36 replies to this topic

[Bes Zain]

Hey everyone,

I've read several threads and understand completely that it's a good thing at the moment (or forever) that Evernote is not going to focus on being a more dedicated Todo list and/or Tasks organizer that does things like sync with Google Tasks OR remind us of overdue tasks or things like that.

I had 4 questions related to todo and tasks lists please:

1 : Is there any app (Web OR Android), besides Zendone ( http://www.zendone.com ), that allows us to use Evernote to create, manage and work with todo lists and tasks or similar things?

Google Tasks sync is of course nice (I use Astrid to manage it - just the app version), though since Evernote is handling all my information at the moment, I would like to use Evernote to manage tasks also and put everything information related into Evernote (and 100% willing to forget Google Tasks).

2 : One thing I may miss, if the above is possible, is using a todo OR tasks app with location based features (like remind me of a task OR a todo when I'm near some place). Is there something I can do in a similar fashion with Evernote directly OR through an app?

Of course, this is not essential and I can definitely do this via Tasker on Android separately for such tasks/todo's if nothing like this is possible via Evernote.

3 : Is there anything else out there like Zendone?

4 : Can you please recommend any specific threads where I can get an idea of how all of you are managing your Todo and Tasks directly in Evernote? If that's the way to go, I'm going (and am very happy) to learn. Searching the forums now while I type this and going through different threads to see how all of you do it.

Thanks for reading!

[jbenson2]

I've been using TuskTools Calendar. It is in beta right now.

Here is a forum discussion about the program.
http://discussion.ev...dpost__p__98053

My favorite method however is to use the Evernote "Created Date" field as my task reminder date for appointments, reminders, and events.
There are some drawbacks to this however.

[Bes Zain]

I've been using TuskTools Calendar. It is in beta right now.

Here is a forum discussion about the program.
http://discussion.ev...dpost__p__98053

My favorite method however is to use the Evernote "Created Date" field as my task reminder date for appointments, reminders, and events.
There are some drawbacks to this however.

Thanks so much! Really appreciate it. Testing it now.

Also, if possible, please let me know (Benson or anyone else) if you run into something similar that's online OR for Android. I'm away from my laptop a lot too and would love to do this and similar things on the go.

[gazumped]

+1 for changing the "created date" to a future date - I also have a triple hash "###" in front of the note header so there's an in-your-face reminder that this note is about something that hasn't happened yet. I'm also on Android, and the same process works for me - list the notes in creation date order and scroll down to today's date; that's my task list for future activities. Also using TuskTools which has a different date format to get used to, and MindonTrack which is a cut-down mind-mapping application that has some project control and date management functions and links to Evernote note URLs.

If you have your notebook set to "local" and add new notes via the mobile following the created date method, you'll sync your desktop back up to speed when you next connect.

[peterfmartin]

3 : Is there anything else out there like Zendone?

What do you mean, exactly?

4 : Can you please recommend any specific threads where I can get an idea of how all of you are managing your Todo and Tasks directly in Evernote? If that's the way to go, I'm going (and am very happy) to learn. Searching the forums now while I type this and going through different threads to see how all of you do it.

I'm not sure whether I've posted this before, so here it is: I use a basic GTD-inspired-but-personally-tailored tag system that has worked far better for me than Zendone, Remember the Milk, or other reminder-focused programs. I have a few context-, priority-, and timeliness tags that I apply to notes as applicable. There's no need to share my specific tags here on the forum, but I'm happy to send screen shots to anyone interested. The takeaway, though, is just that I've found that, for me at least, one task per note is the way to go (with titles kept very simple, like "Email Jane about project X," and any related, necessary info in the note bodies), and the right tags grouped together under a "Tasks" or equivalent parent tag allow for instant and easy viewing of all tasks.

[Owyn]

one task per note

Agreed.
In fact, this is a specific case of a general principal. Lots of small notes with limited scope per note are in general better. Tags, meaningful titles, keywords, notebooks, etc. plus search makes it very easy to meaningfully group related items. Even if their relationship wasn't foreseen.

