today status - feature request
 

i'd really like to see a today status option in OF. i know there are various workarounds in OF, but nothing for me beats the ability to just mark an action for today (things does it really well).

not a date, not a context, instead a dedicated status assignment.

the clarity of knowing what actions are shortlisted to be actioned today, without changing any other status setting on those actions is hugely helpful for me.

anyone else miss this feature?

Are you presently using the flagging feature for something else?

Something other than:
flagging items and using the flagged perspective

setting items due date to today (you can type tod in the date field) and using the due soon perspective

[QUOTE=Craig;78336]Are you presently using the flagging feature for something else?[/QUOTE]

yes - to indicate must do's soon, or to alert my assistant of something, but not necessarily today.

today's actions may include non-urgent (and non-flagged) items, collated in an easy-to-see list which has nothing in common other than i would like to do those things today. flagging for me is broader than a "today" function, relating to importance as much as time specifically.

i don't see that it would disrupt anything in gtd or OF to have a today status feature...

You could preface such actions with "today:" and type that into the search box in the toolbar to narrow the view...

To make an official feature request, use Help->Send Feedback or email [email]OmniFocus@omnigroup.com[/email]. Forum posts don't get counted, and may not even be seen.

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;78341]You could preface such actions with "today:" and type that into the search box in the toolbar to narrow the view...

To make an official feature request, use Help->Send Feedback or email [email]OmniFocus@omnigroup.com[/email]. Forum posts don't get counted, and may not even be seen.[/QUOTE]

that would work, although it's more work than just assigning a today status.

cc things does it rather elegantly, and it's a useful feature, for me at least.

i've sent the feature request to that email you gave, thanks for the reminder.

[QUOTE=SpiralOcean;78337]Something other than:
flagging items and using the flagged perspective

setting items due date to today (you can type tod in the date field) and using the due soon perspective[/QUOTE]

that goes part way there, but also includes all overdue items. what i want is a discrete collection of actions i want to do today, with no other distractions...

[QUOTE=elektroglide;78344]that would work, although it's more work than just assigning a today status.

[/QUOTE]
Yes, it is, but it is something you can do today -- very few feature requests get done right away, so if this workflow is important to you, you'll need to do something else (like my suggestion) in the interim.

It also wouldn't be very difficult to cobble up an Applescript that did this to the selected item(s), and you could install the script as a toolbar button, giving you one-click access.

This is something that could easily be achieved within OF's current structure by two additions:
1. both a menu command and toolbar button to make the Start date of all selected Actions "now"
and
2. a check box in the Perspectives pallet to show only those Actions that have a Start date that has already commenced.
The Perspectives feature of OF is one of its most powerful but I find it's effectiveness is greatly reduced because the only way to show a Perspective with only Actions that have started, ie to do "Today" (or earlier), is to filter by Grouping > Start, which is very limiting.

[QUOTE=watchit;78363] I find it's effectiveness is greatly reduced because the only way to show a Perspective with only Actions that have started, ie to do "Today" (or earlier), is to filter by Grouping > Start, which is very limiting.[/QUOTE]

Wouldn't changing the filter from "remaining" to "available" knock out those actions which have not yet started?

No, Craig, the big problem with "available" is that OF defines Actions without any start date as "available". I have hundreds of Actions without start dates. I don't want to be forced to allocate start dates to get around a problem that could be so easily fixed. If there was an on/off check box in Preferences that enabled a user to define "available" as only those Actions with Start dates, then your suggestion could get around the problem, but "available" is also affected by whether a Project is Parallel or Sequential or Singles. I think it should be a Perspectives option.

i think i'm wanting something different than just a due date today action list.

i want something which gives my confused mind an idiot list of things i want to do today, and a syntax for them. if i'm feeling particularly stupid or unfocused, it helps me to have a simple list of what i want to do and the order i want to do them in.

-breakfast
-shower
-site development 1 hour
-meditate
-grocery shopping
-call logo designer
etc.

these are a combination of outcome and process oriented activities, not all of which would be in an omnifocus list already.

the today feature is already available in cc things, and it works great - reordering of today items is easy, and it lets me forget about everything else. what's next? oh yeah, there it is...

i don't see a feasible workaround in omnifocus, and don't see why such a feature would be detrimental to any other workflows. using the OF flags doesn't give me the ability to order flagged items manually - flagged items is a context view, not a projects view.

