Setting up Apple Reminders - guide

[tmlr]

I have purchased "Setting up iPhone" and "Setting up iPad" guides and I found them lacking. I then purchased "Setting up OmniFocus" and after reading it I had an epiphany so I set up my Apple Reminders and I'm sharing it here in case someone finds it helpful.

Some assumptions that I'm making:

• I read somewhere that managing everything using list apps is wrong. Areas of Focus should be in a separate tool, like a mind map or some kind of text document.
• I assume that we all agree with it, even though "everything in lists" might work for someone.

Ok, here we go.

First, some basic rules:​

• Tags are Contexts and Contexts are Tags.
• Everything scheduled goes into one global list.
• Sometime/Someday is a collection of lists, not one list.
• Groups will present all of the items from all included lists grouped by those lists. You want to use it.

Basic lists.​

1. Create a list, call it "Next Actions"
2. Create a list, call it "Waiting For"
3. Create a list, call it "Tickler".
4. Go into settings and set "Next Actions" as your default list.

That is all regular global lists you'll need.

Projects Lists​

1. Create list for each project (a project is anything that has more than 1 action). With this setup you can even add sequential actions in a form of pre-planning (GTD recommends to store those separately)
2. Drag and drop one project list onto another to form a group.
3. Call that group "projects"
4. Drag and drop rest of project lists into that group. Or create new projects right in the group.

Now to Errands, I call them "places":​

1. Create a list designating a location. Example, in my setup, I've got a list called "Bunnings". In fact, every "place" list is prefixed with this emoji.
2. Create another list designating a location.
3. Drag and drop them onto each other to create a group.
4. Call the group " places".

Now to Contexts. We will be creating smart lists here.​

1. Create a new list. During creation in "List type" specify "Smart List". Call it "@home".
2. In the rules choose "Include reminders matching all" of the following filters
3. Add filter "Tags", type "All selected" and type tag "#home" in the values
4. Add filter "Date", type "No date".
5. Save.
6. Create another smart list for another context just like we did.
7. Drag and drop one context list on top of another context list to make a group
8. Call the group "@ctx" or "@contexts"

Now to Inbox​

1. Create new smart list, call it "Inbox"
2. In the rules choose "Include reminders matching all" of the following filters
3. Add filter "Tags", type "Untagged Reminders Only"
4. Add filter "Lists", type "Include Selected List", value - "Next Actions"
5. Click "Ok" to create the list.
6. Now, do a right click, or "option click" in Mac terminology on the "Inbox" list
7. Click "Pin List"
8. List will be pinned in the area above all the lists. Drag and drop it in the top left corner so you know where it is.

Sometime/Someday​

1. Create regular lists just like for Projects and Places
2. Group them into a group by drag-n-dropping them onto each other.

How it works​

Capture:

• Click onto "Inbox" and add reminders.
• They will go into "Next Actions"
• And they will be untagged.
• Because they are untagged they show up in your Inbox.

Project Planning:

• Simply add stuff into appropriate project list.
• Keep them untagged if they are not ready to show up in contexts.

Review

• Go to Inbox and assign appropriate context tags to tasks
• They will go away from Inbox and will show up in the appropriate context list.
• If you don't have a smart list for this context tag yet, add a new smart list as per "Contexts" section.
• Same works for actions in projects and someday/maybe

Areas of Focus

• Sometimes we do want to group projects by Areas of Focus
• Simple create more project groups and name them appropriately.
• Review is the same, just yet another group of lists.

 

[TesTeq]

@tmlr A very nice setup! Some questions:

1. Why don't you treat errand places like all other contexts (tags)? You could then create @errands smart list to display them in one place if necessary.
2. Why do you prefer to combine Inbox with Next Actions? Doesn't it make the Next Action list HUUUGE?
3. Sometimes Inbox item becomes a Project, not a Next Action. How do you handle it?
4. I assume that you capture on iPhone/iPad/Mac but process and organize on Mac (or iPad)?

