Things: Task Management Software for My Mac

One of the biggest challenges I face as a freelance writer is juggling assignments. In the beginning, I somehow managed to keep everything in my head. Then, as I began to take on more projects, I realized that I needed a task management system to keep me organized and focused.

I used iGTD for a while, and it helped to a degree. The problem was, I found myself spending more time learning the software and organizing my tasks than doing the work that needed to be done. I stopped using it because it was too much.

A simple To-Do app was too basic because it wouldn't let me organize the tasks the way I needed to organize them. So I started looking around again. I looked at OmniFocus and NoteTaker. Both looked very similar to iGTD, which is discontinued.

The developer created this task management software called Things. I read the reviews, unsure if they were hype or legitimate, and downloaded the free trial. After using Things for a solid week I have to say that it's a great program.

Things Interface

It doesn't take long to learn how Things works. The left sidebar contains all of the task options. You have an Inbox, where you can store tasks that you aren't sure where to put yet. I don't anticipate using that very often.

The Today area lists all of the tasks that you have to do ASAP as well as scheduled tasks that are due in a week. I appreciated how I could drag the tasks around to change their priority.

The Next area shows the section for the Today area and a section for any projects that you are working on. I like the bird's eye view as well as the ability to collapse lists down to the top three priorities. You can also log completed items so that they disappear from the task list. Filing tasks under a specific area or project is another option you have to keep your list from getting too crowded.

The Scheduled area shows a list of all recurring tasks that you have set up. This area allows you to set up new tasks or new recurring tasks. You can also reschedule a task, if necessary.

The Someday area is self-explanatory. If you have an idea for a book or article, but don't have time to work on it you can store it here for future reference.

Projects

This section is my favorite out of all the Things features. You can either fly solo with your project or assign teammates to help you with certain tasks. I will be using this section for all of my book projects.

Quick Entry and Tags

You will find these two black buttons on the bottom pane of every section of Things. Both are self-explanatory and easy to use.

Synching

One of the features that I thought I wanted in a task management program was a calendar. I'm a very visual person and like to be able to see each month at a glance. At this point in my freelance career, it is not necessary. When it comes to the point where I'm juggling 10+ clients, I can synch my projects and tasks lists into iCal.

You can synch Things to your iPhone, iTouch, iPad or any mobile device you have.

Overall Impression of Things for the Mac

I would recommend Things to anyone who is looking for an easy task management program that fits between the bare bones To-Do app and complex GTD software. You can download Things from the Cultured Code store for $50 or $40 from Amazon.