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Managing Tasks [RTM, TextExpander, Tweetie, Milk Maid]


cc licensed flickr photo shared by hawkexpress

These days there is an overabundance of task managers and to-do lists for both Mac and iPhone. I’ve tried a lot of them, but when it comes down to it, I need something that is easy to use.

I have two basic requirements when it comes to task management. The first requirement is that it needs to always be at the end of my arm. The second requirement is that it needs to remind me of tasks before it’s too late.

The tools that I use to meet these requirements are simple, TextExpander, TextExpander Touch, Tweetie Mac, Tweetie iPhone*, Remember The Milk and Milk Maid. Some are probably obvious but some might be a bit odd.

Tooling The Input

RTM Tasks Screenshot

RTM Tasks Screenshot

This system revolves around Remember The Milk (RTM). I’ll start there. RTM is a web service for tracking tasks and receiving notifications when they are due. I’ve used RTM on and off over the years. I won’t go into too much detail on how to use RTM since it has been around for a while .

My problem with RTM has always been task input. I need an input method that is fast and easy. This piece of the puzzle has always eluded me.

My process became streamlined after I discovered that RTM accepts task input from Twitter. After the initial setup, adding tasks is as simple as sending a direct message to RTM. RTM has a SmartAdd syntax to keep tweets short.

iPhone Tweetie2 Screenshot

iPhone Tweetie2 Screenshot

My preferred Twitter client on my Mac and on my iPhone is Tweetie*, but any Twitter client will due. For convenience,  On my iMac I have ⌥ + t set to start a new Twitter message in Tweetie. Whenever I want to tweet or enter a task into Tweetie I mash those keys, up pops the new tweet window, I enter my task, hit ⌘ + Enter and then I am back to what I was doing before. Tweetie is on my iPhone’s dock so it can be launched quickly when I need to add tasks.

Task input is faster with the use of TextExpander on Mac and TextExpander Touch on iPhone. I’ve created text snippets that expand into dates or other bits of task specific text. As an example, if I type “ttmr” I will get tomorrow’s date in the format “month day @” like this “Apr 5 @”. I just need to add a time after the @ symbol to finish inputting my task.

Tweetie Desktop Task Input

Tweetie Desktop Task Input

This is a handy little snippet. I never remember the current day’s date, plus, on the iPhone I’d have to switch to the number keyboard to get “@”. I have other snippets for dates, places, task priority, etc.

The snippets that I create for RTM only contain letters and are not case sensitive. There are only letters on the main iPhone keyboard and I don’t want to have to switch between keyboards to get snippets to expand. I also don’t want iPhone’s auto capitalization to prevent a snippet from expanding.

What Do I Need To Do Again?

We can make task lists all day long but they are useless if there isn’t something to tap you on the shoulder. RTM can do the tapping.

RTM can be set to send email reminders, it can be added to iCal or Google Calendar, etc. But I have found the best source of reminders is Twitter. RTM will send you a direct message (DM) whenever a task is due, I also have RTM set to remind me thirty minutes before a task is due so that I have some warning. I get two notifications.

MilkMaid Screenshot

MilkMaid Screenshot

I use the iPhone app Boxcar to get push notifications. The push notifications I get from Boxcar cause my iPhone to beep and vibrate whenever I get a DM on twitter. The DMs also show up in my desktop Tweetie app, as well.

I use a small HUD like Mac app that displays all of my tasks, called Milk Maid. When I am at my computer I can see all of the tasks that I have left to complete for the day. I can then check them off as I complete them. Milk Maid is also useful while I am doing my daily review in the morning as I prepare for my day.

But I Do…

I know there are different tools out there that can do what I have explained above. This is my system that provides the best solution for me. There is an RTM iPhone app. I have used it. I find the RTM app a bit kludgey and not a fast method of input.

This system gives me a quick way to input tasks, a way to get notifications and an easy way to review tasks. I like RTM for task management because there are many tools out there that are built off of it. This gives me the flexibility to build a system on these tools and to adapt to new ones.

What’s your system?

*Tweetie 2 for iPhone has recently been acquired by Twitter. It will be renamed Twitter for iPhone and will be available for free. If you have yet to purchase it then I suggest you wait.

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View Comments

By Matt – April 19, 2010

  • http://www.randomwire.com David

    Nice article. I use Gmail Tasks for my personal tasks and Basecamp for my work tasks – love both for their simplicity. I don't bother about due dates just arrange the list in order or priority and work top-down. I find that tasks lists can be as crippling as the tasks themselves so just try to keep it simple!

  • http://blog.matthewhooper.com/ Matt Hooper

    I also try not to get too hung up on making lists. I try to make a note of tasks that need to be completed and when they are due so that I don't forget something in the future. Most importantly, I also need to be reminded.

  • http://www.randomwire.com David

    Nice article. I use Gmail Tasks for my personal tasks and Basecamp for my work tasks – love both for their simplicity. I don't bother about due dates just arrange the list in order or priority and work top-down. I find that tasks lists can be as crippling as the tasks themselves so just try to keep it simple!

  • http://blog.matthewhooper.com/ Matt Hooper

    I also try not to get too hung up on making lists. I try to make a note of tasks that need to be completed and when they are due so that I don't forget something in the future. Most importantly, I also need to be reminded.

  • http://www.czerwonka.co.uk Chris

    Great post, Matt. I find myself trying to get my head around the best way to handle task management in all the ways you describe. I also try not to get too hung up on lists, and I, too, place pre-eminent importance on getting tapped on the shoulder.

    I tried RTM but could never get comfortable with it. I found reQall about a year ago, and it's been a godsend. It tops my list in terms of ease of input with its voice input and transcription features. Pushing a button on its iPhone app and saying “respond to dinner invitation tomorrow 5pm” will send you a reminder at 5pm tomorrow, without fail. It can also send you daily memory jogs, forgotten items, and long-term check-ins on tabled tasks via e-mail, IM, and SMS, as well as sync with calendars/Evernote/others. It does fall short in overall task/list management on its website, but they say a complete re-design to make it slick and minimal is coming. Android is also coming soon. Highly recommended!

  • http://blog.matthewhooper.com/ Matt Hooper

    I'll take another look into reQall. I remember looking into it a while ago but wasn't happy with it. However, I can't remember what it was that I didn't like. It could have been in my pre-iPhone days which would make task input difficult. I have had similar experiences trying to get comfortable with RTM but now that I have put some effort into the method above I find that it really works for me.

  • http://www.blog.matthewhooper.com/want-to-know-the-secret-of-stress-free-email/ Want to Know the Secret of Stress Free Email?

    [...] using a label in Gmail I have called “Follow Up”. I still archive this email but I also send myself a reminder to follow up. I then ignore my inbox until 9am the next [...]

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