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Qrystal

Posted Mar 15, 2010 in: subtasks only go down one level?
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 15, 2010
  • Score: 0
Thanks saskia.x! I just replied to another post of yours where you had a great idea I am going to implement soon: the saved search to reschedule stuff! :)

One thing I didn't mention about why I use the notes field for subsubtasks is that it feels way too fiddly to create whole new tasks for things that are really just parts of a task that isn't really a big enough deal to separate out into separate pieces. When I overplan things, I find I get overwhelmed.

Doing this note-field checklist also feels to me like a more natural way to show GTD's Next Actions, because there aren't a bunch of tasks sitting around waiting to become the NEXT Next Action; instead, the Next Action (or the one in progress) can be marked with an asterisk: [*].

For awhile, I had my tasks organized by last modified date, and so when I made any progress on something and updated the notes field, the task would float to the top of the list in a nice uplifting way. However, I've been sorting by other things lately, and I'm missing this. :(
Qrystal

Posted Mar 15, 2010 in: Bulk changing due-dates
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 15, 2010
  • Score: 0
Great tips, saskia.x.

I too am prone to missing due dates for a lot of things, but never thought to have a saved search to help me reschedule things in bulk. I generally just don't set many due dates.

Unfortunately, the result of this is that most of my tasks don't ever get considered because I end up only looking at the ones that are due. Maybe with your advice (plus some kind of weekly-ish review) I'd be able to put due dates on more things I really want to do, instead of just the things I have to do. It would be so nice if it was easy to shift the due dates when life gets in the way of my lofty ideas! :)


This message was edited Mar 15, 2010.
Qrystal

Posted Mar 15, 2010 in: How to check folders easily?
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 15, 2010
  • Score: 0
Continuing Claudio's thought, to show how his idea can help you make sure each Folder has a next action...

After you Sort by Folder, use Status as the second sort criteria. Then when you scan down the list, the Next Actions would be at the top of each section.
Qrystal

Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 15, 2010
  • Score: 0
Trying it out now... first impression is pretty good. Really good, actually.

However, very soon into my trial, I pretty sure this is not the app for me, because I don't use the Status field. Thus, I have things cluttering up the main view that are not only useless to me (like Next Action and Waiting For), but they distract me (like an Inbox with 127 items! I'm a big fan of Inbox Zero, so this hurts to see! It took me a few moments to realize that this is for tasks with no Status.) The reason I don't use this field is because I implement my Next Action list in my notes field, or sometimes in the task description if I really want to remind myself that I only have to do the next thing in order to move a project forward. I turned on this field for testing, in case it was implemented in such a way that only the NEXT Next Action was visible, but since that's not the case, I still don't have a reason to use the Status field.

See, my approach to Toodledo is to keep things very, very simple, so I don't get overwhelmed when I enter tasks in. I have as many fields turned off as I can, namely Status as mentioned above, but also Goals and Priority and Length.

It looks like this app does hide the Goals field for me... oh, but wait, maybe this field just isn't implemented at all. I just tested it by turning it on in my Account Settings, and then doing a Manual Sync to see if new info was available in the task detail view... and there isn't. A slight omission, perhaps? (The Length field isn't listed either, but I didn't check whether that would appear if I turned that field on in Account Settings.)

Priority is implemented in a way that is really neat, even though I don't use this field. The tasks are coloured on the left edge with presumably more intense colours as priority increases. Is it enough for me to start using it? Not likely. Plus I'm not sure I like the fact that the field is visible in the task detail view despite my wish to not use it.

I'm glad to see that by "not supporting" subtasks, the tasks are still in place as regular tasks. I was a little worried that they would just not show up or something! :) At least I was prepared for this to not have full functionality... I was not prepared to see ads, because you didn't mention it in any of the descriptions of the Lite version, and so I was particularly disappointed that they are there. I understand that they help make development worth your while, but it's nice to mention it so people know that they'll have to deal with ads unless they upgrade.

