Recurring tasks have been one of the items on my todo list criteria since the beginning. I think that is one of the main benefits of having electronic todo lists, is the ability to make tasks reappear periodically. There are some things I want to do everyday, some things I want to do once a month, and some things I want to do on a specific day every year.
In the old days of paper planners and todo lists these tasks always had to be rewritten manually every time they needed to be done. That meant that when you finished a task you did every month you would have to go write it down on the calendar for the next month or put it in the tickler folder.
That is exactly what GTD would suggest doing, and I suppose it worked fine. Now there is a faster and easier way though with recurring or repeating reminders. You don't have to go write it down all over again, you just set it an forget about it until you are reminded on the proper day.
Showing posts with label todo list quest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label todo list quest. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Todo List Quest: Gneo and Todoist, where I am now
Alright, it has been a little bit since I have talked about the todo list quest. I am still in the process of going through different apps and putting their info in the spreadsheet. But, I wanted to let you all know where I am now in the aspect of managing my own lists from day to day.
Currently I have separated my day job and the rest of life in to two different task management apps. For work I am using Todoist and for the rest of my life I am using Gneo (the G is silent, but I like to pronounce it anyway :)
These two apps both fulfill different purposes for me. Some people would discourage you from using two different apps and systems to manage tasks, David Allen would probably be one of those. But, at this point in my life it helps me to keep work from invading the rest of my life.
I really like Todoist, the system is clean and because of its integration with chrome through an extension it works really well. I do almost all of my work for my day job in chrome so Todoist is always there for me to dump things into. It also integrates with Gmail so that I can turn emails into tasks (one of the criteria I was looking for).
I have selected Gneo as my first full test for a new personal todo list because of a few features. The first one is its integration with Evernote, Gneo is essential a skin for an Evernote notebook stack. I have long heard of people using Evernote for GTD but I just couldn't get the interface to work for me for task management. Gneo ends up making that interface much more user friendly. I really like the idea of my todo list data actually being stored in Evernote where most of my other project data will also be stored.
The second reason is that Gneo uses the Covey matrix as one of its task views. I am a huge fan of the work of Stephen Covey and I love the way the matrix organizes things. I didn't put this on the criteria because at the time I hadn't ever seen an app that did it.
A third reason is that its integration with Evernote allows me to use it with Drafts for quick input. I find this to be super useful for the capture step of GTD.
So there you have it, for now I am using these two apps for work and personal life. I am still testing others and adding them to the spreadsheet. I will right more full reviews of the apps in the future.
Both apps are nicely put together and have responsive teams. If you have used either of the apps please tell me what you think of them and any tips you have for using them.
Currently I have separated my day job and the rest of life in to two different task management apps. For work I am using Todoist and for the rest of my life I am using Gneo (the G is silent, but I like to pronounce it anyway :)
These two apps both fulfill different purposes for me. Some people would discourage you from using two different apps and systems to manage tasks, David Allen would probably be one of those. But, at this point in my life it helps me to keep work from invading the rest of my life.
 |
| Todoist is for work |
I really like Todoist, the system is clean and because of its integration with chrome through an extension it works really well. I do almost all of my work for my day job in chrome so Todoist is always there for me to dump things into. It also integrates with Gmail so that I can turn emails into tasks (one of the criteria I was looking for).
 |
| Gneo is for everything else |
I have selected Gneo as my first full test for a new personal todo list because of a few features. The first one is its integration with Evernote, Gneo is essential a skin for an Evernote notebook stack. I have long heard of people using Evernote for GTD but I just couldn't get the interface to work for me for task management. Gneo ends up making that interface much more user friendly. I really like the idea of my todo list data actually being stored in Evernote where most of my other project data will also be stored.
The second reason is that Gneo uses the Covey matrix as one of its task views. I am a huge fan of the work of Stephen Covey and I love the way the matrix organizes things. I didn't put this on the criteria because at the time I hadn't ever seen an app that did it.
A third reason is that its integration with Evernote allows me to use it with Drafts for quick input. I find this to be super useful for the capture step of GTD.
So there you have it, for now I am using these two apps for work and personal life. I am still testing others and adding them to the spreadsheet. I will right more full reviews of the apps in the future.
