high stress times where I lose the motivation to work in a disciplined way, but it’s never too hard to get things back under control. Most days I go through my next action lists when I’m thinking of stuff to do and review it each week to do any re org.

Same, GTD on a paper planner, because many times I can do planning work but don't feel like staring at a screen.

But regarding OP's question about TODO lists, a TODO list should go nowhere near a GTD system. It should go on "project reference/planning", and maybe slowly be moved to "next actions" as needed. But dropping traditional TODO lists on GTD is a bit of a misunderstanding of the system.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage – and remember to manage – your to-do list in 2022?

#40

Post by giardini » Sat, May 14, 2022, 3:40 PM UTC

I periodically print a to-do list on a quarter-panel of an 8 1/2" x 11" paper sheet. I fold it twice (by length and width) and carry it in my back pocket. I may add to-do items to it with a pen or pencil. I cross off finished items.

When most items are completed I create a new updated list and toss the old one into a "pile" (my favorite data structure!).