Evernote's the app that kicked me off into Simplicity Land. Trying to get my data out of that app is like pulling teeth. It's put me off a lot of 3rd party software in general, and I'm now using an incredibly simplistic setup (PDFs, RTF and TXT docs, and native file storage).
Best GTD Apps
- Thread starter Tombo
- Start date
Evernote's the app that kicked me off into Simplicity Land. Trying to get my data out of that app is like pulling teeth. It's put me off a lot of 3rd party software in general, and I'm now using an incredibly simplistic setup (PDFs, RTF and TXT docs, and native file storage).
Simon Barkar
Registered
Why not try for Nirvana? I have heard and read about this one. Great app so far.
Castanea_d.
Registered
You may have answered my question before I asked it.
I'm considering a move to a Linux environment (probably Ubuntu) and I'm looking for a task list manager. I refuse to work with anything that is in the cloud; I want it right here on my computer, not least because I do a lot of work offline but also because (as others have said) I don't want to entrust my lists to some online app that disappears with all my data.
What I've been happily using for the last fifteen or twenty years is Lotus Organizer, since way back since before IBM swallowed up Lotus. I adapted the way I use it when I discovered GTD, but it suits me perfectly. The trouble is, the Microsoft environment - I'd just as soon get away from that, and my current computer is near the end of its life. Organizer is old software (my version was written for Win3.1) so it is likely to work well enough in the WINE Windows emulator under Linux, but I am wondering what is out there in Linuxland.
I might end up going Chirmer's route of what amounts to a digital analogue of a simple paper system, but does anyone have suggestions?
[footnote: I've been in the GTD forum for a while, and this is my first foray into the Tools and Software section because I haven't needed anything. Lots of fascinating ideas here!]
That's kind of snarky....is this normal here? I'm new so I'm just wondering what kind of community this is. Comments like that make me wonder - especially from a person that is apparently a member of the organization
Take it instead as the banter of old friends revisiting familiar territory. The community here is actually very welcoming, but some of us have been around long enough we all know our little foibles. You shouldn't extrapolate from an N=1 dataset anyway.
Hence the reason I asked - thanks
kelstarrising
Kelly | GTD expert
Sorry if my comment seemed snarky. TesTeq is a friend and he and I have had this conversation about Nozbe many, many times over the years.
markjl
0
Well, for me the ultimate app is currently Trello. It's simple, fast and uses a kanban layout which I like. (I tried todoist for a long time and toodledo) but like many others after a while could deal with the nested aspect of tasks or the over-simplicity of toodledo in the end.
Trello, though is quick and easy and allow think-dumping into checklists, integrates nicely with evernote, has a good integrated timer app and extensive but useful reporting.
The kanban layout allows you to have next and doing lists but also goals list (desired outcomes / goals) so you can focus the now in the context of the future (horizons).
I combine my task management (wishing Anytodo / Eisenhower still worked) with Evernote as the ulimate library function. It is my memory, my record of experience, my goto expression place for desired outcomes, planning, mind-dumping.
I'm also a big user of mindmapping (currently Simplemind). I copy maps into Evernote ... I refer to notes in todos (Trello) ... the links are important
Trello, though is quick and easy and allow think-dumping into checklists, integrates nicely with evernote, has a good integrated timer app and extensive but useful reporting.
The kanban layout allows you to have next and doing lists but also goals list (desired outcomes / goals) so you can focus the now in the context of the future (horizons).
I combine my task management (wishing Anytodo / Eisenhower still worked) with Evernote as the ulimate library function. It is my memory, my record of experience, my goto expression place for desired outcomes, planning, mind-dumping.
I'm also a big user of mindmapping (currently Simplemind). I copy maps into Evernote ... I refer to notes in todos (Trello) ... the links are important
Stephen Dewitt
Registered
I would like to give my vote for Dynalist, which I've never seen mentioned on here. It's a very 'open' programme (it's an 'outliner'), unlike Nirvana, so only for more experienced GTDers I think who can keep themselves on the straight and narrow, but it's flexibility makes it incredibly powerful - I currently have it set up to work basically like NirvanaHQ but with some nice extras. Here's a post I wrote on the dynalist forums about my setup (http://talk.dynalist.io/t/my-latest-gtd-setup-in-dynalist/3274)
Edit: PS. Hello! Long time reader, first time poster
Edit: PS. Hello! Long time reader, first time poster
Last edited:
Castanea_d.
Registered
After some experimentation, the Linux-based application that looks most likely for me is TaskWarrior. It is geeky, running from the command line/terminal, but certainly meets my criteria of simple and not-in-the-cloud. And free. The Wikipedia article about it says it "uses concepts and techniques described in 'Getting Things Done' by David Allen." I haven't noticed any particular examples of that so far, but I am still in the early stages of experimenting with it.
I also managed to load my trusty Lotus Organizer in a VirtualBox (inside of Ubuntu) running Windows 2000, and it works just fine as well. Considering what a long task list I have there, I am not making a complete switch-over to anything just yet. But it is nice to know that there is a Linux app that will do what I want. I might wait until summer when my list of current tasks is at its lowest to make a transition. Or not; I'm still not sure whether staying with Organizer might be best after all.
Edit: welcome to Stephen in the previous post. Good to have you here.
bboogaert
Registered
As a faithful linux user I use emacs with orgmode. It is a flexible text editor so you can tailor it to your exact needs. When you don't like the use (and learning) of all the shortcuts you can run it on an android using orgzly. I do this since short and it is giving me just what I need. Orgzly is still developed and updated on a regular basis. Specially when you have an emacs database present, Orgzly is the way to go, simply show it where your .org files are and it will load them. After that you can keep both synchronized by hitting one button after making the changes.
