Todo list

18 January 2016

Where do I start?

Perhaps I need a list for that.

I’ve had list managers, todo managers, GTD task managers and have even flirted with full-blown project management software. In all-but-one case I’ve eventually and habitually snoozed, or edited-to-postpone, tasks.

That one piece of software: Omnifocus for iOS.

I slated its developers for a bug-ridden update after the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7. Every piece of useful software eventually breaks, but…

On Android now after a sidestep to Windows Phone, I must say I miss Omnifocus with its rich feature set and calendar integration.

Thats my personal productivity mentioned, there’s something important to note…

I use no productivity software at work.

I have a yellow Sigel Conceptum A5 squared notepad in which I write important things using a Fisher Space Pen. But the writing thing and the thing on which I write aren’t that important; what I write is.

I have a system.

From the top:

• The year,
• Week number, month, date,
• Date entry with date.

Entry, left to right:

• Priority: only a ‘!’ - used sparingly.
• An arrow-of-sorts indicating moved from a previous day.
• A checkbox, triangle or ‘clock’ indicating respectively: todo, done; a required change; or a time function such as late for work, a vacation/holiday.
• A descriptive line indicating what I must do, who asked me, and job/task reference numbers.

I recently started allowing entries to span lines. It took 5 months; I was afraid of compromises, dilution of effect.

2016
2 January 18th
 ↪[ ] Tidy desk
  [✔] SolidWorks Vault deletions
  [ ] Catch up with previous tasks
!  🔺  Change (size on component)
   🕒  Sick: 11:35-

I’ve been using this system since June 2015; it’s a keeper!