"today" status is the single feature which makes me keep wondering when cc will get their cloud syncing act together... (well, that and the fact that omni are so damned slow at integrating their products eg omnifocus and omniplan for starters.)

I usually make such a list on paper, often using [URL="http://davidseah.com/blog/comments/emergent-task-planner-free-version-updates/"]these forms from "Printable CEO"[/URL].

I have an idea for an applescript that would allow moving context view actions into a user-defined order but just haven't gotten around to looking at it closely. My idea is that if your actions are ordered by project in context view, you could have an applescript that would look at the action that is above it and make the minimum change necessary in the project outline to move that action up one slot. It might be just moving the action up in the project view, or moving the action's group, or moving the project up a bit.

elektroglide, I am not suggesting a "due" date action list... I see "start" dates as the mechanism within OF to determine what is done "Today" - if an action hasn't started then it isn't ready to be done today (or earlier). Due dates are entirely different. A start date is for actions that you have decided, for whatever reason, to be done once that date (and time, if you want to be specific) has been reached. A due date is for actions where the date is set by an outside force, not just your own arbitrary decision. It is due because there will be consequence if you don't complete the action by that date (and time)... eg: a key meeting, an expiration of a discount, a flight, whatever.
I hate to harp on about it (but I will ;) - the easiest way to make a Today list within the current OF architecture is for Omni to create an option within Perspectives to only show Actions/Projects with a start date on or before "now". This should be accompanied by a more easy method of marking actions/projects with a start date/time of "now".

[QUOTE=elektroglide;78339]i don't see that it would disrupt anything in gtd or OF to have a today status feature...[/QUOTE]

Today lists are a form of prioritisation. You're saying that these items are more important than anything else based on some arbitrary measure which may not be valid when you come round to doing the task. There may be a perfectly valid reason why you CAN'T do the task when the time comes, but you will feel bad about not being able to do it.
Also there may be other tasks that you are able to do but they won't get done because they aren't on your today list.

[QUOTE=watchit;78508] I see "start" dates as the mechanism within OF to determine what is done "Today" ... A start date is for actions that you have decided, for whatever reason, to be done once that date (and time, if you want to be specific) has been reached. [/QUOTE]

I think you have this a little backwards. Strictly speaking start dates are for tasks that you CAN'T do until a day in the future. They are a means to hide tasks because they can't be done yet.

[QUOTE=watchit;78508]I hate to harp on about it (but I will ;) - the easiest way to make a Today list within the current OF architecture is for Omni to create an option within Perspectives to only show Actions/Projects with a start date on or before "now". This should be accompanied by a more easy method of marking actions/projects with a start date/time of "now".[/QUOTE]

What you are describing sounds like "Treading Water"
[url]http://kouroshdini.com/2009/04/23/how-to-use-omnifocus-a-guide-for-the-advanced-user/[/url]

Giving a task a start date of the day you want to do the task is the same as giving it a due date for the same reason.

[QUOTE=henry;78566]Giving a task a start date of the day you want to do the task is the same as giving it a due date for the same reason.[/QUOTE]

henry, if what you are saying is true, then why does OF have start dates and due dates... why not just one date?
I don't have anything backwards... the fact is the app treats each one quite differently.
The problem I have with the way OF treats start dates is that it does NOT hide actions for which a start date has not been set so Perspectives are littered with hundreds of actions unless I hide each and every one of them with an arbitrary future start date.

[QUOTE=watchit;78643]why does OF have start dates and due dates... why not just one date?
[/QUOTE]

Start date is there to allow you to reduce clutter by hiding actions that cannot be accomplished until some other event occurs. An off-the-top-of-my-head example: a "reserve a new iPhone" action couldn't be accomplished before today, when Apple allowed folks to reserve them. Showing the action before then means just makes it harder to find actions that I can actually work on.

Due date is there to allow you to say "this action must be done before some date". Example: while you can pay your taxes on April 16th here in the states, you're far better off if you do so on the 15th, when they are due.

[QUOTE=watchit;78363]both a menu command and toolbar button to make the Start date of all selected Actions "now"
[/QUOTE]

I don't think there's enough demand for a separate menu item, though folks can certainly request one by emailing the [EMAIL="omnifocus@omnigroup.com"]support ninjas[/EMAIL].

