The Missing "proper" star and my workaround

khaberz

12/27/2013 12:36

As @Folke has eloquently pointed out in several threads in the help area, one of the main missing features from other apps (nirvana, zendone etc.) is a way to highlight ("star") a task for immediate focus without turning it into a scheduled task that is moved onto the today list and removed from the original e.g. Next list.

I couldn't handle working with the Today list as a focus list - I really tried, but it renders my Next list useless, removing the option to view the tasks I marked for immediate focus in the context of the tasks I haven't marked yet and make adjustments to account for changing circumstances.

FWIW, I am using High Priority as my Focus marker now. It significantly increases the effort and time in marking the tasks - but at least I am left with a functional Next list when I need it as well as a "Focus only" view - via a Filter.

I really hope they come up with a better way - but for now, this sort of works.

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• Folke  (积分：2425)12/27/2013 16:28
  1 floor

  Yes, they really MUST introduce a new star, a "normal/proper" star. And now that they are removing the old "hard-scheduled" star they would seem to have a very good opportunity.
  
  As for workarounds, I am not sure any workaround at all is good enough except in the very, very short term. They risk losing a lot of customers.
  
  I'd hate to have to make use of Priority as a workaround for the star, because I am already using 3 of the priorities for "review frequency", which I am extremely happy with and which was one of the main reasons I even moved over to Doit in the first place, and the forth priority I use as a a workaround for subsequent (inactive) actions in projects (which is another thing they need to fix properly.).
  
  I wonder how clunky a "star" tag would be as a short-term workaround for a proper star? The problem with tags is that you cannot see the tag in the lists (yet another thing they need to fix), so you cannot see whether a task is star-tagged or not until you open it, and you also have to open it to even be able to tag it, so it is definitely not a satisfactory solution from any point of view in the longer term, of course.
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• Folke  (积分：2425)12/27/2013 18:21
  2 floor

  For everyone's convenience, here are some of the other threads on the the star topic:
  
  http://help.doit.im/topics/2015 "Today is not a Box"
  http://help.doit.im/topics/2429 "Star missing in iPhone?"
  http://help.doit.im/topics/2467 "Where did the Star go?"
  
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• khaberz  (积分：230)12/28/2013 00:15
  3 floor

  @Folke Yes, my main problem with a "Star-Tag" would be that I lose the view of starred vs. non-starred tasks, to make adjustments, as I frequently need to during the day. That's the main reason I can't use the Today list as workaround either. Priority, with it's color-coding in the clients works fine for me in that regard. I can see how it couldn't work for you with your current use of priorities though.
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• Folke  (积分：2425)12/28/2013 02:04
  4 floor

  @khaberz - Let us hope that we can convince them that a plain regular star is really needed. I agree completely with what you are saying. We need to see the whole Next list and see which tasks are already starred in order to be able to review our choices. And since this selection will evolve during the day (add some, skip some) a quick toggle such as a star is essential.
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• lisa_alway  (积分：530)01/02/2014 16:03
  5 floor

  Folke-what is your current work around using your setup for review etc to deal with the regular plain star? Just curious as I am trying to work this out.
  
  
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• Folke  (积分：2425)01/03/2014 00:21
  7 floor

  @lisa_alway
  
  I do not have a good workaround for not having a normal star like all other apps do. I still use the web app, which still has the crazy old "scheduling star".
  
  I think my intuitive countermeasure to selecting "blindfolded" from the Next list (not seeing what I have already chosen) is to first star quite "generously" and then switch to Today and "unstar" those that seem too unrealistic.
  
  And I avoid starring other actions than Next (because if I subsequently unstar them they are moved into Next regardless of where they came from, which messes it all up).
  
  And I suppose I will have the energy to keep doing all that for a while even if they take away the star completely even in the web app and I have to open each task to put in on the Today list. But I really feel that they NEED to implement a proper normal star. And they cannot wait too long. I have interpreted @wendy_only as if they will have some sort of fix ready during January, but I am not quite sure what exactly they have in mind.
  
  Thank you Lisa for your kind words in the thread http://help.doit.im/topics/2607. I will be most happy to help in whatever way I can. I am sure others will be, too. It is a big subject, though, and I do not quite know were to start. Would it be OK for you to post one or more threads with different questions or problematic topics in this group forum to get us started with something that needs answering first of all?
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• khaberz  (积分：230)01/03/2014 09:40
  8 floor

  @lisa_alway - you didn't ask me, but I'll add my 2c anyway. I agree with @Folke that the star is needed rather sooner than later. For me the above mentioned workaround with High Priority as a Star substitute works because:
  
  - It's color coded
  - I can set a filter that shows me my "starred" tasks only - creating a pseudo list I like
  - I still have the option to review the Next list with starred and unstarred tasks
  - I can "star" multiple tasks with reasonable effort with the right-click method at once
  
  If you are, like @Folke, using Priority for a different purpose, it obviously won't be a suitable workaround for you.
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• khaberz  (积分：230)01/03/2014 09:48
  9 floor

  Folke, can you please elaborate on this statement:
  
  And I avoid starring other actions than Next (because if I subsequently unstar them they are moved into Next regardless of where they came from, which messes it all up).
  
  What scenarios could you possibly want to star something that is not in Next? Just curious, because I had never even thought of or encountered such a scenario.
  
  Thanks!
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• lisa_alway  (积分：530)01/03/2014 11:18
  10 floor

  Thanks to you both for your suggestions above. The only reason I was addressing just folke by the way is, i realize if I adopt more than one way of working, it will confuse matters and I thought if I take onboard one way, get that working, then I can overall review what does and does not work for me. I of course am interested in other opinions as well, so thanks for all feedback.
  
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• lisa_alway  (积分：530)01/03/2014 11:18
  11 floor

  Thanks to you both for your suggestions above. The only reason I was addressing just folke by the way is, i realize if I adopt more than one way of working, it will confuse matters and I thought if I take onboard one way, get that working, then I can overall review what does and does not work for me. I of course am interested in other opinions as well, so thanks for all feedback.
  
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• lisa_alway  (积分：530)01/03/2014 11:20
  12 floor

  @Folke
  
  Hello, thanks for your reply on this. I have compiled I think a list of actions I can follow to use your method correctly, would it be okay if I post it here and you could have a look to see if I have it right? I have put together an evernote note with the steps I could work out in order to use what I can interepret as your overall organizing method.
  
  thanks
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• Folke  (积分：2425)01/03/2014 14:15
  13 floor

  @lisa_alway - sure, I'll be happy to comment on your steps. I read this group forum ("GTD in Practice") and the Bugs and Features forums, so I am sure I will see it. But this forum is probably the best one to discus "how to" questions. And I know @khaberz has similar ideas for you as well. We often seem to think alike.
  
  @khaberz - about starring non-Next actions: It is just a dirty trick I use (used to use) for very quick things, to save me some typing. I could perhaps describe it as "special review later today". For example, if I notice during my morning review that something that I am Waiting for is late and might require some action on my part if I do not hear anything, or if a Waiting for action concerns a courier delivery that I have to sign for personally, or if I have some wild idea about how I could split a Someday item into two and turn one of them into Next, or if I realize I need to double-check the date of a calendar event next Tuesday, then simply starring it - just one click - is a dirty but convenient way to make an unwritten note about that implied next action. Since it relies on my memory, though, there are obvious limitations to how and when it can be used..
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• khaberz  (积分：230)01/04/2014 05:23
  14 floor

  @Folke Thanks for the explanation re starring non-Next tasks. That makes sense to me now.
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