Before there was paper, we probably use our memory to remember the things we need to do. But there is a limit to how much we can recall. The introduction of paper and ink solves this. It couldn’t get simpler than this combination of writing the tasks onto the paper. No fuss, all convenience. We can have them anywhere, but they’re prone to misplacement.
Then came smartphone. In our pocket, on our hands, it’s always somewhere close to us. The abundance of apps thrive and to-do list become ubiquitous. For what was once a simple and easy action, our more complex lifestyle and work environment demand a more measured approach of managing our tasks.
Skeuomorphism design dominated the selections for a while. We just couldn’t leave behind the ticks and checkmarks and the conventional method of entering the due date for every task. We need to get the task out of our mind first, before deciding how and when to act on it. It feels forced when we have no option other than entering a date, any date, in order to log the task in.
What I’m using:
Clear is the revolutionary app that propels the entire category of list-making – whimsical shakes, pull down to create an item, slide to complete item, pinching in and out. The extremely well thought gestures are great for iPhone. Though it’s on my home screen, I’m using it sparingly now in place of Checkmark.
Without Checkmark, I would have missed a lot of deadlines and most things wouldn’t get done. I need something to remind me exactly what to do at that particular time. They range from recurring weekly Sunday reminder like “bring house key” to “pay handphone bill”. I use it with conjunction with Fantastical and together they’ve made my life more oraganized.
Fantastical is the gold mark for calendar app. With the natural language processing, setting appointment is as easy as typing “interview tomorrow at 4pm”. I don’t use the reminder feature, preferring to leave the app clean for appointments and special occasions.
These triage of have made me more organised and productive. Without them, life would be probably full of loose papers scatter everywhere.