You can use the inspector to add a start date of Today to multiple items at the same time. Select the ones you want to start today, type "tod" into the inspector field, and the selected items will all get the value.

[QUOTE=watchit;78643]I don't have anything backwards... the fact is the app treats each one quite differently.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, maybe I mis-inderstood.
I thought you were trying to use start dates to create a "Today" list. As Brian said, start dates and due dates serve very different purposes but if you are trying to make a "Today" list you can mis-use either start date or due date to get a list that is almost what you want, but not quite. Reason being that they aren't designed to be used this way.

today lists are for monkeys
 

[QUOTE=henry;78565]Today lists are a form of prioritisation. You're saying that these items are more important than anything else based on some arbitrary measure which may not be valid when you come round to doing the task. There may be a perfectly valid reason why you CAN'T do the task when the time comes, but you will feel bad about not being able to do it.
Also there may be other tasks that you are able to do but they won't get done because they aren't on your today list.[/QUOTE]

aren't all lists by definition a form of prioritisation in that they exclude all things not on them? the arbitrary measure is that i want to do today items today, and want to have quick access to a coralled list of those actions.

i don't feel bad about not being [B]able[/B] to do something on my today list, and having a today list doesn't [B]prevent[/B] me from doing things which aren't on it (in fact many things not on the list get done anyway since no list is biologically exhaustive). the today list is not a very rigid thing in my world, but it's something i can refer to when i get distracted.

this is simply a memory aid. david allen suggests that ultimately, intuition is the deciding factor in where one's focus should go at any point in time (all other things being equal eg available resources/context), and the today list for me is simply an informal and quick memory aid for noting the results of that intuitive process.

in a similar way, software such as concentrate and vitamin r helps me to stay on track for periods of time even when i have decided what to do next.

we're talking real world idiot-proofing for those of us like myself with more monkey mind than zen-like powers of concentration...

whatever the pros and cons - and i have yet to see any cons to having a today feature, [B]i[/B] want a today list, i use it in things, and i want it in OF! ninjas have been alerted. it's only a matter of time!

[I]I don't think there's enough demand for a separate menu item,[/I]

Brian,

We are not asking for a separate menu item.
In Preferences>Stlye>Status-Based Styles, the default is four Statuses - Blocked in gray, Due Soon in orange, Overdue in red, and Completed with strikethrough.

I look at my calendar every morning for that days schedule. I would like to include Omnifocus in that daily habit. I need a status with associated color for an item before it is too late and Overdue, but later than just Due Soon. Due Soon could be yellow, and Due Today amber. A tickler file is basic GTD stuff, this feature needs to be incorporated in Omnifocus.

[QUOTE=elektroglide;78724]we're talking real world idiot-proofing for those of us like myself with more monkey mind than zen-like powers of concentration...

whatever the pros and cons - and i have yet to see any cons to having a today feature, [B]i[/B] want a today list, i use it in things, and i want it in OF! ninjas have been alerted. it's only a matter of time![/QUOTE]

I think that's more the way that things works and not really the way that OF works. One thing that you might try is to combine flagging with grouping by context in context mode. Then you can say ok I'm going to do the stuff in this context first this context second etc. Does that make sense?

[QUOTE=emiron;79233][I]I don't think there's enough demand for a separate menu item,[/I]

Brian,

We are not asking for a separate menu item.
In Preferences>Stlye>Status-Based Styles, the default is four Statuses - Blocked in gray, Due Soon in orange, Overdue in red, and Completed with strikethrough.

I look at my calendar every morning for that days schedule. I would like to include Omnifocus in that daily habit. I need a status with associated color for an item before it is too late and Overdue, but later than just Due Soon. Due Soon could be yellow, and Due Today amber. A tickler file is basic GTD stuff, this feature needs to be incorporated in Omnifocus.[/QUOTE]

Why not have 10 styles? One for overdue, one for today, one for tomorrow, one for 2 days out, one for 3 days out, …

That's what I want. I'm putting in a feature request!

[QUOTE=emiron;79233]We are not asking for a separate menu item.
[/QUOTE]

Well, [I]you're[/I] not, but the person I was responding to in the post you quoted was. :-)

More styles mean more utility for the folks that use them, but also added complexity in the app for the folks that wouldn't. I'm not disagreeing with your need - just pointing out that there is a tradeoff involved.