Both apps are nicely put together and have responsive teams. If you have used either of the apps please tell me what you think of them and any tips you have for using them.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Todo List Quest: Technology and GTD
So I said yesterday that we could actually use anything that allowed for the basic structure of lists and folders as a todo list for GTD. That is true, but I also said that technology has morphed some of the application of GTD.
Here is what I mean:
Here is what I mean:
- Technology has made it possible for an inbox(like email) and a todo list to be integrated together.
- Technology has made it possible for items on a list to have reminders, thus blurring the lines between Calendar, actions list, and tickler.
- Technology has made it easier to use the concepts of context because of multi tagging. In a tag where I can multi-tag I don't have to choose to put an item in the @home or the @high energy contexts, I can tag it as either and search on one or both of the criteria.
- Technology has changed the way in which we keep reference material, how much of it we keep, and made it possible to attach reference material to a particular task or project.
The list could go on, but you get the idea. Essentially the buckets of GTD, some of which David Allen specifically wanted to have hard lines, aren't so much buckets anymore. They are more like sections on a cafeteria tray.
The question then becomes how distinct do you want those buckets to be? Do you want the clarity of distinct buckets and therefore will use a different app for each one. Or, do you want the convenience of one integrated system where things might get a little blurry?
Clearly looking at the todo list quest criteria it seems I want an integrated system. I still like the idea of distinct lines, but the ease of moving a piece of information from one bucket to another appeals to me. That being said I am now at the point where I don't think there is anything wrong with pursing using a simple system that is lists and folders if that suits you. What I hope is that both you and I find a way to live better.
In the comments below let me know what changes you think have come to GTD from electronics and technology.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Todo List Quest: GTD requirements
As you know I am on a quest to find the most sophisticated todo list app (based on my own criteria) in the world. One of the things I have really been wanting is what I called on the spreadsheet "GTD ready."
I started with an idea of what that meant pretty abstractly in my head. But as part of this quest, and also as part of my own personal search to be more productive, I have been reading "Getting Things Done" again. My hope is that by rereading it I will get a better grasp of what the actual requirements of a good GTD todo list are.
Here is the secret then: It's pretty Simple. David Allen talks about all different kinds of systems from low-tech to high-tech. Of course because he wrote this book before the advent of the iPhone and the smartphone revolution that followed, what he means by high-tech is a palm pilot.
The requirements:
I started with an idea of what that meant pretty abstractly in my head. But as part of this quest, and also as part of my own personal search to be more productive, I have been reading "Getting Things Done" again. My hope is that by rereading it I will get a better grasp of what the actual requirements of a good GTD todo list are.
Here is the secret then: It's pretty Simple. David Allen talks about all different kinds of systems from low-tech to high-tech. Of course because he wrote this book before the advent of the iPhone and the smartphone revolution that followed, what he means by high-tech is a palm pilot.
The requirements:
- Lists
- Folders
That's it, that is all he says you need for your lists.
By this criteria almost every todo list app out there qualifies to be used for GTD. All it needs to do is let you create lists and let you separate those lists into different sections. In this regard the app that most mirrors David's examples of the low-tech pieces of paper in a manilla file folder is the app Clear. And even it does more than that.
That is it, most apps can be GTD ready by the book's definition and the problem is that technological advancements in the last 10 years have changed a lot of our perceptions and the actual practice of GTD has morphed for a lot of people accordingly.
But that is a discussion I will save for tomorrow. For now know that whatever app You choose you can probably use it for GTD exactly the way that David Allen intended when he wrote the book. And that can help you remember to live better.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Todo list quest: Why you have to trust the system
As part of this todo list quest I have started rereading David Allen's book Getting Things Done. This book expounds the GTD method of productivity which I try to follow. I think that rereading will help me to actually identify the app or apps the will help make up my system.
The system must be trusted
One thing he stresses a lot is that you have to trust the system. The point of GTD is to get the "stuff" off your mind so that you can get things done. If you don't actually trust the system to bring you the information when you need it then your mind will not let go of trying to keep track of that item.
Trust is the important issue here. This is the reason that skipping from one system of task management to another is not advisable. If you have pieces of your information stored in several different systems with no process of reviewing them effectively your brain will assume that it needs to tack back the responsibility of tracking those items.
