@adabbagh mentioned this app.
Have you used Sorted³ an app for iPad & iPhone. Claims to be an amazing task manager. Just installed it… no opinions yet. Do you know how long it has been around? The version history was not helpful.
Sorted³ by StaySorted Limited
Sorted³ is out for about 2 months now, it’s really a great piece of software.
I’ve been using it for a while now and really enjoy it - the interface looks and feels great, quite similar to things 3, but I feel it offers much more.
I like the ability to check off calendar events from the daily todo list, it gives you a feeling of accomplishment and you don’t end the day with irrelevant records in your list.
They have some very cool ideas for spreading tasks throughout the day, implemented in a very friendly and fun GUI.
Two things they are missing but are in the developers todo list - a Mac app and support for Siri Shortcuts.
Sorted³ is developed only by 2 programmers, so it may take some time (Check out their interview in ‘The Productivity Show’ podcast , episode 216 - http://www.asianefficiency.com/podcast/ )
I like the idea of merging your tasks and your calendar into one. But you ( or I) tend to fall into the trap of underestimating the time tasks take, and that can have a serious knock on effect. That’s the danger I see with Sorted.
I have a small personal rule for time-blocking: whatever time I estimate something should take, I multiply that number by 1.5 and 2.0 to give myself a lower range and upper range of time something should take.
It’s not meant to be completely accurate, but it’s a useful heuristic that keeps me from trying to be overly accurate when scheduling events and give myself a bit of breathing room should complications or things come up.
I always make sure to add a buffer time in between tasks. There is a transition period switching between one job to the next. These small time snippets add up over the course of the day.
After listening to the podcast, it sounds like they added that buffer time in to calculating the schedule.
That need for “attentional shift” is very real, that’s a great point.
I use the pi rule - multiply my estimate by pi, and that’s about right.
Yeah, darn that pi.
The only pi I want is Apple pie.
The transition time can be cut down if you work in batches. I like to work in the @computer context and batch as many similar tasks as possible. I create a time block or appointment in my calendar and do as much work in that area. Context-switching can add up. If I finish a computer task, I have to walk down the hall and try to find Person A to discuss something. Then I get intercepted by another co-worker looking for me and I spend another 5 minutes trying to hammer out some issues. Before I know, I lost 10-15 minutes just getting back to my computer. Staying in one context(a GTD concept) keeps me in the zone and it’s easier to churn out results when task-batching.
Sorted is basically just Clear, with scheduling. It’s pretty, it works okay. I bought it, tried it, deleted it. Maybe it’ll fit better for you.
Decent overview here:
Now — spent time playing with Sorted³, I’m inclined to keep on with my current routine (Drafts, Due, Fantastical and Readdle overlays on the stock calendar. Things 3 hovers in the background).
That said, if I routinely had an avalanche of stuff demanding my attention, I might look harder. …teaching in a self-contained classroom, I could see it a handy tool for lesson plans running on flexible timing. In a way, Sorted³ helps set priorities in a changing environment. The price is reasonable and the two-week free trial lets folks check it out.
Currently, I use Due as an everyday prompt and Drafts to maintain several categorical lists of my aims. Throw in a shared calendar for coordination — nights out, dentist’s appointments, and other specific time stuff. They work together without much thought to the system.
A podcast about the app
I understand what you’re saying.
I also depend on Due, for noisy and persistent reminders that I wish would be in either a task manager or a calendar; since they’re not I have to add Due to make sure to get my attention. Aside from it, I’m currently living inside Google Calendar, and keep lists with Google Keep and notes in Apple Notes (not perfect but good enough).
I still haven’t found a task manager I enjoy using that has my requirement of nested lists (though I’m thinking about trying Zenkit or Dynalist, plus a Zapier integration to Google Calendar).
I got the chance to try out the latest version of Sorted and I was a lot more impressed than I was a year ago. They just added the ability to handle pretty much any kind of attachments. It’s a free download for a view-only mode, or you can elect to choose a time-limited (forgot how many days) fully unlocked version. If you like the UI you might like it a lot.