« Oatmeal

Starting a new job seemed like a good reason to re-evaluate my task management set up, partially because my old workflow was built around some internal tools from my old job, and partially because it is heaps fun to re-work productivity workflow stuff.

Requirements

• Manage tasks and sub-tasks from iOS, macOS and Linux
• Support for tasks and sub-tasks
• Support for due dates and reminder notifications
• Support for recurring events (e.g. things I need to do on a weekly basis and I would like to nag myself to complete)
• Fully searchable archive of past tasks

The new system

The new system is heaps boring, but I’m wicked pleased with it. I toyed with a number of apps, including Things, Reminders, Microsoft’s Todo (made by the Wunderlist folks), Todoist, Kanboard, and Omnifocus but ultimately settled on keeping it simple.

• Recurring tasks are just repeating events in my calendar
• Everything else lives in org mode
• BOOM!

I have an .org file for personal tasks (stuff like “Schedule a vet appointment”), and an .org file for worky things — right now each project I’m involved with has its own top-level heading, but I may break projects into their own .org files if one big file becomes unwieldy.

The secret sauce to my mostly org mode life is beorg, an iOS app that lets me org on the go…AND supports push notifications. I generally keep push notifications turned off for just about everything, but sometimes I need a gentle reminder to get stuff done — beorg works perfectly for this.

The Workflow app on iOS is simultaneously magical and maddening.