As always, folks that need this should email the [EMAIL="Omnifocus@omnigroup.com"]support ninjas[/EMAIL] and let us know.

[QUOTE=elektroglide;78724]
whatever the pros and cons - and i have yet to see any cons to having a today feature, [B]i[/B] want a today list, i use it in things, and i want it in OF! ninjas have been alerted. it's only a matter of time![/QUOTE]

i agree completely. a "Today" or "Now" feature is an important tool, currently missing from OmniFocus.

it should be a date field - in other words, for any given action item, i should be able to specify a date it will appear on the "Today" list (which is a very different thing from being "Available").

OmniFocus does a great job of providing lists of possible Action Items based on the current Context, the date (what has become available, nearly Due, past Due), and what has become do-able (now that pre-requisites are complete).

Where OF disappoints is as a planning tool, and a means for seeing what Contexts are necessary now (it is all well and good to say "Oh, I have some time in {pick a Context} - what should I do?", but also important to be able to ask "of all that I must do in the coming {pick a period of time} what Contexts will be necessary, so I can plan to be there (or at computer, near phone, etc.).

A "Today" view is part of the solution and would be a natural out-growth from a planning module that permitted the user to assign "Do" dates to Action Items and get an overview of what Contexts will be required (and when) by that plan. Currently, OF only does the reverse - you get to see Action Items for the current Context, but you don't get a useful tool for seeing the Context(s) necessary for the Action Items deemed most important (as opposed to Due status, etc.).

It is a reactionary workflow. "I'm in _____ context, what should/could I do?" when what is needed is pro-active "What contexts are implied by my assessment of what is most important this week?"

[QUOTE=JorBru;79336]A "Today" view is part of the solution and would be a natural out-growth from a planning module that permitted the user to assign "Do" dates to Action Items and get an overview of what Contexts will be required (and when) by that plan.
[…]
It is a reactionary workflow. "I'm in _____ context, what should/could I do?" when what is needed is pro-active "What contexts are implied by my assessment of what is most important this week?"[/QUOTE]

You might try setting the Next Action filter in context mode and grouping by context, which will give you the list of contexts you selected for your top-rated tasks in all of your projects.

If you have a lot of due dates, you might take the approach of setting your due soon horizon to a week and then use the due soon filter and group by context to get the list of the contexts you'll need to be in in the next week.

Log in
 

[QUOTE=JorBru;79336]It is a reactionary workflow. "I'm in _____ context, what should/could I do?" when what is needed is pro-active "What contexts are implied by my assessment of what is most important this week?"[/QUOTE]

JorBru, with all due respect for your specific workflow needs, I'm part of the bunch that is very much [I]pro[/I]-this "reactionary workflow". And I'm amused -in a good way- by this description of David Allen's system; which I do not think by any means is the only one available; however, it is nominatively the one OF is attached to; there's other apps that might be more appropriate to the type of workflow you seem to be applying.

[QUOTE=hypotyposis;79388]JorBru, with all due respect for your specific workflow needs, I'm part of the bunch that is very much [I]pro[/I]-this "reactionary workflow". And I'm amused -in a good way- by this description of David Allen's system; which I do not think by any means is the only one available; however, it is nominatively the one OF is attached to; there's other apps that might be more appropriate to the type of workflow you seem to be applying.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't want to take the "reactionary workflow" away from you :-)
Just want to have the option to be pro-active.

I'm an adherent to David Allen's system, so I definitely understand the value of being able to answer the question "What can be done at this moment {in this context, etc.}".

It's just that the ability to plan ahead is also important.

OF already can capture time required to perform a task, context, start and due dates, etc. In my mind, there is little that is missing.

One "missing" feature is a way to plan for the future (as part of, say, a weekly review). I think David Allen would agree that some thought about when a task is to be completed is part of the process. To the extent that I have captured Context and Estimated Time data for action items, the system could tell me when I have an impossible plan (either because it requires more than 24 hours in a day, or incompatible Contexts, such as being in Boston and Chicago on the same afternoon).

Not recognizing those impossible plans means not realizing that Action due dates might not be met. As the work day/week wear on, there are inevitable disruptions to the plan - the sooner that the implications of such disruptions are understood the better. Often, the most important tasks to be completed are important not because their due date is approaching but because their Context is available now and will not be available again in sufficient time for a downstream task to be completed.

