I have the same problem and I found recently that I like using a physical notepad, with quite small pages (A5 in europe), so I write down things, which helps to remember them, then I can easily purge them from my memory and think about something else, and I can always go back to the notepad when I'm free to think again about something. The main thing with small pages is that you don't have too many things written on each, so it doesn't overwhelm to look at one, and it feels nice to turn a few pages and see all the things I did strike and are done (or deprecated)
Todo apps are meant for robots
121–130 of 205 posts
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#122Almost all Todo apps have the problem of showing you stuff that you are incapable of just seeing things you _can accomplish right now_. I think people underestimate the amount of pain that comes from, over and over again, looking at a list of things you can't do anything about at a moment X. The only TODO app that I've found get this at least 95% right is Omnifocus with its billions of settings. Though there's still…
The problem isn't with the app, it's with us. We keep adding things we "should get to at some point". Well, I've got news for you, you're not going to magically be a person that reads Russian literature in the future, you're going to be you, and you hate Russian literature even though it's "good".
TODO lists are aspirational, not pragmatic. We make them for someone else, the person we want to be. Unfortunately, we'll never be that person.
I had an idea of a TODO list app where things "expired" into a permanent section of the app, to remind you of all the aspirational tasks you never got around to. Unfortunately I never got around to making it.
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#123For personal (non-work), I've been using a modified version of todo.txt ( http://todotxt.org/ ) text-file format successfully for 2+ years, and found my setup doesn't have some of the problems the article raises (though other problems aren't problems for me). My tweaks to todo.txt, and some helpful Emacs Lisp, is at: https://www.neilvandyke.org/todotxt/ For work project management, I'm recently using GitLab Issues an…
Just read your article, a few comments on how I use todotxt differently:
* It seems you use your list for scheduling as well. I prefer to just use a calendar (calcurse) for this kind of things, I only use dates in my TODO list to know when the item was created, so that I can reevaluate it if I see it stays there for too long (and you can have a cronjob for that).
* I use different lists for inbox and waiting. Depending on how you display your tasks (you can just avoid showing the @waiting ones), that could be the same result. I prefer to have smaller lists (i.e. getting an empty main list means I'm really done and I can see what I wanna do next).
* I tend to use priorities instead of your @then, but that's also not nice. Or I just don't append it to the list: I can do that once I have completed the current task, and maybe I'll have to revisit. If it's something complex enough, it should be documented elsewhere anyway.
* People are also contexts to me, I just use a prefix, e.g. @p_neilv.
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#124Almost all Todo apps have the problem of showing you stuff that you are incapable of just seeing things you _can accomplish right now_. I think people underestimate the amount of pain that comes from, over and over again, looking at a list of things you can't do anything about at a moment X. The only TODO app that I've found get this at least 95% right is Omnifocus with its billions of settings. Though there's still…
I was thinking recently that it’s such a terrible idea to put todos in a list. A todo tends to be something that gives you a tiny bit of worry: guilt that you should have finished it already, stress that you might not be able to, etc. By putting a dozen todos together in a list, your level of worry about that list as a whole is going to rise to the most worrisome todo. It’s poisoning the well. Now you don’t want to l…
It can work both ways. You can make the list something you don't mind, even enjoy, looking at, because there's probably going to be something that you can accomplish on it. And you can avoid stressing about the worst issue because it's on the list and you'll get to it eventually.
(I put off suing my old landlord for about a year this way. On the one hand, I probably should've done it sooner; on the other hand, I might well have spent months just stressing about that, whereas instead I channelled that avoidance into dealing with a bunch of other tasks)
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#125Todo lists are handy for prioritisation and as a device for stopping your brain continuously looping back to unfinished business - which i learned is called the Zeigarnick effect from a brilliant article on this topic the other day https://www.wired.com/story/to-do-apps-failed-productivity-t...
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#126My todo app is a checklist in a markdown file. Every morning, I go through the file, pick 3-5 priorities for the day and stick them at the top of the list. I used to do this on paper. I don't like reoccurring tasks because if I don't manually create my priorities every day, I won't do things. If I need to be reminded to do something on a particular day (schedule my annual checkup, etc) I add an all day calendar event…
I do the same. Text editor with some tasks. I also used to do it on paper but I like being able to reshuffle the day when something inevitably comes up. In a text editor its really easy to manipulate multiple items at the same time. So much better than any app I’ve ever seen where I drag and drop and click on various plus signs and whatnot. I just alt tab my editor and write it down in a few seconds
I still do it on paper for non-recurring tasks. Big list with all the things I need to do for work. Small dated list with things I need to do today. Each morning I look at the big list, extract what I want to do that day, and write a new small list on a fresh page. When things come up during the day, they go on the small list if they're urgent and the big list if they're not. At the end of the day I cross out tasks on the big list if they're done (and add undone urgent tasks to the next day's small list).
For recurring tasks and meetings I use a calendar.
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#127My single biggest improvement in getting somewhat organized and productive so far has probably come from getting comfortable with some amount of chaos. I used to try and set up the perfect system for my notes. I got caught in endless cycles of coming up with some structure, finding new tools, etc. — only to then barely ever write down anything because it never quite fit into any of the boxes I'd prepared. I used to t…
Your comment reminded me about a passage from Red Dwarf: In fact, it was now possible for Rimmer to revise solidly for three months and not learn anything at all. The first week of study, he would always devote to the construction of a revision timetable. At school Rimmer was always at his happiest colouring in geography maps: under his loving hand, the ice-fields of Europa would be shaded a delicate blue, the subter…
This comment has put Red Dwarf to the top of my reading list. I was an avid fan of the tv show and never thought to read the books.
I think we all see a bit of Rimmer in ourselves when it comes to preparing for for an exam.
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#128Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#129Almost all Todo apps have the problem of showing you stuff that you are incapable of just seeing things you _can accomplish right now_. I think people underestimate the amount of pain that comes from, over and over again, looking at a list of things you can't do anything about at a moment X. The only TODO app that I've found get this at least 95% right is Omnifocus with its billions of settings. Though there's still…
The problem isn't with the app, it's with us. We keep adding things we "should get to at some point". Well, I've got news for you, you're not going to magically be a person that reads Russian literature in the future, you're going to be you, and you hate Russian literature even though it's "good". TODO lists are aspirational, not pragmatic. We make them for someone else, the person we want to be. Unfortunately, we'll…
Yeah I think what you describe basically leads to the "long list" issue of the blog post.
For that reason I really wanted something that uses a calendar layout, but still gives you the reward of checking tasks.
I didn't find anything so made it myself and have been using it for 2 years. As it worked for me I recently worked on making it available to others.. Not sure it is ready for prime time yet (will implement localization for week day names after my vacation), but it works and can be used: https://thisweek.rocks.
(Feel free to drop me some feedback here or https://twitter.com/thisweekrocks).
Re: Todo apps are meant for robots
#130Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your comment reminded me about a passage from Red Dwarf: In fact, it was now possible for Rimmer to revise solidly for three months and not learn anything at all. The first week of study, he would always devote to the construction of a revision timetable. At school Rimmer was always at his happiest colouring in geography maps: under his loving hand, the ice-fields of Europa would be shaded a delicate blue, the subter…
This comment has put Red Dwarf to the top of my reading list. I was an avid fan of the tv show and never thought to read the books. I think we all see a bit of Rimmer in ourselves when it comes to preparing for for an exam.
Glad you enjoyed it and that it inspired you to read the book! This passage had been banging around in my head since I read it 10-15 years ago. Probably because it was also me. :)