[Bes Zain]

+1 for changing the "created date" to a future date - I also have a triple hash "###" in front of the note header so there's an in-your-face reminder that this note is about something that hasn't happened yet. I'm also on Android, and the same process works for me - list the notes in creation date order and scroll down to today's date; that's my task list for future activities. Also using TuskTools which has a different date format to get used to, and MindonTrack which is a cut-down mind-mapping application that has some project control and date management functions and links to Evernote note URLs.

If you have your notebook set to "local" and add new notes via the mobile following the created date method, you'll sync your desktop back up to speed when you next connect.

Thanks! This is something I think I've seen you and others recommend/mention a lot, so I'm going to start trying it from tonight and see if I can get used to it.

3 : Is there anything else out there like Zendone?

What do you mean, exactly?

4 : Can you please recommend any specific threads where I can get an idea of how all of you are managing your Todo and Tasks directly in Evernote? If that's the way to go, I'm going (and am very happy) to learn. Searching the forums now while I type this and going through different threads to see how all of you do it.

I'm not sure whether I've posted this before, so here it is: I use a basic GTD-inspired-but-personally-tailored tag system that has worked far better for me than Zendone, Remember the Milk, or other reminder-focused programs. I have a few context-, priority-, and timeliness tags that I apply to notes as applicable. There's no need to share my specific tags here on the forum, but I'm happy to send screen shots to anyone interested. The takeaway, though, is just that I've found that, for me at least, one task per note is the way to go (with titles kept very simple, like "Email Jane about project X," and any related, necessary info in the note bodies), and the right tags grouped together under a "Tasks" or equivalent parent tag allow for instant and easy viewing of all tasks.

Thanks for the reply!

- By Zendone, I meant any kind of mobile website OR an Android app that took our actual Evernote notes and turned them into items/todo-list/entities to work on, while following all the guidelines and Evernote protocols, and while keeping all the Evernote information inside Evernote.

- I was hoping for any kind of integration of any piece of information (aka tasks/etc) with Google Calendar. Snapcal is there, though it's not for Android and there's no online service I can think of, besides Zendone, that allows me to directly or indirectly connect Google Calendar with Evernote.

- I really like what you and others are doing here: simple Evernote notes with tags to serve as tasks

- I'm changing my actual life (literally) to Simplism (Minimalism?) to have at least minimalistic tools and methods available to do things I want. Evernote seems to be the perfect tool for me to allow me to be minimalistic when it comes to storing and managing almost any kind information. Zendone is extremely beautiful, though that's where the issue for me begins: it is too much work to simply create, process and do tasks, and it is yet another tool to manage and handle on top of everything I have.

I want to make a task, look at it to see it exists, work on it, and then simply check(mark) it away to mark it done!

- I use Google Tasks a lot right now with Astrid (Android), and am feeling strongly that I can eliminate those 2 extra tools/things in my life that I have to constantly think about (using Google Tasks and having Astrid) by having Evernote do one more thing for me: managing my tasks with some time related OR reminder OR sorting function.

- I'm going to start doing (from tonight) what you, Owyn and others are doing here with your tasks and future date tips. I just have to unhook myself right away from how I'm used to Google Tasks and apps like Astrid, and have to start understanding and utilizing the Evernote tags and "Created Date" a lot more.

one task per note

Agreed.
In fact, this is a specific case of a general principal. Lots of small notes with limited scope per note are in general better. Tags, meaningful titles, keywords, notebooks, etc. plus search makes it very easy to meaningfully group related items. Even if their relationship wasn't foreseen.

Thanks Owyn, will start with that and see how that comes out to be. The simpler the system to do exactly what I want (even if it means I have to change a bit what I want to achieve the same result --> satisfaction and meeting my own tasks OR modifying myself to have better tasks OR thoughts), the better. I can see myself not worrying about so many different things I worry about every week now with Google Tasks and any tasks app. Here are some things (the minimum that I can think of) I have to constantly think about:

1 : Astrid on Android
2 : Astrid power pack extension to have a better widget
3 : Google Tasks in Gmail
4 : Google Tasks compatible extensions in Chrome
5 : Android Market updates to see if Astrid is still the best tasks app, or if there's something else that's better
6 : Trying Google Calendar with the Tasks
(7 : Probably other things)

Those are too many things to think about and consider just to have one simple tasks of having a task management system in life. Zendone looks beautiful and has direct Google Calendar integration, though again, it's more work than I think it can be, at least for what I want.

Thanks again! I'll keep trying what you're all suggesting.

[peterfmartin]

I want to make a task, look at it to see it exists, work on it, and then simply check(mark) it away to mark it done!

Small recommendation, given what you've said you want to do, if you do all this in Evernote: Don't bother with check boxes; just delete task notes when the tasks are done. Why? There's no need for check boxes if you have one task per note. It's easier to see what tasks you have to do (as well as see the deadline, context, etc.) with tags than with the search "todo:false." It's easier to delete a note than to check a check box. And if you want to be minimalist, even in your digital life, there's no reason to have a log of your completed tasks. Just delete them.

[Owyn]

I want to make a task, look at it to see it exists, work on it, and then simply check(mark) it away to mark it done!

Small recommendation, given what you've said you want to do, if you do all this in Evernote: Don't bother with check boxes; just delete task notes when the tasks are done. Why? There's no need for check boxes if you have one task per note. It's easier to see what tasks you have to do (as well as see the deadline, context, etc.) with tags than with the search "todo:false." It's easier to delete a note than to check a check box. And if you want to be minimalist, even in your digital life, there's no reason to have a log of your completed tasks. Just delete them.

Sorry, but I am completely in the opposite camp on this item. Perhaps because I am also an anal journaller.

I almost always add at least a date-time stamp to a task note when I work on it.
I follow this with any notes specific to completing that task.
Sometimes I add a checkbox list of detailed activities needed to complete the task. These keep me organized as I work through the task. They also make it very easy to get back to a task if I am interrupted and go off to do something else.
When done a search by "todo:true" with order Date Updated descending (newest first) gives me a quick review of what has been accomplished.

My 2cents.

[peterfmartin]

I suggested what I did because Bes Zain said this:

Evernote seems to be the perfect tool for me to allow me to be minimalistic when it comes to storing and managing almost any kind information.

Anyway, see what works for you. I hope we've helped.

[funkiestj]

I want to make a task, look at it to see it exists, work on it, and then simply check(mark) it away to mark it done!

Small recommendation, given what you've said you want to do, if you do all this in Evernote: Don't bother with check boxes; just delete task notes when the tasks are done. Why? There's no need for check boxes if you have one task per note. It's easier to see what tasks you have to do (as well as see the deadline, context, etc.) with tags than with the search "todo:false." It's easier to delete a note than to check a check box. And if you want to be minimalist, even in your digital life, there's no reason to have a log of your completed tasks. Just delete them.

Sorry, but I am completely in the opposite camp on this item. Perhaps because I am also an anal journaller.

I almost always add at least a date-time stamp to a task note when I work on it.
I follow this with any notes specific to completing that task.

I don't delete notes of completed tasks because I desire an audit trail of the past. What I do is delete tags and retag notes when the task is complete. In my GTD implementation, single tags represent lists. Viewing my @home context list is simply achieved searching by the @home tag.

I also use single notes for more than one task (e.g. a small "project" of 3 related tasks).

Evernote's note history is good. If this note history was extended to track changes to note tags I think that all my audit trail wishes for Evernote would be satisfied.

Currently, if I do not add timestamped text comments (this is tedious so I usually do not) then when I look at a 6 month old completed task I can not see the flow of how it moved from list (tag) to list (tag) to completion. This is not critical but it is nice to have.

FYI: I developed a taste for audit trails in using our bug tracking system, which has an audit trail. I can see who sat on a bug, how it was kicked around from one owner to another, et cetera.