All that said, the app seems like a very good one. It looks good (love the dark colour scheme and tidy little graphics to indicate things like repeating tasks and whether something is a subtask or has a note), it works smoothly and its interface is really intuitive. If only it was a little more customizable in what features are active, hiding the parts that are not, I would seriously consider using this app. The full version, though, because I wouldn't want ads distracting me from things I Got To Do. ;)


This message was edited Mar 15, 2010.
Qrystal

Posted Mar 12, 2010 in: SMART Goals and this great tool
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 12, 2010
  • Score: 0
I used to use the Goal field to remind me "Why am I doing this again?" But then I realized that these reminders were not helping me DO the tasks, but instead just making me feel more guilty when I didn't do them. It's like I was not only failing at tasks but at the goals that they were meant to further. I ended up deciding to just quit using the Goal field, instead of taking the time to revise them.

I would like to someday return to using Goals, this time with SMART criteria in mind of course. My original goals were not SMART at all: they tended to be vague things like personality traits I wanted to improve (To Be Responsible! To Be Punctual! To Care For Me And Mine!) and so it's probably no surprise that they made me feel guilty when I put off tasks. :)

Now, what I do to inspire myself to move forward is to select three Most Important Tasks to do each day, and I write them down by hand (I like writing by hand, it helps me feel connected) with reasons why the task is important on that day. Selecting only three is Attainable and definitely Measurable, as long as I keep the tasks Specific, Reasonable, and Timely. :P

A weekly review would probably be an awesome help in many ways, I've just never gotten around to doing one because I'm worried about the tasks I feel guilty about not doing. I am fully aware that I have issues in this respect though, and so I'm just dealing with them as best I can... ;)


This message was edited Mar 12, 2010.
Qrystal

Posted Mar 10, 2010 in: SMART Goals and this great tool
Score: 1
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 10, 2010
  • Score: 1
I think SMART criteria is meant to be used when writing the task description (or goal description) in the first place. Also, the letters mean a bunch of different things, depending on the implementation. Here's the ones from Wikipedia (and it's grown since I last looked!):

S Specific, Significant, Stretching, Simple
M Measurable, Meaningful, Motivational, Manageable
A Attainable, Appropriate, Achievable, Agreed, Assignable, Actionable, Action-oriented, Ambitious
R Relevant, Realistic, Results/Results-focused/Results-oriented, Resourced, Rewarding
T Time-bound, Time-oriented, Time framed, Timed, Time-based, Timeboxed, Timely, Time-Specific, Timetabled, Time limited, Trackable, Tangible

I think keeping these concepts in mind is always helpful, but sometimes when jotting down tasks it is better to just let them come out however they fall, and then adjust them later when we find out that they aren't Specific enough or aren't quite Attainable the way they are worded.

I think the notes field really does help a lot with any brainstorming around what a task entails. Then again, I use the Multi-Line view, and so any time I expand the details of a task, I get to see the note too. In my opinion, the Grid view shows too much most of the time, but hides what might be the most important part: my "extra" thoughts.
Qrystal

Posted Mar 10, 2010 in: Please hire a UI Designer
Score: 1
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 10, 2010
  • Score: 1
Some of you who are complaining about the UI might want to check out the Multi-Line view instead of Grid. (Switching is possible from within Account Settings.) Multi-Line is much cleaner, helping me feel like I've zoomed away from the clutter of the details of my tasks, and it's easy to zoom back in when I need to know the details.

The Multi-Line view is most useful once you are comfortable changing the sort parameters. This is because the only other thing listed (when you don't have details expanded) is the same thing by which you have sorted the tasks. So, for example, in my Main view (with Hotlist and Starred views) I usually sort by Due Date, and so all I see is the task description and the due date, until I expand the tasks to see more. However, in Folder view, I tend to sort by Tag, because that is more useful to me there.

Sometimes I work with Show Details expanded the whole time. This is because I tend to have notes outlining subsubtasks, or listing multiple iterations of the same kind of task (like my "mark assignments" task will have a note saying that I'm done #1, #2, #3, partway through #4, and #5 is ready to be picked up).

