4 reasons to use a candle-based desk lamp:<p>1) You have to go to sleep when the candle burns out.<p>2) You can always get more wax from bees.<p>3) Gives off a pleasing aroma.<p>4) Take it anywhere you go!
I've tried just about every web/mobile/desktop todo list out there, and always end up back at pen and paper.<p>Every night, I list out the things I want to get done the next day. I strike these tasks out throughout the day as I do them. At night, I destroy the list (burn it if we have a fire going) and make a new list. After writing out "Setup split test experiment on blog CTA" a few nights in row, it becomes painfully obvious that it either needs to get done ASAP or it's not worth it.<p>With software-based todo apps, it's too easy to overload your list, which leads to starting each day depressed over how much you have to do that day.
> 1. Forces brevity<p>> 2. It's always available / It never crashes<p>> 3. Awesome Weekly Summary<p>> 4. Take notes anywhere<p>On 1.) This is something ultimately up to oneself, I could have a larger notebook, or use multiple pages. Brevity more over is about self-discipline in accurately describing tasks. It can also be double edged in that not enough information or vagueness may increase effort require. This is something digital tools can help alleviate by allowing for additional information (todos, comments, etc).<p>On 2.) Sure, paper beats the redundancy of digital or online tools, but let's not forget about the power and utility they can provide as well.<p>On 3.) Digital tools by contrast can work around this exceeding well and in detail (calendars, weekly iterations, etc).<p>Finally on 4.) Sure, I won't argue against papers innate redundancy, but I feel like digital services convenience me just as well with mobile & web apps (as long as I can get the full site though :P).<p>Anywho, my long drawn out point is : these strengths can be applied elsewhere, and just as well. For instance, I use Trello as a scratchpad about various things I have going on. I've got about 11 or so person boards. Writing things down and applying a method to limit work in progress is really the corner stone of getting things done in my opinion. Just my two cents.
Probably an ad hominem, but why would someone who has over 7000 tweets and who appears to be tweeting every 3 hours need to carry an additional pen + paper.<p>Wouldn't he have his phone anyway? I wonder why are so many "digital natives" still preaching the advantages of pen an paper over digital texts today.
It's amazing. It record tasks, notes and ideas, especially it shows the battery life on the corner to indicate that the week is burning out. Unfortunately, there are only four days in a week. Depending on how many days you are working, maybe four days is enough. Or if you work for seven days a week, you can use the note page for additional days and leave the last page for notes. This way, we can physically count the number of days in a week passed, so quickly.
The folding mechanism probably came first on <a href="http://www.pocketmod.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.pocketmod.com/</a> which allows you to build your own organizer by drag and dropping modules.
Scribbling my tasks on the back of an envelope or receipt or whatever and keeping it in my pocket somehow makes the tasks more immediate or urgent feeling with their physical presence, however small, and the urge to physically scratch them off (satisfying) and ultimately throw away the scrap of paper (very satisfying) can occasionally be the straw that breaks the camel's back to get up and get the thing done!
I made my own task manager this weekend: <a href="https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus</a><p>I think that the problem with digital task managers is not that they are worse than paper-based ones, but that a task manager is a very personal thing. Unless you are a programmer it is hard to find one that suits your needs entirely.
I'm 50-50 on this. I try to use the mobile for 2Do, but doesn't work as well as I would like... Especially the part where you have to <i>take a note</i> on the run: No matter how fast you're with your mobile's keyboard you can't beat paper.
For myself I think paper might work better at remembering the task. Because I've always remembered things better if I write them down with my own hand.
Paper is great for tracking small things while I'm working in some task, but how do you take paper notes on non-text data like URL's or images..?