
The Best To-Do List: A Private Gist - Ashuu
http://carlsednaoui.com/post/70299468325/the-best-to-do-list-a-private-gist
======
rza
All the manual creation of checkboxes, deletion, and moving of tasks to me
makes Gist far from "The Best" to-do list. Personally, I find the lighweight
Google Tasks just fine, especially since there are many excellent mobile apps
that sync with it and builtin support for multiple lists. I wish the URL for
it was a bit more memorable though
([https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas?pli=1](https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas?pli=1)).
The only thing missing is date completed, which I personally don't find very
useful, but a calendar would probably be better if you want to keep track of
that.

Edit: Nevermind, it does save date completed.

------
davexunit
Correction:

The Best To-Do List: Org-Mode

[http://orgmode.org/](http://orgmode.org/)

~~~
Cacti
Combined with dropbox or some other remote storage and sync tool across
multiple devices, this works wonders. There is an org-mode app for mobile
devices as well. Of course people who dislike emacs might have a problem but
it's quite hackable and there is nothing to keep one from associated .org
files with emacs and using emacs just for todo lists (theres only about 5 or 8
commands in org-mode that you really have to know to be effective).

~~~
kro0ub
What's the accepted most mature Vim equivalent or clone for org mode? Is there
any?

~~~
catern
To make use of org-mode but use the familiar vim keybindings, I just use emacs
with evil-mode, the vim emulation mode. It works great. I've searched for a
vim-centered alternative to org-mode for a long time; this is the best way
I've found.

~~~
kro0ub
Thanks, so much. I might be in touch with you about this when I get around to
trying it out.

------
city41
I'm also a huge fan of todo lists. I like the simplicity of this approach. I
still feel like Trello is better though. Trello is almost perfect. It's
heavier for sure, but you gain a ton of flexibility and power.

My wife and I put an old iPad up on our fridge and use Trello to maintain
needed groceries, chores, household repairs, and upcoming events. Even better,
these lists automatically sync to our phones and PCs. I can just head to the
grocery store whenever I have a free moment and my grocery list is always up
to date and ready for me.

~~~
pc86
What do you use to keep the iPad on the fridge? We’ve been looking for a way
to repurpose an old one of ours and this may be perfect.

~~~
city41
We bought this: -- [http://www.ebay.com/itm/Combo-Magnetic-Refrigerator-
Fridge-W...](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Combo-Magnetic-Refrigerator-Fridge-Wall-
Mount-Bracket-Dock-iPad-
Gen-1-2-3-4-/310577417397?pt=US_Tablet_eReader_Mounts_Stands_Holders&hash=item484fdb4cb5)

but, the brackets are a bit too small, so the iPad doesn't fully sit well. The
iPad does stay put and hasn't fallen yet, but I'd recommend trying another
brand.

------
gkoberger
For me, it's still paper. Specifically, this paper:

[http://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-Visual-Journal--Mixed-
Media...](http://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-Visual-Journal--Mixed-
Media/dp/B003YIZ0HI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1388688389&sr=8-4&keywords=mixed+media+paper)

The spiral bound means it can be left open to the right page, and the thick
paper is great. Version control (new pages) is built in. And the best part is
that it's always right there in front of me, and I can glance down.

~~~
city41
Is it just an empty pad? Or is there something printed on the pages to give
some structure?

~~~
gkoberger
Empty pad -- I like it better that way. Sometimes my "TODO List" involves
mockups or doodles, sometimes it involves sub-todo lists, etc. I like the
flexibility.

I also only use a red pen for checking things off. Not sure why; it just feels
better.

------
stickhandle
Here's the thing ... the BEST to-do list is the one you use. Its that simple.
For me, that's Workflowy.

~~~
neves
the link: [https://workflowy.com/](https://workflowy.com/)

------
knowtheory
None of the complaints in this thread consider the utility of creating
sharable checklists.

The ability to quickly slam a checklist into a gist and share it with others
is very handy.

------
outside1234
I just use a file in Dropbox. That is devastatingly effective for me -
available across devices and offline.

~~~
carlsednaoui
I like this approach, will definitely give it a try.