Generally when I'm browsing through the items though, I'll keep the details hidden so I can breeze through with minimal distractions.

Granted, there are other suggestions that can be made about the whole experience of using the website, but please do check out the other view option for a little while and see if it helps!

Since I'm here, if I were to make some specific suggestions for improvements, I would say that customizing the sidebar is very high on my wish list. I'd like to remove things I don't use, rearrange and even resize the things I do use, and be able to add more options of my own (like saved searches).

Another idea would be for a way to have tabs (for Folders, Tags, etc.) listed along the side instead of the top, because then more could be listed at once. (This would be a pretty drastic change though, and would have to be optional or else people could get confused.) Perhaps this would also mean that instead of the customizable sidebar I mentioned above, it could be a customizable header bar, which could contain any or all of the current sidebar items as well as the View By items.

Just some thoughts! :)
Qrystal

Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 10, 2010
  • Score: 0
You could define a saved search that you could call Inbox, and set it to find anything that has No Folder.
Qrystal

Posted Mar 10, 2010 in: Repeating tasks with no deadlines
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 10, 2010
  • Score: 0
You could set it up with a due date of "?today", repeating daily. The question mark says that it is optional enough that it isn't really ever overdue, but instead you will be reminded everyday that the task could be done Today.

Or you could set it to repeat every other day, but then I think if you don't do it one day, you might not get a reminder until two days away. I'm not sure; I didn't test this.
Qrystal

Posted Mar 10, 2010 in: subtasks only go down one level?
Score: 1
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 10, 2010
  • Score: 1
One more layer would be nice, I suppose, because it would replace the fact that I use the notes field for subsubtasks.

To the people who are saying a simple checkbox list would suffice for subsubtasks: you might be onto something... because if the next level down is really simple, without all the details needed for tasks/subtasks the way they are, maybe it will be implemented sooner!

In the meantime, you might want to try using the notes field as follows: use [_] for an empty checkbox, [x] to mark when a subsubtask is done, [/] if something is half done. You can also indent with dashes or underscores (or spaces, if you don't mind that they are only indented when editing the note field), in case some of the subsubtasks need more information or have a few subsubsubtasks.

Edit: I just realized that people who use the Grid view might not see their notes expanded as often as I do. I use Multi-Line, and so any time I look at more than the barest details of a task, the note is shown in all its glory.


This message was edited Mar 10, 2010.
Qrystal

Posted Mar 10, 2010 in: Automatic Update of Due Date
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Mar 10, 2010
  • Score: 0
Another idea: if you are using due dates when you really mean to say that you should be STARTING a task on that day and don't necessarily expect or need it to be finished, use Start Date instead.

Otherwise, if the task really is Overdue, why not leave it as such, and hurry to get it done?
Qrystal

Score: -1
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Jan 19, 2010
  • Score: -1
TimeLeft is definitely nice; I bought it wayyy long ago -- 2001 maybe? It was probably the first software I ever purchased online. (Paid for it, and thus I'm also not associated with them; I'm just a fan!)

I have shorter timers: 2min, 5min, and 15min. They're mostly for little cleaning activities, inspired by FlyLady, who uses these intervals to help inspire people to work on tasks that aren't appealing but really don't take long when you put your mind to it.

I also have a 90 minute timer to remind me to get up and stretch my legs. People aren't meant to sit for prolonged periods of time!


This message was edited Jan 19, 2010.
Qrystal

Posted Jan 19, 2010 in: Best Offline Task Manager
Score: -1
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Jan 19, 2010
  • Score: -1
Since the Toodledo booklet wasn't customizable enough for me, I started printing subsets of my lists on 3x5 index cards.

With not too many tweaks, I was able to get a nice little stack of lists that are as customizable as anything you can view from your browser.

