The search for the best todo app
Finding the Right To-Do App: A Review of Things 3
Choosing the perfect to-do app can feel a lot like searching for the right car. You want something reliable to get you from point A to point B efficiently. Sure, you can opt for all the bells and whistles, but those extra features might not be necessary if your usage is minimal. The best choice ultimately depends on your needs and preferences. In this article, I’ll walk you through key features to look for in a to-do app and give you a behind-the-scenes look at my personal setup using Things 3.
Personal Productivity vs. Collaboration
This article will focus solely on personal productivity—how I manage my own tasks. When collaborating with others or working within teams, I use different tools like Asana, Notion, Trello, or Todoist. However, for keeping my personal tasks organized, Things 3 has been my go-to tool for over a year now. If you’re looking for collaboration-focused apps, I’ll be covering that in a future article.
Core Principles of a Good To-Do App
A solid to-do app should adhere to three basic principles:
- Easy to capture
- Unopinionated
- Clears your mind
Let’s dive into each of these principles in more detail.
1. Easy to Capture
The ability to quickly capture tasks on the fly is essential. Whether you're on your phone or desktop, you need to enter tasks effortlessly. Your to-do app should allow you to add tasks with varying levels of detail—from a quick reminder to a full task breakdown with notes. This flexibility ensures that the app adapts to your changing needs throughout the day.
2. Unopinionated
Some task managers are highly prescriptive, dictating how tasks should be organized or managed. However, I prefer tools that allow me to structure my to-dos as needed without enforcing rigid rules.
Visual Spectrum
- On the unstructured end, apps are similar to sticky notes—flexible, with minimal constraints. They’re great for people who prefer to work on the fly or already have an established system in place.
- On the structured end, apps function more like planner journals, perfect for those who need a lot of guidance and organization.
![[Unstructured from Canva.jpg]]
Where you fall on this spectrum will depend on how much structure you want or need in your workflow.
3. Clears Your Mind
At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of a task manager is to free up your mental bandwidth. You need to trust that your to-do app is keeping track of everything so you don’t have to. A reliable system lets you focus on what’s important, rather than worrying about missing tasks or deadlines.
My Setup in Things 3
Before diving into the details of my Things 3 setup, a quick disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post. I’ve simply been using Things 3 for over a year, and I find it incredibly useful for my workflow.
Overview of Things 3
Things 3 offers a minimalist user interface that’s easy to navigate. Here’s how I typically use it:
- Views at the top include: Inbox, Today, Upcoming, etc.
- I organize tasks into Areas and Projects, depending on what I’m working on.
- Tags are available, but I don’t use them much.
Most of the time, I’m working in the Today view. I review new ideas in my Inbox throughout the week and scan my projects/areas every morning to plan out my day.
Here are my current Areas:
- Work
- Personal
- Home
- Side Projects
Because my workload mostly comes from my job, I’m a bit more relaxed about my other areas.
Capturing Tasks
One of Things 3’s standout features is its Quick Entry. With a simple keyboard shortcut, I can add tasks immediately, which then go into my Inbox for later sorting. This feature is invaluable when I need to quickly jot something down without interrupting my flow.
Due Dates vs. "Do" Dates
Things 3 distinguishes between Due Dates and "Do" Dates:
- When dates are when tasks appear in your Today view.
- Deadlines are when tasks are actually due.
Most of the time, I assign a “Do” date for when I’ll start working on a task, but for time-sensitive tasks—like checking into a flight—I’ll set a Deadline with a Reminder.
Things 3 is also forgiving when it comes to overdue tasks. Overdue Deadlines are marked as critical, while tasks without deadlines are simply rolled over to the next day.
Notes and Subtasks
While I prefer to take detailed work notes on paper, I use Task Notes in Things 3 to jot down quick, task-specific information. This is especially helpful for fleeting details that won’t matter once the task is completed. Things 3 also offers Checklists for breaking down larger tasks into smaller steps—useful when a task involves multiple actions.
Repeat Tasks
Things 3 supports both Recurring tasks (on a fixed schedule) and tasks that repeat After Completion (relative to when they were last completed). Initially, it can be a bit tricky to figure out how these work, but once you get the hang of it, they’re a great way to stay on top of recurring to-dos.
Summary
Things 3 has been a fantastic tool for managing my personal tasks, and I always come back to it when I feel overwhelmed by my to-do list. It’s not designed for collaboration or non-Apple users, but for personal productivity, it’s been a game-changer in my workflow. I hope some of the principles and features I’ve outlined here help you create a system that works for you.
Remember, the best to-do app is one that clears your mind and allows you to focus on what matters most.
Social