Castanea_d.
Registered
Thank you for this. It sounds like it might be more helpful for me than TaskWarrior and I am going to give it a good look-over. For one thing, it has better documentation. Also (quite aside from orgmode) I'm going to look at emacs; I have been using vim and am happy with it, but I gather that a lot of people prefer emacs.
Should linux users read this thread later on, here is a page from the orgmode website: "Org for GTD and other task management systems," with many sublinks to where people have written about their Org setups for GTD.
I’m moving from Toodledo to Nirvana after several years. I’m moving from complexity to simplicity ....and I’m grateful to Nirvanahq because it’s helping me to optimize my personal management of the tasks and projects rather then the complexity of the system. the lesson of the moment is that the simplicity of the system allows you to improve even more.
Andre Tiesinga
Registered
I’m also moving from Toodledo (have been using it in the past 6 years) to Nirvana. Should have done it earlier, simplicity beats complexity!
Longstreet
Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
I Ann so glad to hear this! As a long-term user of Nirvanahq and avid proponent, I am here to help both of you if you need it. Nirvanahq and GTD rock!
Longstreet
Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
Welcome to the wonderful world of Nirvanahq!
Manish Dabkara
Registered
I have customized Zoho projects and using it smoothly.
John Ismyname
Registered
Agreed! As we habitualize more-and-more of our GTD, we "evolve" and see what our next steps are. Decades ago, I went from pen-and-paper to a software system that synced my PC to a Sharp PDA circa 1993. I made the realization that this system could not handle teh complexities of my life and my existing system. (My life was not complicated then or now!)
Time and money were spent to go from paper based to computer based and then back to paper
With software, one must always have an "exit strategy" - exporting the data in a common format and/or importing into another format.
I would add to this software that "uses" your data as surveillance is becoming an increasingly bigger part of the software ap business model.
One has to question, what GTD data one wants to save? For example, I make a daily print to PDF of my completed Outlook calendar and task list for the day so I have a record of what I got done. On a monthly basis, I make a PDF of my financial information. If Microsoft declared end-of0life to Outlook tomorrow, Id easily move on - my email is IMAP and stored privately, my calendar and contacts are on my phone and with Google (who analyze it grrr).
On a seperate note, I used the same home/business financial recording and tracking software for decades. I went to the on-line version of this software. The publisher sold this app and the buyer announced that this on-line version was being discontinued but neither offered a solution to migrate data to their desktop version nor to their other web-based system. After 24 years with that system, I did not contemplate that this would happen. Ultimately it was no big deal, as I had summary data on PDFs and in an excel file and that was all I needed.
Last edited:
Bill Myers
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny
Whether there are better list managers than Wunderlist isn't a "lame" question but it's impossible to give a definitive answer. To an extent, it depends on personal preferences. What floats my boat might sink yours, and vice versa.
For instance, @Longstreet loves Nirvana and @TesTeq is a big Nozbe fan, and both promote their preferences at every opportunity. Personally, neither software option really bangs a gong for me. So, clearly I'm wrong or @TesTeq and @Longstreet are, and either they or I must quit GTD and walk away from this forum for good. Or perhaps the only way to settle this is a good mud wrestling match.
Obviously, that's absurd (well, at least I hope it's obvious to everyone, but you never know). It's possible for all three of us to have different preferences when it comes to software and still be successful GTD'ers (and even coexist without the need for a mud wrestling match).
A few years ago I resolved to stop obsessing about tools and to focus instead on getting good at the behaviors and habits that make up GTD. In the past few weeks in particular this effort has really paid off in a way that no software features ever could have (I'm actually going to start a separate thread about a couple of insights I've gained along the way). I've learned that I don't need "the best" list manager (if such a thing could even be defined objectively), just one that's good enough for me.
If you like Wunderlist, though, there's a tool that I've played with called TickTick that is actually very Wunderlist-like. And AFAIK it's not reaching end-of-life anytime soon. I actually don't use it, though (when I say I've only toyed with it, I mean it), so I can't endorse it.
For instance, @Longstreet loves Nirvana and @TesTeq is a big Nozbe fan, and both promote their preferences at every opportunity. Personally, neither software option really bangs a gong for me. So, clearly I'm wrong or @TesTeq and @Longstreet are, and either they or I must quit GTD and walk away from this forum for good. Or perhaps the only way to settle this is a good mud wrestling match.
Obviously, that's absurd (well, at least I hope it's obvious to everyone, but you never know). It's possible for all three of us to have different preferences when it comes to software and still be successful GTD'ers (and even coexist without the need for a mud wrestling match).
A few years ago I resolved to stop obsessing about tools and to focus instead on getting good at the behaviors and habits that make up GTD. In the past few weeks in particular this effort has really paid off in a way that no software features ever could have (I'm actually going to start a separate thread about a couple of insights I've gained along the way). I've learned that I don't need "the best" list manager (if such a thing could even be defined objectively), just one that's good enough for me.
If you like Wunderlist, though, there's a tool that I've played with called TickTick that is actually very Wunderlist-like. And AFAIK it's not reaching end-of-life anytime soon. I actually don't use it, though (when I say I've only toyed with it, I mean it), so I can't endorse it.
Last edited: