Ask HN: Features to help getting things OUT of the TODO list

[Danao]

The existing todo apps are very useful to add things to a todo list and to organize them. These apps push us to keep adding things to the todo list. Indeed, some people confuse a) adding things to the todo list with b) actually doing them. We can go crazy about the organazation (colors, labels, projects etc.). There is a lot that goes into the list and not a lot that goes out from the list. The list grows bigger and bigger until we reach a point of: "I need to start again".

If you were asked to imagine some features that help taking things out of todo lists what would you suggest?

[Isammoc]

Great question. I tried to develop such things, but I struggled to manage my time (what a pity). I thought about a system accessible through different media (mobile, laptop, desktop, browser), with labels (work/family/self), location (home/work/commute), best time to do (morning/afternoon/night) and dependencies. Once in a while, the system remind me (notification) to do one selected thing. Either I accept (and the system ask me after the duration of it's completed) or I deny and the system ask me why (fill dependency, location etc.) Before presenting me something else.

The complexity is to synchronize on all platforms, to have a nice and easy GUI, and manage the dependency (priority?)

Good luck with that and stay in touch if you come with something.

[Danao]

Thanks for the detailed answer. Would you mind talking a little bit more about the dependencies? What do you mean by a dependency? Is that like another task that needs to be finished before the current one? What is the relation with priority?

[Isammoc]

Yep. Dependency: a task that needs to be finished before the current one. A dependent task is always lower priority than its required task.

Dependency and priority are both levers to be able to choose the right task to do (perhaps adding an importance level?)

A task that depends on unfinished ones cannot be proposed by the system. Between two possible tasks, the priority one will be presented first (or perhaps a computation with priority, importance and duration?)

Edit: bad autocorrect