How do you structure your dropbox file? Is it a simple running list of tasks?
(.txt)

~~~
outside1234
Yup - i have two files: work and personal and that's it.

Just two files forces me to prioritize within these two spheres.

~~~
carlsednaoui
Interesting, I'll give this a go with my personal to-do (for that one I
currently use a gdoc).

Thanks for sharing!

------
desireco42
I think wunderlist is pretty much what stayed with me for longest. Everything
else kind of falls away. And paper of course :)

I appreciate innovations in this space, however I stopped even trying new
things as experience shows they don't bring much once novelty wears off.

~~~
collyw
I keep on thinking about writing one that actually mirrors the way I think of
tasks.

I don't think of all tasks equally. I have long term things, that usually get
put off until they are not so long term. Big things that can be subtasked.
Small things. Important things. Things that need done by lunchtime. So far I
have not seen one that does anything like this. Does anyone know of one?

Anyway, writing it will be on my todo list.

------
res0nat0r
I like Wunderlist. Cross platform, syncs and all kinds of other goodies. Can
send to-do items to other people via their email addresses also.

[https://www.wunderlist.com/en/](https://www.wunderlist.com/en/)

------
Zikes
I like that this is an option, and it's certainly a great option for some
people, but calling it the "best" based on "it turns brackets into
checkboxes!" is a bit of a stretch.

I do think that gists could be an ideal platform for a more robust todo list,
though. It could easily serve as a backend for todotxt [1], for example.

[1] [http://todotxt.com/](http://todotxt.com/)

~~~
carlsednaoui
Hi Zikes, author here: This is the best to-do list for _me_ —given my current
workflow. I'm in front of my browser with GitHub open 90% of the day and this
option fits nicely with my day-to-day activities.

That being said, I definitely think that the _best_ to-do list depends on each
person's workflow (the gist approach would be terrible for a real estate
person that's always on the run, for example).

Do you use [http://todotxt.com/](http://todotxt.com/)? I hadn't heard of it
before, maybe it's worth giving it a shot :)

~~~
Zikes
Hi Carl! I think we're in agreement, I can see gists being ideal for many
people, I just didn't plug in that mental "for me" in the title.

I have used todotxt in the past and it served me very well. It was originally
developed as a simple bash script by Gina Trapani (of Lifehacker fame) and
became such a hit that a strong community of developers formed around it,
creating interfaces into the todotxt format in a variety of languages and
environments.

The fact that it stores all of its data in a single (or series of) simple text
file(s) is what makes it really great, as it becomes portable, human-readable,
and modifiable if you should find yourself needing to interact with your todo
list without any of the tools or scripts handy.

Unfortunately I haven't had a very good track record of keeping up with any of
the many todo list applications or variations that I've tried, but every time
I decide to try again I start with todotxt.

------
asb
I've been using my own minamilist todo-list manager for the last couple of
year: [https://github.com/asb/sh-todo](https://github.com/asb/sh-todo)

However I've recently found I want to have some sort of task hierarchy, and to
associate notes with tasks. I was going to just extend my text-based file
format but luckily came across taskpaper which is pretty much exactly what I
was aiming for. I'm now playing with taskpaper.vim and finding it promising:
<[https://github.com/davidoc/taskpaper.vim>](https://github.com/davidoc/taskpaper.vim>).
I just need to reconfigure vim's display of folded blocks so having all task
comments folded is less painful.

------
codereflection
This is a nice idea. Gists are also cloneable, giving you the the power of git
and any tooling that you want to use to update your list.

Also, come on people, you all know that "Best" is subjective. This is the best
tool for this guy, so there's no need to shoot it down.

~~~
buro9
If the Android Github app were updated such that the Gist support was a little
richer for things like Markdown and those checkboxes, then I really think this
might be the best.