The future value of trust
When you trust the system enough to put everything in it you gain a lot of peace of mind now, and a lot of focused productivity in the future. GTD contains several processes for saving information for the future: the Someday/Maybe list, the Tickler, the Calendar, and the Reference System. When all of these items for the future are safely stored in a trusted system you not only gain peace of mind now, but you are more likely to accomplish your goals and dreams in the future.
The tickler folder is particularly important because it is where you store information that you cannot act on now, but you want to act on at some future date. The tickler is the trusted way of brining that to you when you want it and not wasting brain power on it now.
When trust is broken
The problem with movement into digital systems of management from the old analog styles is that trust can be broken. You can invest time and effort to make your system complete and then it can disappear.
This happened to me with Producteev. I put everything into there and trusted the system, although system wasn't even a very sophisticated at that point. Still, I trusted it and it kept me on track. Then they released a major update that they weren't ready for and I got locked out of my account.
Changes can happen suddenly in the digital space, fortunes rise and fall overnight, a stray bit of code can break an app. This can make it hard to put all of a trust in a system. I am not sure that even the Todo List Quest will find an answer to this problem.
In order to effectively use concepts like the Someday/Maybe list and the Tickler file, things have to be put far out, and everything has to go in, but that can be a lot of upfront work which can be frustrated by a break. Fortunately most companies will try to fix things as quickly as possible, so maybe it will end up not being that big of a deal.
I don't know, I don't have an answer and that is probably part of the reason I am still on this quest. If you have thoughts let me know in the comments below, or tweet me. We can help each other as we try to remember, to live better.
The system must be trusted
One thing he stresses a lot is that you have to trust the system. The point of GTD is to get the "stuff" off your mind so that you can get things done. If you don't actually trust the system to bring you the information when you need it then your mind will not let go of trying to keep track of that item.
Trust is the important issue here. This is the reason that skipping from one system of task management to another is not advisable. If you have pieces of your information stored in several different systems with no process of reviewing them effectively your brain will assume that it needs to tack back the responsibility of tracking those items.
The future value of trust
When you trust the system enough to put everything in it you gain a lot of peace of mind now, and a lot of focused productivity in the future. GTD contains several processes for saving information for the future: the Someday/Maybe list, the Tickler, the Calendar, and the Reference System. When all of these items for the future are safely stored in a trusted system you not only gain peace of mind now, but you are more likely to accomplish your goals and dreams in the future.
The tickler folder is particularly important because it is where you store information that you cannot act on now, but you want to act on at some future date. The tickler is the trusted way of brining that to you when you want it and not wasting brain power on it now.
When trust is broken
The problem with movement into digital systems of management from the old analog styles is that trust can be broken. You can invest time and effort to make your system complete and then it can disappear.
This happened to me with Producteev. I put everything into there and trusted the system, although system wasn't even a very sophisticated at that point. Still, I trusted it and it kept me on track. Then they released a major update that they weren't ready for and I got locked out of my account.
Changes can happen suddenly in the digital space, fortunes rise and fall overnight, a stray bit of code can break an app. This can make it hard to put all of a trust in a system. I am not sure that even the Todo List Quest will find an answer to this problem.
In order to effectively use concepts like the Someday/Maybe list and the Tickler file, things have to be put far out, and everything has to go in, but that can be a lot of upfront work which can be frustrated by a break. Fortunately most companies will try to fix things as quickly as possible, so maybe it will end up not being that big of a deal.
I don't know, I don't have an answer and that is probably part of the reason I am still on this quest. If you have thoughts let me know in the comments below, or tweet me. We can help each other as we try to remember, to live better.
Monday, May 5, 2014
ToDo List Quest: Apple's stock Reminders app
Reminders is the stock todo list app that comes built into every iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. Most of apples stock applications get a lot of use because they are the default. Even though they are often more bare featured than counterparts in the app store they have the convenience of already being on the device (and you can't delete them) and of being integrated into the operating system.
It takes time and effort to go digging through the app store to find a different app to replace one that is already on the phone. For this reason I would guess that Reminders is the most widely used todo list app on iOS devices. Let's look at some of its main advantages:
Siri:
Apple's artificially intelligent assistant gets a lot of flak, so this may not seem like a huge feature. But, I have heard many people say that Reminders is one of the primary features they use Siri for. It saves you having to in put all the details of you todos when you can just speak them to Siri in natural language.