Also, for the text portion of the evernote history, it would be awesome if I could generate an "svn annotate" view of the current note (including currently applied tags). This way, if I simply journal activities in a note in a sequential fashion, the annotation would show when things happened. This avoids me having to manually add timestamps to things I write -- a small per note gain that is multiplied many times to add up to a big savings (compared with the alternative).

I'm very happy with EN right now but it would be great to see it become more useful!

[Bes Zain]

Small recommendation, given what you've said you want to do, if you do all this in Evernote: Don't bother with check boxes; just delete task notes when the tasks are done. Why? There's no need for check boxes if you have one task per note. It's easier to see what tasks you have to do (as well as see the deadline, context, etc.) with tags than with the search "todo:false." It's easier to delete a note than to check a check box. And if you want to be minimalist, even in your digital life, there's no reason to have a log of your completed tasks. Just delete them.

Anyway, see what works for you. I hope we've helped.

Thanks Peter! Yes, you've helped a lot. I'm trying this now daily to see if I can get used to it.

Sorry, but I am completely in the opposite camp on this item. Perhaps because I am also an anal journaller.

I almost always add at least a date-time stamp to a task note when I work on it.
I follow this with any notes specific to completing that task.
Sometimes I add a checkbox list of detailed activities needed to complete the task. These keep me organized as I work through the task. They also make it very easy to get back to a task if I am interrupted and go off to do something else.
When done a search by "todo:true" with order Date Updated descending (newest first) gives me a quick review of what has been accomplished.

My 2cents.

Thanks for the reply too Owyn - I've divided my tasks into 2 types (one with a task per note and another with checkmarks and time-stamps) to see which one I get used to.

I don't delete notes of completed tasks because I desire an audit trail of the past. What I do is delete tags and retag notes when the task is complete. In my GTD implementation, single tags represent lists. Viewing my @home context list is simply achieved searching by the @home tag.

I also use single notes for more than one task (e.g. a small "project" of 3 related tasks).

Evernote's note history is good. If this note history was extended to track changes to note tags I think that all my audit trail wishes for Evernote would be satisfied.

Currently, if I do not add timestamped text comments (this is tedious so I usually do not) then when I look at a 6 month old completed task I can not see the flow of how it moved from list (tag) to list (tag) to completion. This is not critical but it is nice to have.

FYI: I developed a taste for audit trails in using our bug tracking system, which has an audit trail. I can see who sat on a bug, how it was kicked around from one owner to another, et cetera.

Also, for the text portion of the evernote history, it would be awesome if I could generate an "svn annotate" view of the current note (including currently applied tags). This way, if I simply journal activities in a note in a sequential fashion, the annotation would show when things happened. This avoids me having to manually add timestamps to things I write -- a small per note gain that is multiplied many times to add up to a big savings (compared with the alternative).

I'm very happy with EN right now but it would be great to see it become more useful!

Thanks! That's a very interesting idea, hmmmmmm. When you retag the notes - do you simply retag them with "@home" OR with something else? I'm trying to figure out how to separate completed tasks from active tasks.

OR do you mean you actual put time stamps inside each note (each note = 1 task) and note on each such time-stamped line what you did related to that task?

Thanks again everyone! 2012 ALREADY feels more organized than 2011!

Regards,

Bes

[funkiestj]

I don't delete notes of completed tasks because I desire an audit trail of the past. What I do is delete tags and retag notes when the task is complete. In my GTD implementation, single tags represent lists. Viewing my @home context list is simply achieved searching by the @home tag.

I also use single notes for more than one task (e.g. a small "project" of 3 related tasks).

Evernote's note history is good. If this note history was extended to track changes to note tags I think that all my audit trail wishes for Evernote would be satisfied.

Currently, if I do not add timestamped text comments (this is tedious so I usually do not) then when I look at a 6 month old completed task I can not see the flow of how it moved from list (tag) to list (tag) to completion. This is not critical but it is nice to have.

FYI: I developed a taste for audit trails in using our bug tracking system, which has an audit trail. I can see who sat on a bug, how it was kicked around from one owner to another, et cetera.