I appreciate that it is difficult to add capabilities without cluttering the tool - but there is opportunity here also.

Ultimately, I would like weekly and daily reviews to keep OF sufficiently up-to-date that it can provide me with a one page (iPad screen) summary of my day - displaying Calendar info from iCal in one column, and Action Items in another column. (before anyone tells me that Action Items do not belong on a calendar, please know that I understand that - however, on any given day, the objective is to manage time between hard landscape and things that need getting done. thus, two columns: one with time slots, and one that is a list).

This "Hot list and Appointments" page could be refreshed whenever new info is available (and thus would not require clerical management of lists beyond what happens in the course of daily and weekly reviews and the checking-off of completed items).

I don't see a conflict with GTD here. Rather, I see this as a more complete implementation of Allen's vision. The ability to find tasks that can be done in the current Context is very important (as a reaction to unexpected change in plans), but we also need to know when we have "scheduled" mutually exclusive Contexts - or even just to know what Contexts must be achieved to keep moving forward.

[QUOTE=Lucas;79382]You might try setting the Next Action filter in context mode and grouping by context, which will give you the list of contexts you selected for your top-rated tasks in all of your projects.

If you have a lot of due dates, you might take the approach of setting your due soon horizon to a week and then use the due soon filter and group by context to get the list of the contexts you'll need to be in in the next week.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the suggestion. That would be a partial solution, but I really think an important part of planning is figuring-out what Contexts will be required in a given time frame and giving some thought to the most efficient way to "be in" those Contexts - considering their nature (Phone vs. Chicago, etc.) and what is on the hard landscape (must travel to Chicago, need not travel to Phone, etc.).

Part of what I feel is missing could be satisfied by a minor change to OF and a minor change to iCal (beyond our reach, I know).

1) OF could have a "Do Date" field in each Action Item (just one additional field!) and the export from OF for iPhone could send that date (rather than Due date) with the Action Item to iCal (and send it as a To Do item), and
2) iCal on iPhone and iPad could show To Do items (which, Apple has not done for some reason).

That would get me a long way toward my "Hot List & Appt" screen (add a couple tools for quickly re-assigning "Do" date, and I would be pretty happy - even though I still think there is lots of opportunity here.)

I thought the "start" date would be the equivalent of "OK, you can start doing this task on this date because it is now available"?

I set the start date for "Prepare my 1040 taxes" on February 1st of each year. I assume that I have already received all the necessary tax documents by February 1st. Because the start date is February 1, it pops up in my context list as being available. Thus, I can "do" this project.

Perhaps I read your post wrong?

[QUOTE=JorBru;79401]
I think David Allen would agree that some thought about when a task is to be completed is part of the process.
[/Quote]

No, actually I think he would disagree. Nothing I have ever read by David Allen has mentioned this level of formal task planning. The only mention of when a task is to be completed is what he calls "hard landscape", tasks that absolutely must be completed at a certain time. And these are generally imposed by outside forces NOT our own desire to do the action at a particular time.

[Quote]
To the extent that I have captured Context and Estimated Time data for action items, the system could tell me when I have an impossible plan (either because it requires more than 24 hours in a day, or incompatible Contexts, such as being in Boston and Chicago on the same afternoon).
[/Quote]

As it stands OF (and GTD) can never create for you an "impossible plan" because the system doesn't impose it's will upon you, it merely offers suggestions on what you might do next based a a few criteria, context, time available, etc. You are asking for the addition of a "Do date" which could lead to plans that are impossible to achieve and is going to need the addition of a conflict resolution system.

[Quote]
add a couple tools for quickly re-assigning "Do" date
[/Quote]

And, as you say, conflict resolution will require extra tools because no tool can guess which tasks can be deferred even with the addition of prioritization (please no!). You will ultimately spend more time administering your lists than actually doing the work. Something David Allen points to as a failing in other systems.

[Quote]
I don't see a conflict with GTD here. Rather, I see this as a more complete implementation of Allen's vision.
[/Quote]

This is polar opposite to GTD.