Because Reminders is built into the operating system it is the only todo list app that can boast native integration with Siri, although some apps like Remember the Milk have found a workaround. Siri can take a lot of the work out of actually getting your tasks into the system, and she can also alert you when a task needs to be done.
Sync:
Reminders has built in iCloud sync across all of your apple devices and the iCloud web app. The sync works seamlessly and is completely free, unlike an app like Remember the Milk which will give you only one sync per day with a free account. Reminders also provides you with the option of sharing your list with a family member or coworker so you can stay on the same virtual page for projects and tasks.
The only email integration that Reminders has is the ability to drag and drop emails from the stock Mail app on a Mac into the Mac Reminders app to create a new reminder with that email.
Also Reminders has full integration with the apps Drafts, again the is because it is built into the operating system. This allows you to quickly create individual reminders or lists directly from the Drafts app, something that requires workarounds for most other apps.
Simple:
The Reminders app is an easy app to use. It is well designed by apple to be a simple list app that helps people accomplish there tasks without getting in the way. It is a nice looking app that is clean and uncluttered. People will not have trouble learning how to use it or be overwhelmed by its features.
Conclusion:
The status quo is always a strong argument, so for many people Reminders may prove exactly what they need for task management. That is not the case for me. While it has many good features listed above I find the lack of more advanced options like tagging to be to be to important right now. Although I have to say I am surprised at how well Reminders did on my criteria comparison, I am not ready to switch over to it yet. I am going to continue the quest to see if I can find something to help me live better.
If you use the Reminders app and have any thoughts suggestions or questions please leave them in the comments below. For those who are interested in using Reminders with GTD I found this guide from SimplicityBliss.
This has been a post in the ToDo List Quest, if you would like to read the other articles please click here.
 |
| Apple's Reminders App is the standard task app |
It takes time and effort to go digging through the app store to find a different app to replace one that is already on the phone. For this reason I would guess that Reminders is the most widely used todo list app on iOS devices. Let's look at some of its main advantages:
Siri:
Apple's artificially intelligent assistant gets a lot of flak, so this may not seem like a huge feature. But, I have heard many people say that Reminders is one of the primary features they use Siri for. It saves you having to in put all the details of you todos when you can just speak them to Siri in natural language.
Because Reminders is built into the operating system it is the only todo list app that can boast native integration with Siri, although some apps like Remember the Milk have found a workaround. Siri can take a lot of the work out of actually getting your tasks into the system, and she can also alert you when a task needs to be done.
Sync:
Reminders has built in iCloud sync across all of your apple devices and the iCloud web app. The sync works seamlessly and is completely free, unlike an app like Remember the Milk which will give you only one sync per day with a free account. Reminders also provides you with the option of sharing your list with a family member or coworker so you can stay on the same virtual page for projects and tasks.
The only email integration that Reminders has is the ability to drag and drop emails from the stock Mail app on a Mac into the Mac Reminders app to create a new reminder with that email.
Also Reminders has full integration with the apps Drafts, again the is because it is built into the operating system. This allows you to quickly create individual reminders or lists directly from the Drafts app, something that requires workarounds for most other apps.
Simple:
The Reminders app is an easy app to use. It is well designed by apple to be a simple list app that helps people accomplish there tasks without getting in the way. It is a nice looking app that is clean and uncluttered. People will not have trouble learning how to use it or be overwhelmed by its features.
Conclusion:
The status quo is always a strong argument, so for many people Reminders may prove exactly what they need for task management. That is not the case for me. While it has many good features listed above I find the lack of more advanced options like tagging to be to be to important right now. Although I have to say I am surprised at how well Reminders did on my criteria comparison, I am not ready to switch over to it yet. I am going to continue the quest to see if I can find something to help me live better.
If you use the Reminders app and have any thoughts suggestions or questions please leave them in the comments below. For those who are interested in using Reminders with GTD I found this guide from SimplicityBliss.
This has been a post in the ToDo List Quest, if you would like to read the other articles please click here.