And one more thing:

• Why do you need the Next Actions, Waiting For, and Tickler static lists? You can achieve the same result by defining them as smart lists and keeping tagged items within Projects, Inbox, and No Project Actions.

 

[tmlr]

@TesTeq ,
> Why don't you treat errand places like all other contexts (tags)?
I could but the effect would be the same but my tags would be polluted with places. Don't really want it.

> You could then create @errands smart list to display them in one place
They are displayed in one place. Click on the group and you'll see a list from all of the places broken down by place.

> Why do you prefer to combine Inbox with Next Actions? Doesn't it make the Next Action list HUUUGE?
Who cares if it is HUUUUGE =). I don't look in there, it's just a database. I look into Context and other lists. Inbox is limited by being smart (only stuff with no tags is shown). Basically "Next Items" is a database of all contexted actions which is accessed through context-narrowed smart lists.
The basic purpose of Next Actions is to limit myself to assigning a tag during review of my Inbox, instead of moving items between lists.
Again, in database terms, Next Actions is a database and context and inbox are views that show a subset of it.
And if I to read further, my Next Actions are is just your "No project actions"

> Sometimes Inbox item becomes a Project, not a Next Action. How do you handle it?
In this case, instead of assigning a tag, I create a list and then delete original item.

> I assume that you capture on iPhone/iPad/Mac but process and organize on Mac (or iPad)?
I try to review on Mac (or an iPad plugged into big monitor) but I can do it anywhere really with this setup.

> Why do you need the Next Actions
> and No Project Actions.
What you call "No project actions" I called "Next Actions". Tickler is optional, yes, but I don't see how Waiting For can be a smart list without polluting my context with arbitrary list category names.

 

[TesTeq]

> Why do you need the Next Actions
> and No Project Actions.
What you call "No project actions" I called "Next Actions". Tickler is optional, yes, but I don't see how Waiting For can be a smart list without polluting my context with arbitrary list category names.

@tmlr Thank you for your answers. It seems to be a perfect setup for me. Just to clarify: I understand that you keep each Project's actions always stored on this Project's list. When you promote one of Project's planned action to a Next Action status you just assign a context tag to it? You don't move it to your Next Actions list, yes?

 

[Popeye]

You don't move it to your Next Actions list, yes?

As far I can see, I tried the setup with few projects and tasks, your Next Action task shows up in the context list, for example, your @work list in the group Context, when assigning an #work label of the very next action in the project list.

It´s a big shame that Apple Reminders won't import my projects and tasks from Todoist so I can try this setup more. It´s at pretty smart setup, I must say.

 

[tmlr]

@TesTeq

> Just to clarify: I understand that you keep each Project's actions always stored on this Project's list. When you promote one of Project's planned action to a Next Action status you just assign a context tag to it? You don't move it to your Next Actions list, yes?


Correct, just assign a tag. When I’m in “doing mode”, I click on contexts group, skim and see what suits. My contexts are mostly modes of operation (feel like sitting at the computer or feel like doing stuff in the shed), not places/tools.

 

[TesTeq]

@TesTeq

> Just to clarify: I understand that you keep each Project's actions always stored on this Project's list. When you promote one of Project's planned action to a Next Action status you just assign a context tag to it? You don't move it to your Next Actions list, yes?


Correct, just assign a tag. When I’m in “doing mode”, I click on contexts group, skim and see what suits. My contexts are mostly modes of operation (feel like sitting at the computer or feel like doing stuff in the shed), not places/tools.

@tmlr Perfect! May I describe your setup in my blog in Polish? https://biznesbezstresu.pl

 

[tmlr]

May I describe your setup in my blog in Polish?

Of course

 

[mcogilvie]

I did some testing in Apple Reminders, and found some concerning design choices. For example, there’s no way to archive or complete a list. Delete it or keep it foreve. Similarly with sections. If you delete a section, both active and completed items within the section are deleted.

 

[schmeggahead]

I did some testing in Apple Reminders, and found some concerning design choices. For example, there’s no way to archive or complete a list. Delete it or keep it foreve. Similarly with sections. If you delete a section, both active and completed items within the section are deleted.

I wrote an AppleScript to archive completed tasks older than a certain date to a text backup file by archive date. Haven't used it for a while because the delete of older completed tasks can now be done by list and never actually went back to the archive over the time period I used it.

Don't know if it will work now, but here's the script to archive:

[B]tell[/B] [I]application[/I] "Reminders" [B]tell[/B] default account [B]set[/B] myOldDate [B]to[/B] ([B]current date[/B]) - (30 * days) [B]set[/B] todo_lists [B]to[/B] [B]get[/B] [B]every[/B] [I]list[/I] -- lists have reminders. loop thru lists to get their reminders [B]repeat[/B] [B]with[/B] j [B]from[/B] 1 [B]to[/B] length [B]of[/B] todo_lists -- if name of list j contains "On Deck" then -- or name of list j contains "Someday" then [B]tell[/B] [I]list[/I] j [B]set[/B] todos [B]to[/B] ([B]get[/B] [I]reminders[/I]) -- if there are no reminders for a list, then ignore the list [B]if[/B] length [B]of[/B] todos [B]is[/B] [B]greater than[/B] 0 [B]then[/B] -- Write out the name of the list [B]do shell script[/B] "echo " & (quoted form [B]of[/B] ([B]get[/B] name)) & " >> ~/Desktop/projects.txt" [B]do shell script[/B] "echo >> ~/Desktop/projects.txt" [B]do shell script[/B] "echo >> ~/Desktop/projects.txt" -- loop thru the reminders to get properties [B]repeat[/B] [B]with[/B] k [B]from[/B] 1 [B]to[/B] length [B]of[/B] todos [B]set[/B] this_todo [B]to[/B] [I]item[/I] k [B]of[/B] todos [B]if[/B] completed [B]of[/B] this_todo [B]is[/B] [I]true[/I] [B]then[/B] [B]if[/B] (completion date [B]of[/B] this_todo) [B]comes before[/B] myOldDate [B]then[/B] [B]do shell script[/B] "echo [ ] " & (quoted form [B]of[/B] ([B]get[/B] name [B]of[/B] this_todo)) & " >> ~/Desktop/projects.txt" [B]try[/B] [B]set[/B] this_body [B]to[/B] (quoted form [B]of[/B] ([B]get[/B] body [B]of[/B] this_todo)) --if body of this_todo is not null then -- display dialog (quoted form of (get body of this_todo)) [B]do shell script[/B] "echo " & (quoted form [B]of[/B] ([B]get[/B] body [B]of[/B] this_todo)) & " >> ~/Desktop/projects.txt" [B]do shell script[/B] "echo " & (date string [B]of[/B] ([B]get[/B] completion date [B]of[/B] this_todo)) & " >> ~/Desktop/projects.txt" --end if [B]end[/B] [B]try[/B] [B]do shell script[/B] "echo >> ~/Desktop/projects.txt" -- remove this line to validate delete list, re-add to remove old todos [B]delete[/B] [I]item[/I] k [B]of[/B] todos -- else -- do shell script "echo [X] " & (quoted form of (get name of this_todo)) & " >> ~/Desktop/completed projects.txt" [B]end[/B] [B]if[/B] [B]end[/B] [B]if[/B] [B]end[/B] [B]repeat[/B] [B]end[/B] [B]if[/B] [B]end[/B] [B]tell[/B] -- end if [B]end[/B] [B]repeat[/B] [B]end[/B] [B]tell end[/B] [B]tell[/B]

That's the script. I originally wrote it to print certain lists when there was no way to print a list from Reminders.
Thanks,
Clayton

p.s.
Well, that paste turned out to be ugly. So much for WYSIWYG

 

[virious]

This setup looks great but I'm afraid I can't use it in my environment. I'm using iPhone but on my desktop PC's I'm on Windows and accessing my data through icloud.com. Apparently smart lists (both for Notes and Reminders) are not being shown in web interface (unless I'm missing something in my settings).

EDIT: I guess I could use it but without smart lists where I have to physically move reminders between different lists (for example moving items from Inbox to Next actions).