Skip to Content

In search of a GTD solution

An application called Today was released recently by the developers of PocketTweets. It's a $15 application that integrates with iCal to display tasks and events, offering a complete interface for entering new tasks and events without opening iCal. It came at a time when I was furiously trying to make a homebrew task management system come to fruition using iCal and Mail, but ultimately left me in a not-much-better place than I started. I appreciate the simplicity of the app, but it doesn't provide much power beyond just using iCal to begin with.


Anxiety
, which is free (and features a HUD interface which somehow always earns points in my book), provides similar integration -- at least for tasks -- as do several other great little applications. But none of them allow for the task sorting, flagging, etc. that would make them truly useful to me.

So I tried to make my own way...


This round of solution-searching began with a post by Dennis Best titled Getting things done (simply) in Leopard. It outlined a system where iCal calendars are your contexts (or areas of responsibility), To-dos are created in Mail, Mail Notes become projects, and Smart Mailboxes were used to interesting ends. It even had a tagging system, allowing for great flexibility. This was highly appealing to me given its close integration with my primary source of tasks and information: email. Add things like automatic Jott integration, external links, a certain amount of AppleScript integration and the possibilities seemed pretty intoxicating.

I currently use OmniFocus for task management and I'm happy with it in most areas. In the end, though, I'm searching more for a project management system combined with a GTD application; one that can handle project notes and file attachments more fluidly. But the more I toyed with variations on Dennis' system, the more I ran into deal-killing problems which can be summed up fairly quickly: note editing in Mail stinks, linking external files is a pain, and sorting tasks and defining next actions scattered throughout Mail Notes is just too much work.

Like I said, OmniFocus is quite good. And I do have a lot of hope for Things. A recent post at the Things blog details the upcoming iCal integration, which looks spectacular and allows smaller apps like Today or Anxiety to act as interfaces. I'm hoping it catches up soon with features like Applescripting and Mail integration.

What I really want is a solution that wraps up the fun and power of Bento and the note-taking, link-handling greatness that is VoodooPad Pro or Mindjet MindManager into something as skilled at task management as OmniFocus or Things. Until I find it, I'm sticking with OmniFocus and a barrage of Applescripts. And when I do find it, I'm sure that -- as if by magic -- I'll become so productive that I can make up for all of the time lost searching for it.



Categories

Productivity

An application called Today was released recently by the developers of PocketTweets. It's a $15 application that integrates with iCal to...
 

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

22 Comments

Filter by:
DanGTD

For implementing GTD you might try out this web-based application:

http://www.gtdagenda.com

You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A mobile version is available too.

As with the last update, now you can add or invite Contacts, and share your Projects and Contexts with them.

Hope you like it.

June 19 2008 at 6:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DanGTD

For implementing GTD you might try out this web-based application:

http://www.gtdagenda.com

You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A mobile version is available too.

As with the last update, now Gtdagenda has full Someday/Maybe functionality, you can easily move your tasks and projects between "Active", "Someday/Maybe" and "Archive". This will clear your mind, and will boost your productivity.

Hope you like it.

May 19 2008 at 11:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
hliljegren

I've used several GTD apps but more and more find myself returning to simpler solutions (as suggested by the GTD book). Currently I'm using Notebook from circusponies which is not a true GTD app at all but is really flexible, and easily links to everything else.

But in the end I also find that the search for the ultimate GTD-solution is mostly an excuse for not doing the things I need to do. As long as I don't have the super-duper ultra special GTD app I can blame the system for not working properly...

May 01 2008 at 4:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Maddog

Currently, I use the preview build of Things, and I find it's pretty fantastic.

April 30 2008 at 11:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Vinod

A new project is in the making.
http://karmatodo.com/

April 30 2008 at 10:27 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Michael

I hate to wax enthusiastic about a Microsoft product, but the solution (if you don't mind dropping a few bucks) is Entourage. Yes, I'm aware of all the negatives -- the less-than-inspiring esthetics, the one-big-database factor, etc. -- but I've been trying unsuccessfully for years to cobble together a system with the power and flexibility I have after a few days of configuring E'rage 2008 to my way of working. Unlimited categories and saved searches make compiling lists (GTD context lists, a DIT "will do" list, priorities, life areas, or whatever) a snap, everything can be linked.... Best of all, E'rage just may have the most extensive AppleScript support of any application. Among other things, that means I can rapidly create a linked task from an e-mail, I can integrate with FileMaker and other scriptable apps, and using FastScripts or Quicksilver or Butler I can set up a systemwide keyboard shortcut for quick entry of new tasks (or events, notes, contacts, etc.).

April 30 2008 at 10:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brett Ellis

Someone please give me an iTunes version of a GTD & Project Management solution. Let me drag in links to files, emails, events (sync with ical), and tasks (sync with ical). Throw in quickview, finder comments, and smartfolders. And most importantly let me add a couple of additional fields of my own such as contexts and projects. Apple you can even call it iProject or iWhatever_you_like.

The closest and clunkiest alternative I have found has been daylite, and don't get me started on how much I loathe this software but am stuck with it for the time being.

April 30 2008 at 9:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sinned Sevorg

I was a big, big fan of Anxiety and then I discovered "Things"; if your looking for OSX GTD it is the cream of the crop.

I however, needed a cross platforum solution - so I settled upon emacs org-mode and a plain text file on a USB keychain; and while not as graphical - it is so amazingly powerful, I wish I had done this much, much sooner.

April 30 2008 at 6:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Toon Lenaerts

Why is everyone overlooking 'Remember The Milk', http://www.rememberthemilk.com/ ? It's free, web-based (iPod/iPhone too), tags, smart lists, iCal feeds, several integration/sync possibilities, ...
You can find a short overview on: http://www.rememberthemilk.com/help/guide/

I'm only waiting for someone to develop a RTM desktop application that uses the RTM API and integrates with Mail and iCal...

April 30 2008 at 2:38 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Preston Holmes

I had the same issue with needing notes and files associated with my task and found my answer in Journler. I created an OmniFocus toolbar script that creates a Journler entry for your current OmniFocus task. It then uses links to link the two. So you can jump back and forth between them easily. If you already have a note for a task in OmniFocus, it moves it to Journler.

http://www.journler.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3457

Then, because I used to use OmniOutliner for note taking, I have another script that creates an embedded OmniOutliner document in a Journler entry.

http://www.journler.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3461

Between these two apps, I'm pretty happy.

-P

April 30 2008 at 12:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Hot Apps on TUAW

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.