I just had to change the print settings in my browser to shrink to fit, and for the page size to be 3x5.
Qrystal

Posted Jan 19, 2010 in: New Tag Picker
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Jan 19, 2010
  • Score: 0
Wow, so I noticed it just moments after it was implemented! Congrats on another wonderful improvement to a wonderful system!
Qrystal

Posted Jan 08, 2010 in: Toodledo Android App (in development)
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Jan 08, 2010
  • Score: 0
A suggestion, if you haven't chosen your alpha testers yet: choose people with different devices.

Alas, I'm not sure I can volunteer anymore, as this semester is going to be intense for me. If you don't get another volunteer with an HTC hero though, I will gladly give it a run some weekend (or maybe in study week, end of February).

I will definitely check out the video though, and continue giving comments!
Qrystal

Posted Dec 02, 2009 in: Toodledo Android App (in development)
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Dec 02, 2009
  • Score: 0
This is so exciting! I only hope Canada gets access to paid android apps before you make it available, so I can get it as soon as you're ready to release it! (Or if I could be a beta tester, I could give you really detailed feedback and analysis on any bugs I find, and maybe that could be how I pay you for it?)

I love the design so far. I totally agree about the graphics: those round ones are sweet! Here's hoping you find someone to make more! I also really, really love the dark colour scheme a lot--especially the pinstripes! classy!

However, the low contrast makes it difficult to read the text that isn't much lighter than the background (esp the stuff near the stars in the task lists). I like low-contrast in general, myself, but this is a little too much. Others may find it difficult to read even the due dates though, so you might want to have an option for people to adjust this. Maybe a contrast slider in the settings, so you can keep everything greyscale while leaving the degree of darkness to the user. Maybe (if you do make the greys adjustable) you could also have an option for inverting the greys, for those people who prefer dark text on light background.

The only other things that appear to be missing are the note field, and a way to view by context (essential for those GTDers, of which I am not). Other than that, it totally looks like a polished and ready app! I understand you will want to test it madly though, of course, and finish whatever other tweaks you have outlined for yourself.

One thing I'd really love to see is a few choices of widgets to use on home screens. This sort of thing is obviously not as crucial as having the app working well in the first place, though since I know you have a good task manager, I'll give you my brainstorm now:

- a small (1x1) widget option that changes colour depending on whether there is anything overdue, due soon, or nothing to worry about. Something subtle though, so it isn't guilt-inducing when living in a state of perpetual overdueness like I am... ;) Maybe just a checkmark that changes colour?

- a medium (1x4) widget wide enough to show the brief details of one task, but (I think this is possible) can be scrolled up and down to see other tasks. The list it uses would have to be customizable (hotlist? starred list? all tasks, sorted by due date?) But here's the thing that made me think it would be really cool: let it remember which task is visible, so that it can be used to remind oneself of the current task, and check it off quickly and easily once it's done.

- a fullscreen (4x4) widget that does much the same as the 1x4, but showing more tasks at once. This is to get a quick glance at the things currently on one's plate.

All that said, I really can't wait for you to have the main functionality ready for testing or ready to get out there! The widget idea is just in addition to the already-fantastic thing you're doing! Best of luck with it!


This message was edited Dec 02, 2009.
Qrystal

Posted Dec 02, 2009 in: TooDo and Android
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Dec 02, 2009
  • Score: 0
Yeah, so far I'm just using a bookmark to the slim site. Wondering how easy it would be to make a widget though... something that could display my list on one of my home pages...

If it's not done by the time I'm done my thesis and have some time on my hands, I might just have to give it a shot. I'd love to get back into programming stuff for my own enjoyment! :)
Qrystal

Posted Nov 26, 2009 in: TooDo and Android
Score: 0
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Nov 26, 2009
  • Score: 0
So I got myself an htc Hero yesterday, and am just figuring out how to set it up now. Toodledo, of course, is very high on my priority list.

It looks like there are ways to get web links working as widgets, so they would (I think) show the contents right from one of the home screens. I'm just investigating options now, and will report back once I've determined whether any of them are good options.