[Quote]
Not recognizing those impossible plans means not realizing that Action due dates might not be met. As the work day/week wear on, there are inevitable disruptions to the plan - the sooner that the implications of such disruptions are understood the better. Often, the most important tasks to be completed are important not because their due date is approaching but because their Context is available now and will not be available again in sufficient time for a downstream task to be completed.
[/Quote]

So because of a seemingly simple addition like a Today List we have opened ourselves up to additional work of pre-planning our tasks, while trying to avoid impossible plans, and then having to re-plan everything due "inevitable disruptions" ("Inevitable disruptions to the plan" are one of the reasons David Allen argues against Today lists.). None of which is actually doing work. Doesn't sound like stress free productivity to me.

[Quote]
Where OF disappoints is as a planning tool,...
[/Quote]

Just as a screw driver will disappoint as a tool to hammer in nails.
Omnifocus isn't a planning tool, it's a personal productivity tool. You should take a look at OmniPlan instead.

[QUOTE=wilsonng;79437]I thought the "start" date would be the equivalent of "OK, you can start doing this task on this date because it is now available"?

I set the start date for "Prepare my 1040 taxes" on February 1st of each year. I assume that I have already received all the necessary tax documents by February 1st. Because the start date is February 1, it pops up in my context list as being available. Thus, I can "do" this project.

Perhaps I read your post wrong?[/QUOTE]

You could begin working on your tax return on Feb 1st (though maybe you could be more detailed and have Actions such as "Receive 1099 from ___" etc. as pre-requisites).

However, you may have no intention of beginning work on your tax return on Feb 1 this year (does Feb 1 fall on a weekend? do you already know that you will not be home?). There are a whole variety of reasons why you might know ahead of time that your Tax Return is not something you want to see on your 'hot list' until some later date. If a change happens, and you find yourself wondering what step to take next - a quick look at the current Context would still show Tax Return as something that is available (assuming you are at Home, it is Feb1 or later, and all forms have arrived) to work on - but when everything is going according to plan I don't want to see Tax Return on today's list.

Start date is still Feb 1 (pending receipt of necessary forms, etc.) and Due date is still April 15 (or enough earlier that you can complete the job). But "Do" date is more fluid. A recurring task such as Tax Return would likely have the same Start and Due dates every year, but would have different "Do" date each year (and the "Do" date this year is likely to get pushed around).

You can mark a task with a Flag on the day you intend to do it. There are two problems with this. 1) You can't set the Flag to appear on a future date (and Start date is not what we want to change - especially with a recurring task that will re-use the new start date), and 2) it is cumbersome to turn Flags on and off in the iPhone version.

[QUOTE=henry;79441]No, actually I think he would disagree. Nothing I have ever read by David Allen has mentioned this level of formal task planning. The only mention of when a task is to be completed is what he calls "hard landscape", tasks that absolutely must be completed at a certain time. And these are generally imposed by outside forces NOT our own desire to do the action at a particular time.[/QUOTE]

hmmm. I'll have to re-read some DA. It is, to me, so obviously a part of planning to give some thought to when certain tasks (not all) will be worked-on that I can't imagine not doing it.

[QUOTE=henry;99441]As it stands OF (and GTD) can never create for you an "impossible plan" because the system doesn't impose it's will upon you, it merely offers suggestions on what you might do next based a a few criteria, context, time available, etc. You are asking for the addition of a "Do date" which could lead to plans that are impossible to achieve and is going to need the addition of a conflict resolution system.[/QUOTE]

Did I say OF could create an impossible plan for me? I meant it would allow me to create an impossible plan.

It certainly permits that now. I can add lots of Action Items with Due dates for this Friday. I can add many more than can be accomplished in the remaining time. I can even tell OF the Estimated Completion of each of these, and it will not give me any indication that I am over-extended.

So, yes. I am asking for an additional data field - but more importantly I am asking for a more complete solution.

[QUOTE]And, as you say, conflict resolution will require extra tools because no tool can guess which tasks can be deferred even with the addition of prioritization (please no!). You will ultimately spend more time administering your lists than actually doing the work. Something David Allen points to as a failing in other systems.

This is polar opposite to GTD.
[/QUOTE]

But this is exactly my complaint. OF does not currently provide a list of work to be done now. A major tenant of GTD is that there is no point in seeing lots of items on a to do list that have no prospect of being completed now. OF only eliminates from view those items that have an uncompleted pre-requisite or are not yet "available". What about letting me exclude other items that I know I don't what to think about today?


