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Make A Landing Pad for Easy RTM List Sorting

idickinson says:
Hi,

I'm an RTM power use. I use RTM to remember everything I need to do around the house, school, work, etc... and I have an elaborate system of code which allows me to categorize tasks in smart lists. Unfortunately, I found that if your code gets a little TOO complex then your task will get lost in the ether when you create a new one, instead of having the attributes smart-added to it.

So here is my solution:

I created a smart list that sits at the very top which I named (01) Landing Pad.

For the code I simply did the following:

tag:td AND priority:none AND due:never

I tag each task td (for "to do") so that I can have a sub level smart list that will catch any untagged tasks in case I screw up or forget to tag it. They have no priority because I sort my lists by priority, and so when I give it a !1 !2 or !3 It will auto-hop over to my designated list (more on that in my next share).
Finally, it is due never, because I don't want tasks in that list that are due -- that means they have been assigned to another list.

So it seems simple, but here is where it has completely changed how I use RTM.

Because I used to pick the list I wanted and post in there, I would often lose tasks or forget where they were hiding. I would neglect lists, and I would also have trouble keeping them organized. I found it annoying to have to type in all the relevant information right then. I just wanted to post and go!

I also realized I couldn't just use my inbox because I had waaaay too many tasks -- so I devised a way to have a GTD style "Inbox" that I can sort easily later.

If I think of something, anything, I don't have to fuss with picking a list or setting a date or a priority, I just go to my landing pad and type in the task. Then at the end of the day I can go through and sort the tasks to where they need to be. This keeps me mindful of what I need to do and keeps me from making mistakes.

Most tasks go to my "(02) Today" smartlist, which has too many conditions in order to just post to it directly -- but it also has the advantage of only showing what I want, even with tasks appearing at certain times of the day (like flossing).

So now I can have the best of both worlds with the least amount of clicking and changing: with the landing pad I can easily and thoughtlessly create tasks, and with the "Today" smartlist which can easily facilitate tasks being moved to it from my landing pad.

Hope someone finds this useful.

Cheers,

Ian
Posted at 12:11am on September 15, 2013
techlifeweb says:
Thanks for this. This is one of those simple things that at first you think hmm interesting. Then you try it and whoa...why haven't I been doing that?
I love the power of RTM but I hate being slowed down by tagging and filing etc. I usually send in my tasks via email because I have a signature (in outlook) that I set up with all the smart tagging details. Your method will definitely help when on the go!
I file everything in a list called Central because I like to keep my inbox clear. Also, I tag things slightly differently if it is work or personal so I created 2 lists like yours.
tag:td AND tag:.wk AND priority:none AND due:never AND list:Central
That one is for my work items. .ps is how I tag personal so I make that change there. I now have the 2 smart lists labeled (01) Land PS and (02) Land WK.
Posted 10 years ago
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
Hi Ian,

Thanks for sharing your tip! You're this week's Tips & Tricks Tuesday winner, so we've added a free year of Pro to your Remember The Milk account. :)
Posted 10 years ago
drtmfmyers says:
Sounds interesting, I'm just starting out. If you're checking this thread, Can you tell me also about the conditions for your Today list, am struggling to try to give it enough granularity to work - my today list is too big and doesn't get done.
Posted 9 years ago
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