Add a Review feature
Without built-in support for a review process, some items stagnate, using views and filters in MLO to carry out a review can be a complex and frustrating undertaking, and that you don't know what has been reviewed and what hasn't.
The review process would be similar to adding reminders, but not intrusive. After talking to a friend who uses OmniFocus, this is the review process I have in mind:
- A new "review" view would be added to the app.
- When you add/process a new task, you set a review frequency (similar to setting up a recurring task--e.g., "second Monday of every month" or "1 week after the next time the task is checked off from the review"). The review frequency could also be set on a folder or context, just as other attributes can be set on a folder and inherited by child tasks.
- The task does not show up in "review" until its next review date comes up.
- Check the "review" view as often as you like; it will only show items for the current review.
- You can update tasks in the review as necessary, or just check them off to show that you've reviewed them.
Future improvements:
1. Filter the review by priority, urgency, due date, context, project, folder, goal, etc.
2. When viewing/editing a task, show the user the last time that task was reviewed.
The killer feature of this type of review process is that it allows your reviews to be incremental, so you can do the review while waiting for the bus, standing in line at the grocery store, etc. Because you eventually review everything in the list, you don't have to worry about things being forgotten, no matter how many items you have. It also gives you the ability to easily prune duplicates and delete tasks that no longer should be in your system (e.g., an expired coupon from one of those online deal sites).
Of course, this feature would not force any particular workflow on anyone--just as you can choose whether or not to set recurrences, reminders and deadlines; you could choose whether or not to set a review frequency for each context, folder or task.
I have some ideas on how to abuse contexts and meta-tasks to perform reviews, but I don't think those ideas will scale very well.
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dp commented
FYI: The reviews feature is implemented in the latest MLO 4.0 Release candidate (Dec 20th).
Details: http://blog.mylifeorganized.net/2012/12/mylifeorganized-v4-public-release.html -
Dominik Mayer commented
I prefer the second idea. Maybe with a way to change the interval to more/less than 7 days. Entering another recurrence setting on each task takes a long time in the Android version...
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Rob commented
Another possible way of implementing the feature:
1. Create a review "mode" (similar to "move mode" in the Android app outline) which is available in the "active by context" view
2. Checking off an item in "review mode" would set its "last checked-
off" date as today (instead of marking it as completed)
3. The review mode hides all items which were checked off fewer than 7
days ago (the amount of time between reviews could be configurable).