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Sticking to TODO software

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justice:
I was thinking about Todo programs and why I can never really stick to them - I have tried nearly everything from ActionLists for iPhone (great software) to writing my own JustToDoIt but I cannot get it to become part of my daily workflow.

In addition I noticed that it can be hard to start working on bigger projects, things that take longer than a day to complete. IMHO larger projects need to be broken down into smaller pieces. It's hard to wrap your head around a two-week project with no obvious starting point.

So why is there no TODO app that only lets you work on tasks that you can finish within the allocated workday? If you have 8 hours left on your project but only 3 hours in the day, you need to break down the 8 hour project into something you can finish. Finishing tasks is what keeps you motivated right?

app103:
You need to have multiple todo lists...your main one where you tell yourself to work on projects x y and z, and one for each project, where you break the projects down into smaller parts. Might try adding to the tasks in the list some indicator of time estimates. If you find that your estimates for each task exceeding the time you have, break it down some more so it doesn't. If you can manage to break it down so that each task only takes an hour or 2 at most, you will be less reluctant to start and accomplish more with your time. That feeling of biting off more than you can chew can lead to procrastination, where you avoid tasks that take too long to complete.

This is one of the reasons why I like a good sticky notes app like Notezilla instead of or in addition to a traditional todo application, where I can have memoboards for each project with each task on a note and a main memoboard with each project listed. Setting up alarms on tasks to alert me that things need to be done is important to me. I have adopted a "do this now" attitude towards any alarm notification, and try not to hit the snooze on it if I possibly can.

My problem is avoiding the lists, not the actual tasks. I won't remember to read my todo list once it is made if the tasks don't get in my face and remind me that they need to be done. Heck, I wouldn't even remember to pay my bills if they didn't get in my face with a sticky note alarm.  :-[

phitsc:
I was thinking about Todo programs and why I can never really stick to them - I have tried nearly everything from ActionLists for iPhone (great software) to writing my own JustToDoIt but I cannot get it to become part of my daily workflow.
-justice (July 05, 2011, 04:34 AM)
--- End quote ---

Yeah, it's weird, isn't it. I'm in the same boat really. Eventually, I always end up using pen and paper for todos. Terrible organizability, unusable searchability, painful adding and editing, I can probably type faster than I write. Nevertheless, I naturally seem to prefer pen and paper. Maybe it's because I always have a piece of paper or a small notebook and a pen in front of me, typically between me and the keyboard, or right beside it. That makes it easy to take notes / add todos without interrupting what is on the screen. I keep trying new electronic todo solutions, but it just never works out.

JavaJones:
No To Do system can make up for a lack of self-discipline and/or ability to set/alter routine. If you make an agreement with yourself to use any To Do software daily for a week or two, you should be able to install a habit if it proves its value to you. If not, maybe a To Do is not what you need?

I say all this as someone who struggles with the same stuff! I have yet to settle on a To Do system for myself, but I am hopeful to do it in the near future as well. What I *have* been successful in doing however is instilling habits through personal commitment and repetition. Sticking to something for a couple weeks can really work. But again it is generally dependent on being able to see the value of the habit. If it's not actually beneficial to you, or its benefit is not evident, it's harder to justify to yourself. The point of the 1-2 week "personal commitment" is to give it a chance to prove itself to you, but if it doesn't do that, even if you perhaps know it is valuable still, it's hard (at least for me) to keep going.

Anyway, I will be looking at MyLifeOrganized due to the new Android app and liking the way it approaches things. Unfortunately like so many things, properly getting an organized approach to life working in your own life takes *time* that most of us don't have. I will be trying to take a few *days* to get my life into MLO and then see if it can successfully keep me on track for a couple weeks thereafter. I'll try to report on my experience.

- Oshyan

phitsc:
...

Anyway, I will be looking at MyLifeOrganized due to the new Android app and liking the way it approaches things. Unfortunately like so many things, properly getting an organized approach to life working in your own life takes *time* that most of us don't have. I will be trying to take a few *days* to get my life into MLO and then see if it can successfully keep me on track for a couple weeks thereafter. I'll try to report on my experience.

- Oshyan
-JavaJones (July 05, 2011, 08:49 PM)
--- End quote ---

Yes, please do that.

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