OmniFocus is something I can talk to and tell what I need to get done, and then it assists me in doing that task.Д«ut the tools and systems are just one side of living a focused life. Task lists are not your boss they are more like your assistant. When contemplating the minutia of a task management app itвЂ™s important to root out the false notion that a task list in and of itself will make you more productive. I lean towards the feature rich, powerful task managers because it is an area where I am in need of a sledgehammer. For that sort of work you need a sledgehammer.ДЄnd this is why a powerful task-management tool such as Things or OmniFocus is so helpful to me. A вЂњminimalistвЂќ would not do demolition work to their home using a small, lightweight hammer. Simplicity is not just about whitespace or having the least amount of features possible. But when you are responsible for additional projects which donвЂ™t excite you, you need help keeping on track. When a project is the top idea in your mind you donвЂ™t need help thinking about it and staying on top of its priorities. Of the several projects I am personally managing at any given time, usually only two or three are truly exciting to me. Often my time is spent thinking things through, having meetings and conversations, or doing research before the project is ready for the team to take it on in Basecamp. However, I personally spend very little time in Basecamp. At any given time we have as many as 40 active projects - some are print, some web, some editing, and some are all of the above. In many ways, my work is like a giant puzzle I get to solve, and the end results are things like a well-run office, clear pieces of information, and non-complicated designs. I also enjoy taking nebulous ideas and turning them into clearly defined goals. One of the things I love about my job is taking complex and/or broken systems and simplifying them. Some of these are personal projects (slowly advancing our approach towards communication and design) and some are group projects (like a website re-design). In my role as Marketing Director at the International House of Prayer I am personally managing and working on upwards of a dozen projects at any given time. Unfortunately, low-fi task management is a luxury I cannot afford. And simply having a to-do list is not the same as doing things. Many a weekend I hand write my to-do list onto a sticky note and place it on the fridge or next to my keyboard.Д«ecause the tools - in and of themselves - are not what make me productive.

I would rather keep my running to-do list inside of Simplenote. Despite popular opinion, I do not prefer ultra-powerful task-management tools.

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