Also, for the text portion of the evernote history, it would be awesome if I could generate an "svn annotate" view of the current note (including currently applied tags). This way, if I simply journal activities in a note in a sequential fashion, the annotation would show when things happened. This avoids me having to manually add timestamps to things I write -- a small per note gain that is multiplied many times to add up to a big savings (compared with the alternative).

I'm very happy with EN right now but it would be great to see it become more useful!

Thanks! That's a very interesting idea, hmmmmmm. When you retag the notes - do you simply retag them with "@home" OR with something else? I'm trying to figure out how to separate completed tasks from active tasks.

#processed is my "null" tag. completed tasks get untagged (e.g. !next, @home tags removed, #processed tag added or left in place). If a note is a small project, then it continues to be tagged until the project is complete (e.g. ~waiting, !next, @pc, what ever tags applies in the moment).

Lets consider a note that represents a single task. When this task is completed the note will only have the #processed tag to keep it from showing up in my inbox.

OR do you mean you actual put time stamps inside each note (each note = 1 task) and note on each such time-stamped line what you did related to that task?

If I want an audit trail, I create one by adding text to the note. I keep open items at the top of the note and "below the line" I keep task reference (e.g. the original email that spawned the task) and audit trail.

I've currently decided that adding timestamps to my hand created audit trail is too tedious so I rarely do it. If EN versioned note tags (or all meta-data) along with content then there would be (IMO) no need to timestamp anything.

[toddlohenry]

Until Evernote gives me a way to turn a note into a todo, I share my note to email and email the note to Gmail where I can add the email as a task to my list. "good, fast, and cheap"...

[mlu]

I've been using TuskTools Calendar. It is in beta right now.

Here is a forum discussion about the program.
http://discussion.ev...dpost__p__98053

My favorite method however is to use the Evernote "Created Date" field as my task reminder date for appointments, reminders, and events.
There are some drawbacks to this however.

@JBenson: Do you know if TuskTools is still being worked on? Just tried it out and must say that it seems to be very much beta considering the time it has been available. Their forum seem to be dead and the developer does not really post there.

A shame - it would have been a good idea if it had worked. Quite amazing that no-one seems to do something about this area, but the same could be said about Google and their tasks and integration to Gmail

[jbenson2]

@JBenson: Do you know if TuskTools is still being worked on? Just tried it out and must say that it seems to be very much beta considering the time it has been available. Their forum seem to be dead and the developer does not really post there.

I think the program (TuskTools Calendar) is dead.
I've sent emails with questions about sync problems, but no answers.
The last fruitful communication I had with Phil Seeman was back in Sep 2011.
Posts on the forum are just gathering dust.

[jbenson2]

I just posted the following question on the TuskTools Calendar forum:

Is TuskTools Calendar officially dead?

Almost no activity on the forum
No feedback from Phil Seeman.
Certainly looks like the program has been moved to the graveyard.

[skellam]

I've been using Zendone for about 6 months now and I have to say that ever tightening integration with Evernote and Google Calendar make it one of the best GTD apps I've ever used. If you are a heavy user of Evernote and Google Calendar for your GTD needs, it is worth trying it out. They are coming out with an iPhone app soon which will make it more viable option for many although I've been able to make do without it so far. They are still in closed beta though but the developers freely give out invitations just by asking on their blog.

[BurgersNFries]

@JBenson: Do you know if TuskTools is still being worked on? Just tried it out and must say that it seems to be very much beta considering the time it has been available. Their forum seem to be dead and the developer does not really post there.

A shame - it would have been a good idea if it had worked. Quite amazing that no-one seems to do something about this area, but the same could be said about Google and their tasks and integration to Gmail

Tusktools is hardly dead. An email wrt previous versions expiring was sent on 4/25/12 & my last communication with Phil Seeman was on 4/26/12. IME, Phil h as been very hands on via email & this board. However, AFAIK, TT is not his day job. So you may not receive an immediate reply.

[jbenson2]

My recommendation:
Before installing TuskTools Calendar and syncing with Evernote, take a look at the lack of activity in the TuskTools Calendar forum over the past 6+ months.