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A developer's journey through various productivity apps (Notion, Todoist, Things 3, OmniFocus, Trello) ultimately leads back to using a simple plain text file for task management. The author demonstrates how a basic todo.txt file with dated entries and simple formatting can be more effective than complex productivity systems, offering benefits like instant access, searchability, permanence, and freedom from vendor lock-in. The approach combines daily task lists with work logging, creating a living document that serves both productivity and journaling purposes.

I Tried Every Todo App and Ended Up With a .txt File

Same. Got my own system with markdown files and neovim pluging to change specific text into pretty icons and that’s it.
Better than any other complex tool.

Funny how people in the comments agree.
Mine is similar. I use markdown’s &quot; - [ ]&quot; and I leave the Done items on the list with a &quot; - [X]&quot;.
I also dump all my thoughts on the one file. So if a todo gets too far up I just make it &quot; - [⬇️]&quot; and write it again closer to the end of the doc.

I tried everything including txt files over the last decades. Ended up embracing chaos and not go crazy in the course of it. Some Joplin, some Obsidian, some Workflowy, some Apple notes, some Google keep, MS Todo, Trello, etc. Same with notes. Workflow masturbation is so tiring. What’s important will prioritize itself.

Just try joplin, free, free to sync on all devices

Never have I ever felt so connected to other IT professionals! 😂 I also use markdowns for my TODO files, work and personal. But I think some people (me included) just want see to a snazzy UI with a few bells and whistles, like animations and sounds, to experience the illusion of productivity