[QUOTE]So because of a seemingly simple addition like a Today List we have opened ourselves up to additional work of pre-planning our tasks, while trying to avoid impossible plans, and then having to re-plan everything due "inevitable disruptions" ("Inevitable disruptions to the plan" are one of the reasons David Allen argues against Today lists.). None of which is actually doing work. Doesn't sound like stress free productivity to me.[/QUOTE]

I'm not suggesting more work. You already do some sort of Daily and Weekly review. I just want more benefit from that time.

No need to pre-plan your tasks if you don't wish to. In fact, since the "Today" list would be a perspective that you could delete, there is no need for you to see it at all.

DA also argues against a tech solution more sophisticated than what could be done with paper and pencil. With OF, we have a computerized system that could be eliminating some clerical work. It would be nice to see more creativity in its design so it did more than just present filtered lists.

By avoiding the issue, OF forces us to maintain off-line lists - a much greater inefficiency. There is much info that the system could gather from us (during a regular review) that would help with those disruptions. The person that isn't planning ahead isn't being as effective as possible. The person that plans ahead with a different tool is doubling-up on some data-entry/maintenance.


[quote]Just as a screw driver will disappoint as a tool to hammer in nails.
Omnifocus isn't a planning tool, it's a personal productivity tool. You should take a look at OmniPlan instead.[/QUOTE]

OmniPlan is great for managing more resources, but we are talking about personal productivity.

[QUOTE=elektroglide;84163]there are multiple workarounds for a today type perspective in omnifocus. lots of posts about how to filter this or that, due/start etc etc.

however, these workarounds all miss the main point of a "today" list, which is that the items aren't necessarily related to any specific thing or date (and therefore can't be filtered). what things on a today list have in common - the only thing - is that there is some intention to do it or in some way focus on it [B]today[/B].

this involves intuition, spontaneity, emotion, energy and other resource levels, etc. the decision to include an item is a human one as well as a binary one.

the today list is primarily about focusing just on specific selected items in a specific timeframe, and excluding all else. what goes on that list, as i have said, involves many more factors than can be assigned within omnifocus or any software.

using flags for today as many have suggested monopolises the feature and excludes it from other purposes, making the flag a de facto dedicated today feature.

there are pros and cons in having a today list on which items appear when due. however, having the feature doesn't mean that it has to be used - there can easily be options for not having due items appear in it, or one can simply ignore it.

there is no way round it - [B]today[/B] is a valuable feature for real world focus enhancement. there are good reasons why so many things users like it, and i think it should be added to the omnifocus feature list.

(ninjas have received my vote for a today feature)[/QUOTE]

I have used both programs in the past, but I always come back to OF for its flexibility, OTA syncs, and efficiency (ease of data entry/manipulation).

One thing I never understood is why people have such a difficult time emulating Things' today's list in OF. OF can more or less emulate Things' Today list and much more.

I have a perspective called Today that pretty much emulates Things's Today with one exception of manually moving tasks within the list, but then I get the option to group the tasks by context, projects, due, or start dates.

Of course, I can set up other perspectives to suit my other work flows as well. I have a perspective that lists all the remaining actions grouped by due dates; so that I can scan the future work load at a glance during my weekly or morning planning. This is just one example of many.

So, I for one, would take OF over Things given that OF can be customized to fit my work flow rather than I have to change my work flow to suit the program's rigid structure.

Another thing I have learned using both programs is that I was spending way too much time trying to overcome the limitations and rigidity of Things rather than getting my work done, which is why OF is more productive and valuable for me.

YMMV.

there are multiple workarounds for a today type perspective in omnifocus. lots of posts about how to filter this or that, due/start etc etc.

however, these workarounds all miss the main point of a "today" list, which is that the items aren't necessarily related to any specific thing or date (and therefore can't be filtered). what things on a today list have in common - the only thing - is that there is some intention to do it or in some way focus on it [B]today[/B].

this involves intuition, spontaneity, emotion, energy and other resource levels, etc. the decision to include an item is a human one as well as a binary one.

the today list is primarily about focusing just on specific selected items in a specific timeframe, and excluding all else. what goes on that list, as i have said, involves many more factors than can be assigned within omnifocus or any software.

using flags for today as many have suggested monopolises the feature and excludes it from other purposes, making the flag a de facto dedicated today feature.

there are pros and cons in having a today list on which items appear when due. however, having the feature doesn't mean that it has to be used - there can easily be options for not having due items appear in it, or one can simply ignore it.

there is no way round it - [B]today[/B] is a valuable feature for real world focus enhancement. there are good reasons why so many things users like it, and i think it should be added to the omnifocus feature list.