Friday, May 2, 2014
The Todo List Quest: The Spreadsheet Comparison of Todo List Apps
I have always known that there are a LOT of todo list apps on the market. I have no idea how many but even among the top ones it can be hard to get a sense of how they compare to each other. So, in order to make comparison of todo list apps easier I have created the spreadsheet below.
As you can see I list the criteria I am looking for across the top and the apps I am looking at down the side. I then list the details in the corresponding sales. A Y means yes and an N means no. The $ sign means that a feature is paid.
I am hoping that this chart will be helpful to others. I know that not everyone is looking for the same features as me, but I think this will give you a good idea of what's what. I should also clarify that I am not against anyone charging for their apps, I understand that developers have to make money, I just prefer to look for free, or at least non-SaaS solutions if I can find them.
Note: some of the items are factual (like whether it works offline or not) and some are subjective to my opinion (like how GTD ready it is and how nice the UI is) these I have a rated on a 10/10 opinion scale.
Note2: This is a work in progress, some apps listed have not been evaluated yet, and more apps will be added as I go along.
If you want to view in Google Drive click here
If you know of anything on here that is inaccurate please let me know in the comments below, or tweet me @halduauthor. Also let me know if there are any apps you would like to see on here.
Thanks much, and I hope this helps us to live better.
This has been a post in the ToDo List Quest, if you would like to read the other article please click here.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
The Todo List Quest: life without a list
Sorry for my absence, I was busily graduating and visiting family over the past weekend and consequently have had a lot to catch up on.
But I have learned something from this time away, and that is that life without a list is no good. The number of todo list apps on my phone currently sits at 15. But none of them have been functioning as my list over the past week. It is very hard to know what to do and when to do it without my lists.
Fortunately at work I have been using todoist and it seems to be working well there. At work we are all google apps and todoist's gmail intergration and chrome extension are great. But personally I haven't yet hit on a solution that I just love. I also want to make sure that my quest is comprehensive for all of you following. The spreadsheet which will allow easy comparison is in the works.
The problem is that I need to have something now because I am constantly finding my self not knowing what to do. I found that some list is better than no list, and that one place is better than fifteen places.
So, temporarily, I have returned IQTELL to my dock and will be using it for now (as of this writing they have not forced payment, but I'm not sure if that is because it hasn't been implemented or if I am still in the "trial" period).
In other news, today the google fiber truck will be coming to out house, so we should be restored to the internet soon after 9 months without it.
That's all for now, but remember, live better.
But I have learned something from this time away, and that is that life without a list is no good. The number of todo list apps on my phone currently sits at 15. But none of them have been functioning as my list over the past week. It is very hard to know what to do and when to do it without my lists.
Fortunately at work I have been using todoist and it seems to be working well there. At work we are all google apps and todoist's gmail intergration and chrome extension are great. But personally I haven't yet hit on a solution that I just love. I also want to make sure that my quest is comprehensive for all of you following. The spreadsheet which will allow easy comparison is in the works.
The problem is that I need to have something now because I am constantly finding my self not knowing what to do. I found that some list is better than no list, and that one place is better than fifteen places.
So, temporarily, I have returned IQTELL to my dock and will be using it for now (as of this writing they have not forced payment, but I'm not sure if that is because it hasn't been implemented or if I am still in the "trial" period).
In other news, today the google fiber truck will be coming to out house, so we should be restored to the internet soon after 9 months without it.
That's all for now, but remember, live better.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
The ToDo List Quest: Is there an update in the house?
Since I have mostly pulled myself off the todo list market since I started actively using IQTELL, I have not seen much of the others on iOS 7 which came out several months after that. Of course now that I have started the quest and one of my criteria is nice UI I have become aware that a lot of apps have been left behind.
Now I know this is going to seem nit-picky on the surface, but remember that your task management app is one that you use everyday, multiple times a day. When you open it up you don't want to feel like you are taking a step backwards and using a clunky tool. That is how I feel when I open an app and the old iOS 6 keyboard pops up.