Just had to check here fist to see if anyone else had any successes with it! :)
Qrystal

Posted Oct 05, 2009 in: Mark Forster's Autofocus
Score: 1
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Oct 05, 2009
  • Score: 1
I found one thing that made me not like the view in the Starred list, and I found a fix for it.

First, note that I use the Multi-line details view, not the table showing all details all at once. I've always preferred this view; it's not an Autofocus-inspired change, although it does fit well with the Autofocus way. It's nice just seeing the task descriptions, and letting them speak for themselves in trying to appeal to my sense of "Do I Want to Do This Now?"

The only other info visible in this view is one aspect of the task listed on the right-hand side of the page. This one aspect is guided by the way the list is sorted, and so when I sort by Last Modified Date, the right-hand column tells me the date I last modified the tasks. This isn't terribly useful information in this case, because I am content to just know that the tasks are in the proper order. But if I change the primary sort parameter to something else, I risk having the items show in an order other than the one needed for Autofocus.

So what I did was this: I sort by Star first, and THEN by Last Modified Date. Since I'm using my Starred list as my Autofocus list, selecting this sort parameter does nothing to the sort order -- but much to my delighted surprise, it changed the right-hand side to display the due date, which is the one missing piece of information that is really worth knowing when deciding what task to do!

This also means that I can use Autofocus to handle tasks with important due dates, without having to include that info in the task description! Another point for digital over pen-and-paper! :)
Qrystal

Posted Oct 05, 2009 in: Mark Forster's Autofocus
Score: -1
  • Qrystal
  • Posted: Oct 05, 2009
  • Score: -1
Posted by replytoken:
I personally believe that the benefit is not in re-adding the item(s) to a fresh list, but in the "hassle factor" of the re-writing. If I have to keep re-writing something every day, I am certainly going to be motivated to get "quick and dirty" items off of my list ASAP to avoid the hassle of re-writing them.


Firstly, note that you don't rewrite things if you don't work on them, and so you're not rewriting the same tasks every day unless you actually make progress on them. And if a task is truly "quick and dirty", you'll be done it as soon as you work on it! For tasks that are dirty but not so quick, the progress made can change the way the task is written, and this is especially true if you choose to write down just the Next Action instead of something vague like "work on Project". This is how rewriting can be embraced as a motivator instead of a detractor, and that's how I prefer to roll.

I think my main issue with most to-do-list systems it that the old and stagnant tasks weigh me down. In the written version of Autofocus, stagnating tasks get surrounded by all the happily-scribbled-out tasks, making me feel bogged down by them (and perhaps this is an advantage, but it still feels discouraging to me). Rewriting is supposed to be the blessing that cures these woes, because it takes the task out of backlog and back into a part of the list that is fresh and new. But I still don't like looking at all my crossed-out tasks... so I'm yearning to come back to Toodledo for my day-to-day stuff. I am just certain that the ideas behind Autofocus go beyond the fact that it was originally a paper-based system, and so I want to use the ideas here.

Chris, your idea for separating the Open and Closed Lists into two search tabs is interesting, but I think it seems a bit complicated for my taste. There is still the question of how to distinguish the things on the Autofocus lists (either the Closed part or the Open part) versus things that are just Someday/Maybe or Wish-I-Had-Time-To-Do. This is a big deal for me... and in fact, one of the things I like most about Autofocus is that it helps me see only the things I'm fairly sure I'll be doing in the near future, and if I'm wrong, I am encouraged to dismiss, defer, or delay the tasks for a time that is more appropriate. But how to do all this in Toodledo?

Suddenly, it hit me: there IS a natural answer within Toodledo that would make it easy to toggle tasks onto or off of the Autofocus list. It's as easy as clicking on the STAR!!! All that is needed to turn the Starred List into the Autofocus list is to sort by modification date (crucial to making this work!), and add a separator task as Alex suggested. When ready to move the separator, so as to "Close" the Open List and start making a new Open List, just modify the separator task and it will move itself!

This excites me so much, I think I'm going to try it.
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