(ninjas have received my vote for a today feature)

Any chance you could stop spamming multiple threads with this, elektroglide?

multiple threads. same valid point, sufficiently made to my satisfaction.

spam... big word.

my post was not a general recommendation for Things over OF, rather pointing out why OF [B]can't[/B] duplicate the [B]today[/B] feature's fluidity. the intersection of multiple grouping criteria isn't the same as a direct access/manual ordering organic list.

for me, there's a lot to be said for spontaneous organic manipulation of data, depending on focus needs.

some may not care for it or feel the need for it, but clearly many do. i don't see the downside if, for example, it's a feature which can be hidden from the toolbar and otherwise ignored... it doesn't necessarily negate or contradict any other operating principles of OF or GTD.

(same would go for a tags feature, but that's a different story...)

elektroglide, we get the point. No need to hit [i]every single thread[/i] about a Today focus with your post.

[QUOTE=elektroglide;84168]there are multiple workarounds for a today type perspective in omnifocus. lots of posts about how to filter this or that, due/start etc etc.

however, these workarounds all miss the main point of a "today" list, which is that the items aren't necessarily related to any specific thing or date (and therefore can't be filtered). what things on a today list have in common - the only thing - is that there is some intention to do it or in some way focus on it [B]today[/B].

this involves intuition, spontaneity, emotion, energy and other resource levels, etc. the decision to include an item is a human one as well as a binary one.

the today list is primarily about focusing just on specific selected items in a specific timeframe, and excluding all else. what goes on that list, as i have said, involves many more factors than can be assigned within omnifocus or any software.

using flags for today as many have suggested monopolises the feature and excludes it from other purposes, making the flag a de facto dedicated today feature.

there are pros and cons in having a today list on which items appear when due. however, having the feature doesn't mean that it has to be used - there can easily be options for not having due items appear in it, or one can simply ignore it.

there is no way round it - [B]today[/B] is a valuable feature for real world focus enhancement. there are good reasons why so many things users like it, and i think it should be added to the omnifocus feature list.

(ninjas have received my vote for a today feature)[/QUOTE]

I'm really perplexed by some people's resistance to use "flags" in OF to duplicate Things' today" feature, especially when this can help you duplicate the feature you want in OF. So, hopefully folks can enlighten me on this.

If I recall (I stopped using Things a number of months ago), Things has a button to put an item into the today's bucket even though it's not due today. How is that different from "flagging?" Would you be happy if OG change the label to match what it's called in Things. So, instead of calling the button flag, OG can change the button to be labeled "Today." Then you can set up the perspectives to show things that are due or flagged (or today'ed). If you set the due soon to 24 hours, and set the default end time to 11:59 pm, then you will see all the items that are due today plus items you put "today" designations on it.

Yes, this perspective does show overdue items, but you can simply collapse everything but today, and the saved perspectives will maintain that setting. So, the only list that's expanded is today. So, all the items I see it in my view is identical to what Things would have shown in Today's view. As I said in my other thread that you cannot manually move items within the list, but I can sort them using different criteria, and for me that's more valuable. For me, I do want to see the overdue items in today's perspective since those items for me would have higher priority than anything that's due today since they were supposed to be accomplished before today. If some of those items are not as important as some items in today, then I should have reassigned so that they do not appear in today's view. I know this is cumbersome to reassign their start/due dates; so, that's why DA would recommend only putting hard due dates on the items (and if so, these are my priorities for today until I get these overdue items done).

[QUOTE=elektroglide;84175]multiple threads. same valid point, sufficiently made to my satisfaction.
[/QUOTE]

Please do not copy-paste posts into multiple threads. Doing so is a violation of our [URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=16307"]forum rules[/URL], and the duplicates will be removed.

I too was frustrated with the lack of Today function in OF, as I had also recently moved from Things. But @elektroglide, try the Flagged feature. It does what you what and/or need, just not in the same way as Things. Got to adapt and embrace the new if you are serious about moving on. All the best.