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I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

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Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#431

Post by aaronbaugher »

Otek wrote: post #428
AstroBen wrote: post #76

I strongly believe using just a plain text files or overly basic tools makes your life more complicated, not less. I get a tonne of value out of OmniFocus > “But what about mobile?” - The file syncs through Dropbox Yup now you have to handle conflicts, or keep in mind which device you last edited on > I use my calendar for time-specific stuff Cool, the app I use just has a due date field that reminds me. I don't want…

> Kept forgetting to check Things? How does a plain text file solve that? This. It just doesn’t. My bet is that some people just need to change their tools from time to time. And tbh I think it’s totally fine, no need to explain yourself. Just buy another todo list app and don’t feel bad about it. Or this expensive paper notebook. Or this “dumb phone” that will make you productive. Maybe just don’t try to find a deep…

Probably. Whatever method I use, physical or digital, it tends to fade into the background after a while and I stop noticing it. My best bet might be to switch to a new method every few weeks, in which case it's probably best to keep them simple and cheap. Maybe a whiteboard for a while, then a notebook, then a text file, and so on looping through a few basic methods.

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#432

Post by 9dev »

spaceisballer wrote: post #341
kilroy123 wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I strongly agree. I think it's a form of procrastinating. I read about all these complex systems for notes and second brains and whatnot. All procrastinating imho.

That’s been my personal experience. Spend plenty of time looking at all kind of options to optimize my ir my teams workflow. Then just fallback on pen and paper or some very simple excel spreadsheet. Something thinking about being more productive makes you feel productive.

Sounds similar to playing video games: the rules are simple, so once you understand them, you can feel mighty and powerful simply by accomplishing banal tasks. Makes for a great dopamine rush.

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#433

Post by modeless »

bambax wrote: post #405
modeless wrote: post #213

https://workflowy.com is the closest to a text file I've used and that's why I like it. It's like a text file that is synchronized between all your devices and lets you collapse nested bullet lists. That's enough for me.

Came to say this. It's not exactly a todo list, and it certainly isn't "yours", but it's very close to a text file, with just about the right amount of additional functionality, and it's free. I don't use it all that often but it's a good companion, for example to make checklists for packing, etc.

Oh yeah, sharing is another nice feature it offers for things like packing checklists. You can share part of your bullet list with collaborators.

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#434

Post by bravesoul2 »

I use Google Calendar tasks. Why? Because I'm always in Google Calendar anyway. They are actually a bit shit UI wise but good enough.

It's less work than dealing with a text file and available anywhere. I could drop box a text file but editing on a phone would be fiddly.

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#435

Post by 9dev »

jimbokun wrote: post #221
nosianu wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> - having your computer alert you to things that come up If my own experience is a valid example, alerts are overrated. They don't work for long. I hate getting interrupted by something that actually does not need my attention at that precise moment. I would disable those alerts in no time. I prefer leaving physical cues in the real world. I think screens are bad UI unless you already spend way too much time in fron…

Digitizing your real world environment sounds similar to using a special TODO app instead of a text file. What benefit does your digital sticky note have over a physical one?

It’s readable. My handwriting is awful.

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#436

Post by bravesoul2 »

bux93 wrote: post #262

I have a very simple todo list, it's essentially the same every day! - check mail - check calendar - check jira - check azure devops board - check Microsoft Tasks - check confluence - check Teams - check home calendar - check home e-mail - check signal - check whatsapp - check client e-mail - check client jira - renew prescription for benzos

Scottish accent: I chose something else...

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#438

Post by bravesoul2 »

don_neufeld wrote: post #150

sigh I've done the text file thing, and it’s fine. Up to a (very small) point. What the author describes as their “workload” barely registers. For context, for me, Things on any given day has over 100 individual actions, most of which are recurring. By doing this, I can stay on top of an extremely broad surface area. There is no way a text file can handle the number of parallel work streams my (or really many) people…

Some of this sounds like it could benefit from check-lists (probably you are?).

20 home todos could be wrapped into a single check list that you do once a week.

The master todo says "do 1 hour home checklist".

Then in that hour you analyse what you will prioritise, drop, defer and delegate.

The idea being your mind is then free of "repair the gutter" in general life, but you know you'll visit that on Sunday at 4pm.

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#439

Post by omnster »

freedomben wrote: post #21

I went through something similar. I do use Logseq now, but for many, many years I found a notes.txt or todo.txt file in my home directory to be an excellent solution. I typically just write the date at the top of the file and put the notes underneath. A huge benefit is that I can trivially keep these under git. I keep them in my dotfiles repo so they can be easily synchronized to all my devices. A couple of shortcuts…

You can perhaps use `strftime` instead of `trim(system('date ..))`:

   inoremap date =strftime("%a %B %e, %Y %H:%M:%S %p")
   nnoremap date :put=strftime("%a %B %e, %Y %H:%M:%S %p")
I am also not sure if an `` is really necessary at the end of your normal mode map.

Re: I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file

#440

Post by j45 »

Todo apps or lists in text files are great until collaboration are needed.

If your'e after more for yourself across more than one device, 2do was one of the dozens that worked well for me - one of the few that used text files on a drive share to get maximum fields and functionalities instead of being limited by a caldav or something.

Beyond this Logseq is starting to be a quick capture champion. Technically text files.

The question comes down to how many areas of life, major initiatives, projects, tasks / sub tasks you might have on the go at any time, and how much you are waiting on whom.

Having something that could start as simple as a text list and absorb complexity as it comes up (dates, context, follow ups, etc) is really valuable.

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