The hardest bit I have with todo lists is keeping them current and accessible,
meaning syncing across all devices and work-stations/laptops. Git is perfect
for this, and this use of Github Flavored Markdown is pretty neat... the only
missing thing is a mobile way to manage them efficiently.

~~~
codereflection
I've also found that the gist support on Android GitHub is poor. Hopefully
this will improve in the future. The nice thing about GitHub is that they
listen to feedback. Most likely someone there is reading these comments.

------
aagha
I'm continually astonished by the number of HN posts on what the best tool to
do something is. The reality is that there are often different tools for
different needs and there need NOT be just one tool to rule them all.

I find that I keep short-term notes--need to know in in the next hour--in a
notepad on my desktop. Tasks that need to be accomplished in the next day+ go
into Google Tasks. Things that need elaboration, depth, detail go into
Workflowy [0].

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmbnaPZVHE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmbnaPZVHE)

------
apunic
The best to-do list: a raw text file

A line = a task

Deleting a line = task finished

A text file = a list of tasks related to some context

The best and fastest editor for this on a Mac: NValt

This is the most efficient and simple solution for managing plenty of todos,
no cumbersome rules, check boxes, markdown, web interfaces.

~~~
neves
Great! But I need: 1) to access it from my linux home PC; 2) access it from my
windows work PC (I can't sync it using a version control since I can't store
my proxy password in a cleartext file) 3) access it from my android tablet 4)
Everything must be synched.

~~~
apunic
Just put the text file on Dropbox and use any available text editor on
mentioned clients. Regarding pwds: I separate pwds and todos.

------
pkrumins
You should try todoist - www.todoist.com. Todoist really is the best to-do
list manager.

------
treetrouble
I've tried a lot of programs but always come back to using a low-tech Gmail
draft.

In this particular case, the advantage over gist is that you can edit it
offline on mobile (I ride the subway) and it syncs automatically

------
jlgaddis
I haven't used it in years but this reminded me of TiddlyWiki [0], which will
work whether you have Internet access or not.

[0]: [http://tiddlywiki.org/](http://tiddlywiki.org/)

~~~
paulyg
Tiddlywiki used to be my favorite thing for keeping todo lists and notes about
whatever I am working on. It has not aged gracefully though. There have been
several issues as web browsers have tightened permissions surrounding file://
URIs. It works on mobile but its very clunky. I wrote a simple http back end
for it but every time I request the file ornsave I am sending 1MB+ of data
across the network. The author of Tiddlywiki is working on a next gen version
but its still lacking some things I want too see like offline use via
indexeddb.

All that being said I have been doing something similar to the OP but using
Google Keep. It works offline, on mobile, or on the desktop.

------
wcbeard10
I recommend using gistbox [0]. It allows tagging and other features that make
gist convenient as a todo list.

[0]- [http://www.gistboxapp.com/](http://www.gistboxapp.com/)

------
thrush
This is great, simple and easy. I wish that it didn't save a revision every
time you checked an item. I'm more interested in keeping revisions on how my
list items change. Granted, there could be some value in knowing when I
completed items, but that being said, when you check an item is not
necessarily when it was completed.

------
SilkRoadie
I prefer a pen and paper.

1\. Doesn't require a login

2\. Is always visible on my desk and not lost behind a window.

3\. Supports crude drawings.

4\. Doesn't require power or an internet connection.

I have yet to find an online equivilant which comes close to being as fast or
useful as pen and paper for creating and maintaining a personal list of to-
do's.

------
deadfall
I use Evernote to create todo lists while programming. I name the title
todo_[date] or note_[date] that way I can go back to dates in the list and see
what I have missed. I see it as simple as gist todo lists but with IMO a
better UI for better search/organization.

------
designatedInit
Shameless plug here, check out my iPhone app Begin:
[http://beginapp.co/](http://beginapp.co/)

It's goal is to be an extremely simple to-do list. I'd love to hear what you
guys think.

~~~
ycmike
This looks super impressive. Angry I just left my iPhone in a cab :(