My thought immediately upon seeing an app that has not been updated is: "well I guess I won't be getting any help from this developer, they haven't even taken time to change their keyboard, this app must be on the way out." That is why I was so surprised when some widely used and highly recommended apps were not up to date.
 |
| Remember The Milk |
Both "Remember The Milk" and "Wunderlist" have been given some great reviews in the past and are used by some people that I highly respect. So you can imagine my surprise at encountering a clunky design from them. But there it was plain as life.
 |
| Wunderlist |
Both apps assure me that they have new versions in development and that they hoping they will go live "soon." I guess we will just have to wait and see on these. Hopefully they get them done before the quest is over.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
The ToDo List Quest: The Criteria
When you set out to do something it is best to have a plan to get it done. Since I have set out on the todo list quest and started looking at various different programs I decided I need a list of criteria to judge them against, and "ideal" if you will.
Now it is always good to have your ideal in mind when you set out to find something, but you cannot expect your ideal to exist unless you make it yourself. Since I am not a software programer I cannot make my ideal todo list program, but I want to find something that is as close to a match as possible.
Here are the important factors I have come up with so far:
iPhone app:
This probably goes with out being said, but whatever program I use must have an iPhone app, that is how I handle most of my todo list management.
Works offline:
I mentioned this as one of the killers before, I can't have a list that won't work without internet because I spend a good chunk of time without internet and still have to be able to add things to my list and check them off.
Email Integration:
One of the best features of IQTELL was the ability to manage email from the same system that managed your tasks. That type of close integration is rare in todo list apps, but I would like to find it if I could. The next best alternative is to find an app that I can add to via email. Then I can at least forward from which ever client I am using straight into the todo list.
Recurring tasks:
There is a lot that happens in life that is routine, so it is helpful to be able to make tasks that recur at given intervals.
GTD Ready:
I try to follow David Allen's "Getting Things Done" methodology even though I am not great at it. It really helps to have a system that is already ready for that. Perhaps I was spoiled while using IQTELL but it was great to have a system that already had concepts like the "tickler" and the "someday/maybe" list built int.
Nice UI
This is being picky, but it is important. When you have an app that you are going to be using a lot everyday it is very helpful to like how it looks and be able to navigate it easily. If the UI is bad you are less likely to actually use the system.
Multi tagging
This goes along with being GTD ready, in order to do the system you need to be able to tag a todo with multiple criteria such as context, time needed, energy required, etc. Along with being able to use multiple tags on a task I also would like to be able to search on multiple tags with both AND and OR functionality so I can bring up exactly the set of tasks I need at that moment.
Syncing
I work on several different machines and I like to have my tasks available on all of them, so I need syncing between devices. Obviously along with that I need a system that has apps on all devices as well.
Price
And here is the kicker, I would like something that works really well with all the features that I want, but I don't really want to pay for it. Well, that is not quite true, what I don't want to do is pay for a service I find that annoying and beyond my budget (remember I don't even have internet at my home or on my phone). I would be willing to pay a one time upfront price, but paying month by month to write down my tasks is a little more than I want to do.
So there you have it, the (current) criteria for my quest. I don't ask for much, just perfection. In all reality I know I will not find the perfect app, but I like to know what it looks like so I can aim for it. These are the items I am listing across the top of my spreadsheet. They are the functions that I think will help me to remember to live better.
Now it is always good to have your ideal in mind when you set out to find something, but you cannot expect your ideal to exist unless you make it yourself. Since I am not a software programer I cannot make my ideal todo list program, but I want to find something that is as close to a match as possible.
Here are the important factors I have come up with so far:
iPhone app:
This probably goes with out being said, but whatever program I use must have an iPhone app, that is how I handle most of my todo list management.
Works offline:
I mentioned this as one of the killers before, I can't have a list that won't work without internet because I spend a good chunk of time without internet and still have to be able to add things to my list and check them off.
Email Integration:
One of the best features of IQTELL was the ability to manage email from the same system that managed your tasks. That type of close integration is rare in todo list apps, but I would like to find it if I could. The next best alternative is to find an app that I can add to via email. Then I can at least forward from which ever client I am using straight into the todo list.
Recurring tasks:
There is a lot that happens in life that is routine, so it is helpful to be able to make tasks that recur at given intervals.
GTD Ready:
I try to follow David Allen's "Getting Things Done" methodology even though I am not great at it. It really helps to have a system that is already ready for that. Perhaps I was spoiled while using IQTELL but it was great to have a system that already had concepts like the "tickler" and the "someday/maybe" list built int.
