Image Credit: Nicole Epps
I've recently been thinking about my experience with to-do list apps. You know, the ones that promise to make you feel super organized and in control. It always starts out great, you download a new app feeling hopeful that this time you’ve found the solution to getting things in order.
It all started back when I joined university, first with a few todo.txt files then moving on to Evernote, Google Keep, Wunderlist (RIP), Trello, TickTick..., every new app with a shiny UI and a promise to make your more productive. You set up tasks, make a few neat little categories, everything synced across devices, task notifications popping right on time. For a moment, it all feels so structured and manageable.
But as life goes by, the lists keep growing. You check off one task and five more seem to pop up - work items, articles to read, videos to watch, random things to research... Soon, you’re drowning in tasks you barely remember adding.
The honeymoon phase ends, and that shiny new app starts to feel more like a constant source of pressure. You procrastinate, putting off clearing the list until the tasks become outdated or irrelevant to your current endeavors, immortalized in the cloud. Still, there’s always a small part of you that wants to revisit them, just in case there’s a hidden gem you’ve missed.
It’s fascinating going through your old to do list after a few years, It's like opening a window into the past. Each task is a snapshot of what you were working on and what mattered to you back then and how your priorities have changed.
So, what's the solution? How do you break free from the tyranny of endless unchecked boxes? Honestly, I’m not sure... over time and after a lot of trial and error, I've found a workflow with a few apps that kinda works for me, but the main takeaway is less about finding the perfect system but focusing on the essentials and letting things go, Actively weed out tasks occasionally without feeling any guilt. The sooner you can accept that not everything needs to get done, the sooner you’ll find a balance that works for you.