~~~
designatedInit
Thanks! Sorry about your phone :(

~~~
ycmike
haha. you didn't do it!

------
moron4hire
I've spent a lot of time thinking about TODO lists and trying different
solutions. Eventually, I settled on a very specific means of using good, old,
pen-and-paper.

I think probably the most important feature of the TODO list is that it gives
you mental clarity. Both the popular book "Getting Things Done" and a career
couch I worked with for several months talk about the importance of clearing
the mind before being able to begin work in earnest. If you have "do the
laundry" stuck in your head, it's going to be a major hurdle for getting
through work. So, having some sort of system to capture everything that needs
to be done is essential for staying on task with work.

So that means that the most important feature of TODO is capture. Any system
that imposes overhead on capturing items for your TODO list will eventually
fall out of habit. You'll start to mentally prioritize which things go on the
list and which things do not. That ultimately defeats the purpose of the TODO
list, to get things out of mind, squirreled away in a safe place.

Thus, very formal issue trackers like BugZilla or Redmine (or anything else
that has a separate "issue entry page") are far too cumbersome for capture.

But being streamlined on capture is not the whole solution. Having used sites
like PivotalTracker or Trello, I've fallen into traps of recording TOO much.
Certain pie-in-the-sky tasks will sit in the list for months on end, getting
no closer to ever getting worked on. It then becomes its own mental burden,
worrying about whether or not certain TODO items will end up in that moribund
pile. I even tried writing my own that had an arbitrary limit to the number of
items I could enter. It just didn't feel right. It was always too easy to just
bump up the limit and keep adding items.

So with all of my experience with various activity and issue tracking systems,
I went straight back to pen and paper. My system is very simple, but it is not
from lack of design. Its simplicity is the design.

I use an ink pen on a yellow legal pad. The pads are cheap and readily
available. The ink requires strike-throughs for error corrections. I write in
two columns, but only to be able to use all of the paper. There is no semantic
difference between the two columns.

I do not number things, unless I'm in crunch mode and am working very fast
through a series of items. I am more likely to underline the high priority
items, rather than number them. I don't think it's really possible to
prioritize things any more than "things I'm working on in the next few hours"
versus "things I'm not working on soon." Anything more than that really calls
into question the entire concept of priority for me. It's easy enough to scan
the list and figure out priority as I work. I can also rewrite the list with
higher priority items at the top if necessary. Usually it's not necessary.

Completed items get scratched out, fairly heavily. The goal is then to fill
the page with ink. It becomes a motivating factor to finish the last few items
on the list.

The list is limited to 2 columns only and is not allowed to spill on to a
second page. I rewrite the list either once a week or (more often) when the
page is full to remove the completed items. I did three columns for a while,
but it started to develop a deadpool at the bottom right end of the page, so I
went back to two columns. Multiple pages would be even worse, and would make
it harder to scan the total list. That basically means I'm limited to a max of
50 or so active items on my TODO list. I've found that, if I need much more
than 50, then I've failed to manage my work correctly. The desire to record
more is a signal that I'm procrastinating things and taking on too many
commitments.

And that's it. Any other feature of TODO list tracking is either too
restricting on capture or too enabling on over capture. Pen and paper is it
for me.

~~~
beat
That reminds me of another paper system I used for a while. Add new tasks to
the page. When it fills, write all unfinished tasks on the next page, and mark
them with a star to show they've been moved. Next time you move tasks, do NOT
move tasks that were starred.

Basically, it's a tacit admission that you're not going to get around to it.
This is good, because for most of us, our true to-do list is deeper than our
ability or will to finish it. Deleting the backburner things helps reduce
guilt.

~~~
moron4hire
Yes, it's very important to delete backburner stuff. I've failed those
projects whether or not I admit it. Admitting it is the only way to move
forward. It's better both for me and the thing that needs to be done.

------
dsugarman
it is pretty cool how you use the revision history for something unique, but
this needs to be simplified greatly. It seems like if you made an app that
automatically changes the list and updates git, it would be extremely
efficient. I would put a create today's list link in that gives you a popup
that you can fill out with just a task per line that turns into a checklist.

------
doomrobo
There isn't a decent client for Android that can edit a Gist very easily. I
keep my to-do list either on Google Tasks or as Gmail draft.

------
gokulk
I use workflowy and it works pretty nice

------
dynamic99
I'm still a huge fan of Vesper. It's the perfect TODO list. It just works.

