2Do

(You may select and copy the text - the links are for illustration )

Use the 2Do note as a to-do list

GTD and context

This example uses an advanced to-do list, inspired by the GTD method created by David Allen.

Specifically, this example organizes tasks by context. The purpose is to concentrate on related tasks without switching context.

If you need to make a phone call, you should try to do all your calls in one session. If you need to check which meetings you have today, all are listed in the same context.

Which contexts you should use depends on the nature of your work. If you're working on an important project, the project may be a separate context for you. Maybe "Web" is a separate context in your work.

Autolinks

This example also illustrates how useful the automatic autolinks are.

If you need to call JaneDoe, all information about her is available by clicking her link, or simply hover your mouse over the link (to get a preview). Phone number, company and personal information, and any other relevant information to you could be stored in the note about her.

Most important tasks (MIT)

The principle of Most Important Tasks is also used in this example.

Basically, it means that you should take a long, hard look at your tasks for the day, and pick the 2-3 most important tasks that absolutely should be done.

This is just a simple form of prioritizing - instead of setting priorities for all tasks, just pick the 2-3 most important ones. Quick and easy to do instead of messing with individual priorities that changes all the time.

Tomorrow / Soon:

During the day you'll get e-mails, attend meetings, talk to co-workers etc, and will probably get new tasks all the time.

If it is something that needs to be done today, add the task to the list under the appropriate context. If it is not necessary to do it today, simply add it to the tomorrow/soon list.

At the end of each day (or beginning of the next day) you should remove all the tasks that you have completed, and then move tasks from the tomorrow/soon list to the appropriate context.

Journal (and comments for today)

If you need to keep a log or a journal, you simply create a copy of the current 2Do list with a new name, and you're done.

To create a copy, press Ctrl + Shift + N to create a new note based on the current. All text will be copied to the new note. The New note dialog will automatically suggest a name for you based on the date and time, like this:
Note_2008_1205_1404
where the format is Note_yyyy_mmdd_hhmm in order to keep it in alphabetic order.

You may of course change the name, for example replace the 'Note' with 'log'. And if you only want one entry per day, you can also remove the hour and minute, which will then give 'log_2008_1205' which is the 5th of December 2008.

The Comments for today could be used to log important events, actions, information etc if you want to save a daily work journal/log.

Tags - @2Do

Another useful and powerful feature is tags. Basically, if you enter @ you will get a list of all available tags, and you can also create a new tag "on-the-fly" simply by writing a new name.

If you click on a tag, a popup-menu will show all notes that contains the same tag.

This is useful for example if you have a 'Meeting' or 'Project' note, or is on a phone call with a person and has this persons note visible.

You don't have to switch back to the '2Do' note to enter a new task - simply write the task directly in the other note, and add a '@2Do' tag to it.

The tag @2Do in the upper right corner of the '2Do' note is used to idenfity remaining tasks in other notes. Click the tag, and if any notes other than '2Do' is listed, it means that there are remaining tasks there.

Tags are meant to be used to connect "unrelated" items temporarily. If you want to connect two notes permanently, simply connect them by writing the note name (e.g. 'See MyNotes').

You can use a tag for an important project, and then add this tag to people, tasks, products, companies etc.




Links:
- Purpose your day: Most Important Task (MIT)
- Time management: The Pickle Jar Theory