'I tried every to-do app out there, but I ended up with a .txt file.'
Software developer Aleliza Basili wrote in a column that she tried various to-do list management apps, including
I Tried Every Todo App and Ended Up With a .txt File - Alireza Bashiri
https://www.al3rez.com/todo-txt-journey
Basili has tried several to-do apps, each time thinking, 'This is the last one, I'll finally be organized.' However, he had a terrible experience: one app charged a monthly fee, another had a broken syncing function, and another app was sold and disappeared. At one point, he tried to use his experience to develop an app, but gave up halfway through.
However, one day my smartphone battery ran out, so I scribbled the following on a sticky note and it all worked out:
Complete a report
Call your mother
Go to the gym
・Buy ingredients
Basili realized that simply writing things down, without tags, priorities, or deadlines, worked perfectly as a to-do list, and from then on he started managing his to-do list in a single text file.
An example of a ToDo list is as follows:
2025-08-11
10:00 Check pull requests
- Check specifically for changes in authentication
Write a blog post about a to-do app
2pm Team meeting
- Sprint planning discussions
- Raise deployment issues
3:30pm: Call with client
Plan dinner
Read the article sent by Sarah
Fixed an annoying bug in the navigation bar
Every night, I look at my calendar for the next day and write everything I need to do in a section for the next day, noting the time for anything that has a specific time. I add notes and reminders to the sub-sections, and either delete completed tasks or add a note about what happened. If something's still on the list, it's not done yet.
Basili points out that the reasons why this simple method suited him include 'it works instantly, without having to switch apps or wait for them to load,' 'you can search your history immediately,' and 'it's yours, so it can't be deleted by any company.'
Regarding to-do lists, Basili said, 'At the end of the day, it's all about doing it or not doing it. Productivity isn't about finding the perfect app; it's about writing things down, checking your list regularly, and doing them.'
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in Software, Posted by log1p_kr