I am really QUITE keen on lists. Are you? I find that a list gives me a sense of purpose, and a sense of calm. I love to write even the smallest tasks down and tick them off with a satisfied flourish (even if the thing I wrote down was a thing I have already done.) I like to keep track of my progress and look over the ticked lists at the end of the day, marvelling at my productivity. Are you that kind of person too? Perhaps you are less silly about it than me, but I am sure that you share my can-do intent. Don't you?
I have 375 notebooks which contain lists in various states of completion. I also have lists on store receipts, old envelopes, post it notes and other random shreds of paper. It's a teensy bit ad hoc. But it's very sustainable, I think. No scrap goes unused. You can call me the crazy scrap lady.
All these scrappy good intentions lead me to
Twitter a few days ago. I wanted to canvas the people who know (people on Twitter DO KNOW STUFF!) I wanted to find out about good To-Do lists apps, and especially about any To-Do Lists which might sit on your computer and sync to a smart phone. Here are some of the Apps people recommended, and some which I like too!
1.
Teux Deux :: You might know about this app if you are a
Swiss Miss fan. It's a collaboration betwixt herself (Swiss Miss) and her studio buds
Fictive Kin. I really like this one because it's lovely to look at and simple to use. You access the Teux Deux website, log in and type in your to-dos, download the Teux Deux app for your phone (it's $2.99 well spent) and then your task list will sync between the two (or indeed on your iPad or iPod Touch). It's a super simple platform, no extra unnecessary bits and pieces to hurt your eyes, and you can just cross tasks off with the tap of a finger when completed, while uncrossed tasks will automatically transfer to the next day for (hopeful) completion. The whole syncing between computer and phone is important to me, because I prefer to use my computer for most things. I don't like tapping on my iPhone. I would much rather use a keyboard. Syncing means I can type everything in via my regular web browser on my computer, and then it's all on my phone when I head out. No frustrating dorking about with that tiny iPhone keyboard. I like that. Thank you Swiss Miss and Fictive Kin!
2.
Seize The Day :: This is an iPhone only To-Do list. Bum. No syncing or browser access. I still like it because it is nice and simple and has cute features like 'Completed Tasks' list (perfect for those of us who need a little morale boost sometimes!), task prioritizing, task tagging and daily reminders. I quite like my phone to let me know what I need to do today, and (like most of these To-Do lists) Seize The Day will send a reminder list daily and get me up and at 'em. Like Teux Deux, it will carry forgotten or incomplete tasks over to the next day. And I like the name. So there you go. Shame that it doesn't sync to my computer, but I still like it because it's not over designed.
3.
Evernote :: You may already be a user of Evernote. It syncs between your computer and iDevice and you KNOW that I like that. Mostly I use Evernote to clip web pages for offline viewing on my iPhone. I do that because my data plan is sucky and there are some things I want to view when I'm out and about, like book reviews, or recipes or the like. It's super good for me to save the whole page at home using my wireless and then access them offline on my phone when I'm shopping or in a meeting or whatever. On Twitter, people informed me that you can
make To-Do lists with Evernote too. I'm still finding my way around the myriad of things Evernote is capable of (if anyone wants to write a post for this blog about the Top Ten Things Evernote Can Do, then email me!).
4.
Producteev :: This is another one which syncs between computer and smart phone. Operated via a simple 'dashboard' launch pad, it's got tons of useful features, but still looks clean and uncomplicated. You can store tasks in folders (for instance I made folders like FRANKIE, JUSTB, BLOG, NICE LUNCHES & BILLS TO PAY) to keep things less cluttered (especially your brain!) Producteev also lets you add other users to your To-Do lists, so that you can delegate tasks amongst a team. How cool is that? V excellent for collaborating and team work. It has other great features, like the ability to email tasks or send them to Twitter for a bit of crowd sourced help. Super dooper great, methinks. Impressive and useful.
5.
Todoist :: I really liked Todoist. It looks good and it's really easy to use. Again you can file your tasks in categories, schedule them, prioritise them and access on your computer or smart phone. If you buy the premium version there are lots of other capabilities too, like adding to your task list via email. Todoist was my second best fave in terms of good looks, after Teux Deux, and its functionality is impeccable.
Are you feeling more organised now? Or were you already organised and using a different app or platform to do it?! Let me know if you can help with To-Do organising in the comments!
xx Pip