Nice UI
This is being picky, but it is important. When you have an app that you are going to be using a lot everyday it is very helpful to like how it looks and be able to navigate it easily. If the UI is bad you are less likely to actually use the system.
Multi tagging
This goes along with being GTD ready, in order to do the system you need to be able to tag a todo with multiple criteria such as context, time needed, energy required, etc. Along with being able to use multiple tags on a task I also would like to be able to search on multiple tags with both AND and OR functionality so I can bring up exactly the set of tasks I need at that moment.
Syncing
I work on several different machines and I like to have my tasks available on all of them, so I need syncing between devices. Obviously along with that I need a system that has apps on all devices as well.
Price
And here is the kicker, I would like something that works really well with all the features that I want, but I don't really want to pay for it. Well, that is not quite true, what I don't want to do is pay for a service I find that annoying and beyond my budget (remember I don't even have internet at my home or on my phone). I would be willing to pay a one time upfront price, but paying month by month to write down my tasks is a little more than I want to do.
So there you have it, the (current) criteria for my quest. I don't ask for much, just perfection. In all reality I know I will not find the perfect app, but I like to know what it looks like so I can aim for it. These are the items I am listing across the top of my spreadsheet. They are the functions that I think will help me to remember to live better.
Monday, April 21, 2014
The ToDo List Quest: Part 1
I have recently embarked on a quest of sorts. It is a quest to find the perfect todo list. When a person like me decides to, or has to, change their entire task management structure it is a bit of a big deal, which is why I am calling it a quest!
What Happened
As most readers probably know I have been happily using the IQTELL platform for some time now, particularly since the added their email integration to the mobile app. I have had my problems with it, which I have discussed on this blog, but overall it was a good system. Particularly it worked well because it was made with David Allen's GTD system in mind.
However the IQTELL team just recently announced their new pricing model, which I am currently unable to afford (my twitter followers will know how I feel about budgeting). This is sad because I really did feel that it was a good system and it may actually be worth the money, I just take an issue with SaaS generally though.
Can't Go Back
My thought upon needing to leave IQTELL was that I wound just return to my previous system with Producteev. However, after redownloading the app I encountered a problem: It No Longer Works Offline! Now this would be a problem for anyone because even in this era there are still times when we have no connection or want to be off the grid but still need to get things done. It is though a particular problem for someone like me that has no internet connection at home. So going back doesn't seem feasible.
The Quest
So I have started a quest to find the right todo list. I am going to be testing apps until I find the right one. You can follow my adventures here on this blog, or in real time on twitter, I will be using the #todolistquest on all tweets involving this topic.
You can let me know which apps you have liked by leaving them in the comments below or by tweeting @halduauthor and using #todolistquest. My next post will be on the criteria that I am looking for.
We will see what happens on this quest and if I can find a way to live better.
What Happened
As most readers probably know I have been happily using the IQTELL platform for some time now, particularly since the added their email integration to the mobile app. I have had my problems with it, which I have discussed on this blog, but overall it was a good system. Particularly it worked well because it was made with David Allen's GTD system in mind.
However the IQTELL team just recently announced their new pricing model, which I am currently unable to afford (my twitter followers will know how I feel about budgeting). This is sad because I really did feel that it was a good system and it may actually be worth the money, I just take an issue with SaaS generally though.
Can't Go Back
My thought upon needing to leave IQTELL was that I wound just return to my previous system with Producteev. However, after redownloading the app I encountered a problem: It No Longer Works Offline! Now this would be a problem for anyone because even in this era there are still times when we have no connection or want to be off the grid but still need to get things done. It is though a particular problem for someone like me that has no internet connection at home. So going back doesn't seem feasible.
The Quest
So I have started a quest to find the right todo list. I am going to be testing apps until I find the right one. You can follow my adventures here on this blog, or in real time on twitter, I will be using the #todolistquest on all tweets involving this topic.
You can let me know which apps you have liked by leaving them in the comments below or by tweeting @halduauthor and using #todolistquest. My next post will be on the criteria that I am looking for.
We will see what happens on this quest and if I can find a way to live better.
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