Ask HN: How you manage your to-do list? Are you happy with it?

allardschip · on July 16, 2012

I write my to-dos in a plain text file. I try to avoid writing down actions; I prefer deliverables because it's clearer when you actually have achieved something. I prefix to-do items with a character if the status changes immediately after the change. Here are the prefixes I use:

No prefix: This item was written down but hasn't started @ in progress: I started working on it, the item is with me. # finished > means this item is currently with someone else. It works as a reminder to chase someone after some time. x means canceled / decided not to do d means on hold because dependent on something else ! prioritized for today

I have items grouped with the first line being a heading for the group. I write notes or status if relevant after a to-do item and a comma. If things are crazy I will start notes with today's date. That's specially useful when there is a lot of back and forth on something. Daily, I'll copy yesterdays list and past it above. I remove the items that are done or canceled. The system is all home grown, arcane and works for me.

iibtrih · on July 21, 2012

I manage to-dos using https://www.cosapien.com It also manages what other people have committed to-do for me, with built-in quality control.

iibtrih · on July 21, 2012

... i forgot to add -- it is also useful to me because it integrates to do with our meeting minutes

rgregory · on July 12, 2012

I've recently thrown my hat in with Things, with the Beta now supporting Cloud syncing. I'm a minimalist, GTD-leaning sorta guy and this fits perfectly with my workflow.

mukundmohan · on July 16, 2012

I use my calendar as a to-do list. Works for me. Block out time to do tasks - not just meetings. That way it forces me to bucket time for stuff to get done.

offsky · on July 16, 2012

I use Toodledo.com and give my tasks tags and priorities so that I can sort and filter them. It works really well for me.

ammmir · on July 12, 2012

for my primary project, i keep a list of items on a physical whiteboard. i pace around a lot when thinking, so an app would never be as intimate to use.

for everything else, i use a text file with items formatted like:

  [X] add feature
  [ ] fix bug

neither approach is ideal, but i have no major complaints.

vseorlov · on July 16, 2012

I use calendar and Clear app for iphone. Also not to much time ago I installed Any.do app to try it.

AndrewDucker · on July 16, 2012

Workflowy. And yes.

flomincucci · on July 16, 2012

I used workflowy for a long time and I think it's brilliant, but now I need to keep up with complex tasks, so I'm using tiddlywiki - that allows me to link between tasks, and make notes of relevant things to my tasks