Start Date for Tasks (don't want to see them before!)
(closed account) says:
Hi,
My main method of using RTM is having very few lists with tons of tags, priorities and due dates. However, I have found that I often add tasks for things that more than a due date have a 'start date'. I guess an example of this would be adding 'make christmas shopping' in July, with which I really mean not to forget to start working on it in early december.
I often have to write proposals say a month before the due date, and I'd love to see the hability to give a task a 'start date' so that they would invisible until the given date. That way, my lists are not cluttered with stuff that I know of but also know I don't have to deal with right now.
There might be a way to do the above with a smart list, but I don't use them very much and it wasn't obvious to me how to do that.
Thanks.
My main method of using RTM is having very few lists with tons of tags, priorities and due dates. However, I have found that I often add tasks for things that more than a due date have a 'start date'. I guess an example of this would be adding 'make christmas shopping' in July, with which I really mean not to forget to start working on it in early december.
I often have to write proposals say a month before the due date, and I'd love to see the hability to give a task a 'start date' so that they would invisible until the given date. That way, my lists are not cluttered with stuff that I know of but also know I don't have to deal with right now.
There might be a way to do the above with a smart list, but I don't use them very much and it wasn't obvious to me how to do that.
Thanks.
scharnout says:
I agree.
It will unclutter your lists and keeps your focus on the things you should do now. Other apps are also implementing the startdates
It will unclutter your lists and keeps your focus on the things you should do now. Other apps are also implementing the startdates
tommertron says:
@ranbarton Yeah, that's still a little hacky. I use something similar, where I put tasks with a 'start date' on a 'deferred' list and give them a due date, and then a smart list to hide those tasks until they're due.
The problem is, they're not really 'due' that day. I'm a big believer in GTD, which says a lot of things don't really have 'due' dates. It would be great to have a task with no due date, but a start date. Some tasks I just can't start until a certain date (until I get paid for instance). But once I can start on them, I don't really have a due date.
Anyway... would be a great field to add.
The problem is, they're not really 'due' that day. I'm a big believer in GTD, which says a lot of things don't really have 'due' dates. It would be great to have a task with no due date, but a start date. Some tasks I just can't start until a certain date (until I get paid for instance). But once I can start on them, I don't really have a due date.
Anyway... would be a great field to add.
andrew.ong says:
This feature has been requested since RTM started three years ago. It's still not here. If you want a Start Date field, you will have to move to another task manager.
Basically, if you have a start date for a task and that date is in the future, how would you see it (to modify or delete or whatever)?
I suppose a toggle ("Show tasks with a start date in the future") would do it.
However, I'm surprised that people use regular lists at all to look at their tasks when there are smart lists.
I suppose a toggle ("Show tasks with a start date in the future") would do it.
However, I'm surprised that people use regular lists at all to look at their tasks when there are smart lists.
(closed account) says:
A start date would be very useful. I recently switched to RTM from Omnifocus b/c of the cross-platform availability.
I've got plenty of recurring tasks (like paying the rent) that have to happen after a certain date every month (after I get paid) but are due on another (the first day of the next month), or every week (water the plants), or every year (e.g. christmas cards, organize birthday party).
Just wondering why this feature hasn't been added.
Besides a viewing function for Due Today, OverDue etc., you would have to have an option 'Available'
I've got plenty of recurring tasks (like paying the rent) that have to happen after a certain date every month (after I get paid) but are due on another (the first day of the next month), or every week (water the plants), or every year (e.g. christmas cards, organize birthday party).
Just wondering why this feature hasn't been added.
Besides a viewing function for Due Today, OverDue etc., you would have to have an option 'Available'
Every time I see the "start date" idea crop up in these discussions, my first thought is that it is sad how few people use smart lists. I think they are the heart of RTM, and yet RTM clearly has a hard time describing them to its users.
The suggestion of having some pre-defined smart lists in every new account has come up over time, and I think that might be a useful introduction for many users.
The suggestion of having some pre-defined smart lists in every new account has come up over time, and I think that might be a useful introduction for many users.
(closed account) says:
I agree, I always start my uni assignments as
"Oh yeah, you ahve heaps of time left..." when I see the DUE date. But in my diary if I write START whatever boring assignment the teacher has given me, I finish it quuicker and it is of much higher quality.
Way to go Raghos! :)
"Oh yeah, you ahve heaps of time left..." when I see the DUE date. But in my diary if I write START whatever boring assignment the teacher has given me, I finish it quuicker and it is of much higher quality.
Way to go Raghos! :)
I have several tasks that have a start date, but no due date.
If I understand "sleeper tags" (which I consider a workaround for a missing basic concept at best) correctly, I can't use those.
Right now, I abuse the due date field to hold the the start date for those tasks (and need an extra tag to make a distinction between the two meanings this field now has to me).
What would a better way to do this? (with or without smart lists)
If I understand "sleeper tags" (which I consider a workaround for a missing basic concept at best) correctly, I can't use those.
Right now, I abuse the due date field to hold the the start date for those tasks (and need an extra tag to make a distinction between the two meanings this field now has to me).
What would a better way to do this? (with or without smart lists)
(closed account) says:
Thanks for all the responses.
@ranbarton: thanks for pointing out the RTM Tips&Tricks article.
However, and as tommertron mentions, the 'sleeper tag' solution is incredibly hacky, and does not fit at all with the rest of the workflow of RTM. For starters, you'd have to create one tag (and one smart list!) for each different 'sleep time' you want, which defeats the whole purpose of using the great date/time recognition feature of RTM. It'd also horribly clutter your lists (smart or dumb).
Second, and as @action.manager mentions, you might have tasks with a start date and not due date. The sleeper tag doesn't solve that at all.
So it does seem that this is a missing feature of RTM that can't be done with smart lists, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
@ranbarton: thanks for pointing out the RTM Tips&Tricks article.
However, and as tommertron mentions, the 'sleeper tag' solution is incredibly hacky, and does not fit at all with the rest of the workflow of RTM. For starters, you'd have to create one tag (and one smart list!) for each different 'sleep time' you want, which defeats the whole purpose of using the great date/time recognition feature of RTM. It'd also horribly clutter your lists (smart or dumb).
Second, and as @action.manager mentions, you might have tasks with a start date and not due date. The sleeper tag doesn't solve that at all.
So it does seem that this is a missing feature of RTM that can't be done with smart lists, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
You only need one smart list, zzz in the example, where you search for all sleeper tags you might use.
(tag:zzz AND dueAfter:now)
OR (tag:z1d AND dueAfter:"1 day of now")
OR (tag:z2d AND dueAfter:"2 days of now")
OR (tag:z1w AND dueAfter:"1 week of now")
OR (tag:z1m AND dueAfter:"1 month of now")
If you need more sleeper tags, just edit the smart list criteria in this one smart list.
Should you copy the text above, I suggest adding the " yourself, RTM somehow screws things up when printing ".
(tag:zzz AND dueAfter:now)
OR (tag:z1d AND dueAfter:"1 day of now")
OR (tag:z2d AND dueAfter:"2 days of now")
OR (tag:z1w AND dueAfter:"1 week of now")
OR (tag:z1m AND dueAfter:"1 month of now")
If you need more sleeper tags, just edit the smart list criteria in this one smart list.
Should you copy the text above, I suggest adding the " yourself, RTM somehow screws things up when printing ".
(closed account) says:
@rajjan, Again, I don't think this solves the problem of not having a start date. This is a hack (a smart one, for sure).
Thanks anyways!
Thanks anyways!