TickTick and Todoist

Over the years, the Task Management landscape has changed somewhat dramatically. A few years ago everyone was talking about GTD (Getting Things Done — methodology) and software based on that approach which was quite popular. OmniFocus was probably the standout GTD program but then there was Things and the Hit List all major in their time.

Things v 3.0 is still quite popular, but I would submit not because of GTD. OmniFocus has been around a long time but we do not hear of this program the way we used to. It is complicated and is sorely lacking in some of the modern functions. It is not cross platform which is becoming almost essential for this class of software. It lacks priorities and subtasks within tasks. However, most important it is a pure GTD program and users have been moving away from GTD as the b all and end all of a software tool.

GTD still has a striking influence but not to the degree it had. 2do, which finally incorporated GTD functionality, started off and continues the philosophy of the program is what you make of it.

What Has Happened with GTD

GTD as a methodology for Getting Things Done remains significant. However, it is accepted that there is more to productivity than just the GTD approach.

In terms of the programs adhering to the methodology, there is a bit of a mixed bag here. OmniFocus, the most GTD program of the bunch, has been successful but people are questioning its significant complexity and learning curve. The question is do you do better using this program.

There are key components missing from it which people find beneficial. It does not use priorities for sorting and priorities allow one to quickly re-establish the importance of a task.You can create a custom perspective but these are hard to understand and to implement and finally they don’t necessarily work as you want. A lot of time can be expended on the program, but you’re no farther ahead than with Todoist or TickTick.

Things remains a vibrant product but more because it is easy to use than it is GTD. The Hit List has unfortunately died on the vine. Had it been kept up, it might have done well as it is fast. easy to use but powerful and flexible.

The one central with all of these programs is they are not cross platform. In today’s world in wish teams are made up of both IOS and Android this shortcoming can’t be overlooked.

The Two Most Popular Programs

There are two programs which are very popular and are highly rated. They are Todoist, which eventually came to support the all important inbox found in GTD and TickTick. Both of these programs support GTD type capabilities but are not true GTD programs. They both tend to be more flexible than that of a true GTD program and are each selling very well.

Although there are significant differences between the two programs they are also uncannily similar. Of the two TickTick is the less expensive one.

Todoist has a large following but TickTick has been growing quickly in user acceptance. They are both a quick learn, fast at what they do and cross platform.

Todoist

This became as popular as it has based on very positive user feedback. It supports the three critical programs of a more sophisticated productivity program:

• the all purpose inbox to grab your ideas
• Projects to contain ideas of a similar nature
• tasks with:
• priorities
• due dates
• reminders All of the above are beneficial to meet one’s goals. Without a well rounded but relatively quick and easy to use task manager it would be difficult to keep everything together that needs to get done. Productivity is significantly enhanced.

Todoist is the most expensive of the bunch but some could not get their work done methodically without Todoist.

TickTick sports Certain things Considered Beneficial

You can’t go wrong with Todoist and it runs on everything. However, there are some things it doesn’t do which some users rely on.

TickTick sports the all purpose grab all inbox to ensure you don’t miss an idea. However, there are some key things TickTick does that Todoist doesn’t which is important. It does this and for less money:

• Along with projects it has folders to contain the projects in areas enhancing the logic
• Has a start date which for some is very important. The due date might be set as the end of the week but when should it be started and a start date assists with that
• Subtasks within the task with a due date really keeping you on target
• Calendar to show your tasks in a calendar which sometimes helps with visualizing how a project needs to go or is going
• a Pomodoro system
• a habit builder

All the above is in a very attractive package that is also fully cross platform. For some, they find the program looks nicer and is faster in operation while being a breeze to learn.

Todoist or TickTick

For most such a consideration is very personal. The important thing always is which do you work with the most easily. Since they are both good and do the job well, it is very much a matter of personal preference.

However, I think Ticktick is the better option as it is less expensive with more functionality. It supports natural language interpretation like Todoist allowing you to get your tasks into the program quickly. However, the importance of the additional functionality cannot be understated. As an example, seeing your projects under folders or areas of responsibility is important to overall organization stealth. The same goes with seeing your tasks in a calendar view and moving things around is simple.

You can’t go wrong with either program but if you’re just starting, the added flexibility of TickTick is a big selling point. Ticktick is constantly being modified and improved. They do take feedback and add to the program sometimes very quickly if the value is seen.

You cannot go wrong with either program. I think you would be farther ahead with TickTick but the key to the success of these programs or a program like this is sticking with it. The more you use the program; the better you will get at using the program. Further, the more the program outlines what you need to do the better you’ll get at accomplishing your goals. These are powerful programs to improve productivity while at the same time they are very approachable. Use them religiously and the payoff will be there without question.