What a To-Do

Written for Funeralcare magazine, December 2019

Dilbert, framed above my desk, is writing a to-do list. (My favourite pastime). Eight hours later, he muses that he has 347 urgent tasks, and adds about seven new ones each day. (He knows me). He crosses off “Make a To-Do list” from his to-do list, and calls it a day. (He definitely knows me).

My father had something similar on his wall: “God put me on this earth to achieve certain things. Right now I am so far behind I will never die.” I’m holding him to it.

I don’t have just one list of tasks I call a to-do list. I have multiple lists of tasks and sub-tasks. When they get out of hand, I rewrite them. Sometimes I even cross things off them. I’m thinking of renaming them To-Don’t lists, as they seem to grow over time rather than diminish, and their sheer size and complexity terrifies me into inactivity.

I read somewhere, sometime, that to be effective, a to-do list should contain no more than seven tasks. There’s probably a similar rule about the allowable number of to-do lists. Suffice to say, mine fall squarely in the ineffective category.

I’ve tried to tame my tasks over the years. I’ve written computer programs to manage them. Richard Bolles has showed me how to prioritise them. I’ve given them The Slight Edge. Andrew Mellen has unstuffed them, Marie Kondo has ensured they only bring me joy. I’ve tamed my gremlin, and learned that I must feed or shoot my monkeys and never let them starve to death. I’ve been accused variously of been hideously disorganised, procrastinating and aspiring to perfectionist ideals.

None of which helps.

Yes, the insidious rise and rise of portable and wearable technology means we are “always on”. Such is the nature of our work. Yes, we do have more and more to do. Those of us with dreams and goals are always adding to our lists – it’s the nature of the creative spirit and should be encouraged. The issue is not the size of the list, it’s retaining focus to achieve the things on it.

The steps to getting organised are deceptively easy. Write the big list. Sort it into categories. Work out what’s urgent, and what’s important. Be flexible enough to adapt to change. Recognise stuff that doesn’t actually belong to you: beware the crazymakers with great ideas that you need to do all the work for.

More obvious: Your list of things to do today should be do-able in a single day. If there is more work on today’s list than you can possible handle today, it is time to ask for help.

With all this in mind, I decided to try, just one more time, to find a digital solution to my mess. An app that works on both computer and phone. Something simple, easy to learn and use, that helps me sort stuff into projects, tasks, and subtasks, assign priorities and end dates. A list manager that recognises repeat tasks, and makes it easy to see tasks which are dependent on other tasks. And all this for free.

I came up with a list of nine possibles, and quickly whittled them down to five:

• Microsoft To-Do (todo.microsoft.com)

• Tick Tick (ticktick.com)

• Todoist (todoist.com)

• ToodleDo (toodledo.com)

• Remember The Milk (rememberthemilk.com)

Microsoft To-Do

As you would expect, Microsoft To-Do is a free add-on which integrates with Office 365. It can import tasks from Outlook, and syncs across multiple devices. It has a simple user interface, with today’s tasks under “My Day”. Its structure features Lists (Projects) and Tasks which can be organised with themes, categories and colours. Tasks can be prioritised, and notes and reminders added. On the downside, it doesn’t support recurring tasks, and requires a single Microsoft profile and login. For me it wasn’t workable, as I have multiple clients and projects, each with their own Microsoft login. I needed something capable of merging all of those profiles, clients and tasks in one place.

Tick Tick

Tick Tick is quick to learn and clutter-free, with a simple drag and drop interface. Its structure features Lists (Projects), tasks and subtasks with sorting by time, title, tag, and priority. It has deadline and reminder-setting, recurring tasks and a wide array of smart sorting filters. Voice commands for quick task addition, and a pomodoro timer make this a useful and easy-to-use organiser.

Todoist

In Todoist I found my swipe-right. Its structure features Folders (Projects), subprojects, tasks and multiple subtask levels. Projects can be split into sections and colour-coded. The interface is simple and intuitive, and instead of stopping once I’d tested the features, I found myself entering all 92 tasks that were competing for my headspace. Within minutes I was SORTED. Comes with a browser version, Google Chrome extension and Windows 10, Android and iOS apps. Using the Outlook interface I ticked off another 43 tasks that had been gathering dust in my email inbox. Other great features are the smart scheduler, which uses predictive modelling to suggest due dates, and Karma points for completing tasks and meeting goals. Recurring tasks are a breeze with plain English recognition.

ToodleDo

ToodleDo is quick and easy with a task management focus, but only folders and tasks are available in the free version. It allows you to add notes to tasks, and has multiple priority levels and sorting/tag filters. Supports recurring tasks and habit tracking. Good fit for GTD (Getting Things Done) and MYN (Manage Your Now) followers.

Remember The Milk

Remember The Milk is cutesy, simple, robust, and it’s been around for ages. Quick to learn, clutter-free, and user-friendly. Tasks only in the free version. Organise with tags and categories. One big plus is the ability to add start dates as well as end dates. Syncs with Outlook.

None of the free versions tested had the ability to attach task durations, which can make it easy to “clear the decks” of the small stuff. Most supported collaboration, which can be helpful in an office setting. I found I didn’t need either function, as the organising capability and ability to shrink down views made me feel less overwhelmed. The upshot is, I have knocked more than 60 things off my to do list in the last four days. I feel organised, energised, and motivated.

And all this for free.

Do write. Find me at boffin2coffin@gmail.com and www.kayree.co.nz/ict