It's a real shame that Apple Reminders and Google Tasks don't have better integration capabilities. (Apple Reminders especially.) I've jury-rigged the following: I use Apple Reminders and an IFTTT applet to push "Hey Siri, remind me to xyz" to Google Tasks. That goes to a "New Tasks" list on Google. (Periodically I clean out the residual Apple Reminders, which are just waste at that point.) I have one list on Google integrated with Reclaim.ai, so that I can just pull the new tasks into that list when I want them to carve out time on my calendar. (This is hugely valuable, because I can set the amount of time I need to devote to, say, writing a chapter, a deadline, and Reclaim will cut it up into sessions and defend that time on my calendar, automatically moving them if I schedule an actual meeting in that slot.) But not all tasks should go right to Reclaim, so I have lists containing tasks I'm still planning in TasksBoard, which is a Google Workplace integration. I use labels in TasksBoard to help with quickly seeing all the tasks for a particular mission, because the kanban doesn't really do that when I have to move some tasks to the Reclaim list. It isn't as optimal as being able to have different boards showing the same tasks, some with their own kanbans for progressing a task, etc., but it's ok.
All this could be avoided if Apple Reminders simply played nice with others. (Yeah, I get it...it's Apple.) Or if Reclaim.ai simply had a way to manage tasks in projects without having to integrate with something else. Sigh. Oh well. My frankenstein method works for now to keep me on track with 2buts.com.
Thank you for the tools reviews, pointers and tips. I had looked for 6 months testing various task management apps, settled on ToDoIst. Their bootstrap beginning and no-exit plan dedication, are refreshing. If you send a great deal of time organizing and levering an app it's longevity can be a key factor.
Tasks/to do list wise, my productivity coaching clients have found reclaim.ai very useful
I am not affiliated with them but I have to admit it is very useful. It uses ai to auto-schedule tasks for the best times to complete them based on your working patterns, so you know exactly what to do and when. If something comes up and you don't complete the task, it auto-reschedules it for you for another time that works for you
Aug 31, 2023·edited Aug 31, 2023Liked by Jeremy Caplan
Remember the Milk is my much loved and used to-do app. It has all sorts of little helps - like subtasks to a depth of four, and saved queries that create lists.
Have you tried the Motion app? I think it’s a bit pricey ($225/yr) but it has helped me with task management. Took awhile to get the hang of it. Not certain I’ll renew - looking at other apps now, including the ones you mentioned. I really like Microsoft ToDo, especially because it integrates with Planner and Outlook so well. (I was a huge fan of the app that Microsoft acquired to power ToDo. Was that Wonderlist? Something like that. Super streamlined task manager.)
I’m with you on Apple Reminders, Trello and iA Writer. I use Apple Notes because of its multimedia capacity. The upcoming iOS 17/macOs 14 version will allow linking of notes, making it even more useful to me.
It has replaced Craft for me, due to its object-based organization. Has daily notes, AI, tasks, etc. The fact that you can create your own custom objects is the game-changer for me. I have differentiated object types for People, Pages, Meetings, and about a dozen others. Plus everything is interconnected and linked, so no more folders and hierarchies.
I have tried many of these. At the moment, my digital workflow is defined this way: https://musingsofaxennial.substack.com/p/how-to-clearly-define-your-digital but that may change or I may add to it. I try not to jump onto every new shining tool and to focus on it's purpose, but I am not always very successful.
It's a real shame that Apple Reminders and Google Tasks don't have better integration capabilities. (Apple Reminders especially.) I've jury-rigged the following: I use Apple Reminders and an IFTTT applet to push "Hey Siri, remind me to xyz" to Google Tasks. That goes to a "New Tasks" list on Google. (Periodically I clean out the residual Apple Reminders, which are just waste at that point.) I have one list on Google integrated with Reclaim.ai, so that I can just pull the new tasks into that list when I want them to carve out time on my calendar. (This is hugely valuable, because I can set the amount of time I need to devote to, say, writing a chapter, a deadline, and Reclaim will cut it up into sessions and defend that time on my calendar, automatically moving them if I schedule an actual meeting in that slot.) But not all tasks should go right to Reclaim, so I have lists containing tasks I'm still planning in TasksBoard, which is a Google Workplace integration. I use labels in TasksBoard to help with quickly seeing all the tasks for a particular mission, because the kanban doesn't really do that when I have to move some tasks to the Reclaim list. It isn't as optimal as being able to have different boards showing the same tasks, some with their own kanbans for progressing a task, etc., but it's ok.
All this could be avoided if Apple Reminders simply played nice with others. (Yeah, I get it...it's Apple.) Or if Reclaim.ai simply had a way to manage tasks in projects without having to integrate with something else. Sigh. Oh well. My frankenstein method works for now to keep me on track with 2buts.com.
Thank you for the tools reviews, pointers and tips. I had looked for 6 months testing various task management apps, settled on ToDoIst. Their bootstrap beginning and no-exit plan dedication, are refreshing. If you send a great deal of time organizing and levering an app it's longevity can be a key factor.
Tasks/to do list wise, my productivity coaching clients have found reclaim.ai very useful
I am not affiliated with them but I have to admit it is very useful. It uses ai to auto-schedule tasks for the best times to complete them based on your working patterns, so you know exactly what to do and when. If something comes up and you don't complete the task, it auto-reschedules it for you for another time that works for you
Hopefully this helps!
I’ve been using Tweek for my to-dos. It’s been the first to-do app that I’ve naturally kept using.
Remember the Milk is my much loved and used to-do app. It has all sorts of little helps - like subtasks to a depth of four, and saved queries that create lists.
Joplin has replaced Evernote entirely
For everything else, Obsidian.
Have you tried the Motion app? I think it’s a bit pricey ($225/yr) but it has helped me with task management. Took awhile to get the hang of it. Not certain I’ll renew - looking at other apps now, including the ones you mentioned. I really like Microsoft ToDo, especially because it integrates with Planner and Outlook so well. (I was a huge fan of the app that Microsoft acquired to power ToDo. Was that Wonderlist? Something like that. Super streamlined task manager.)
A new player that I like so far is called Fabric. https://go.fabric.so/
I’m with you on Apple Reminders, Trello and iA Writer. I use Apple Notes because of its multimedia capacity. The upcoming iOS 17/macOs 14 version will allow linking of notes, making it even more useful to me.
Brilliant summary of each point in the list which helps you make a decision fast on them. Great piece as ever
Good stuff. I just came across this one worth checking out:
https://mymind.com/
Terrific list. I've got experience with most of these—you've surfaced the best stuff out there.
I have to give a big mention as well to Capacities. https://capacities.io
It has replaced Craft for me, due to its object-based organization. Has daily notes, AI, tasks, etc. The fact that you can create your own custom objects is the game-changer for me. I have differentiated object types for People, Pages, Meetings, and about a dozen others. Plus everything is interconnected and linked, so no more folders and hierarchies.
I have tried many of these. At the moment, my digital workflow is defined this way: https://musingsofaxennial.substack.com/p/how-to-clearly-define-your-digital but that may change or I may add to it. I try not to jump onto every new shining tool and to focus on it's purpose, but I am not always very successful.
I still like and use Evernote for notes. It does everything I need and then some.