Why I Stopped Using Todoist and Ticktick, and What I Use Now

Summary

The video explores the evolution of to-do list apps, highlighting Todoist's simplicity and basic features. It then contrasts Todoist with Notion, emphasizing Notion's advanced features like the free calendar mode, tags, and project organization. The script guides viewers on transitioning from Todoist to Notion, showcasing how Notion's comprehensive free plan can enhance productivity without the need for a premium subscription.

Takeaways

• 📅 Todoist was launched in 2007, the same year as the first iPhone, and remains a popular to-do app for its simplicity, ease of use, and free access.
• 🚀 The speaker switched to TickTick due to its advanced features like the calendar mode and Pomodoro Timer, but found the calendar mode to be a paid feature and the note feature too basic.
• 📝 After trying multiple to-do apps, the speaker settled on Notion, which offers a comprehensive task management system with features like calendar mode and tags, all available for free.
• 📑 Notion's 'jot' mode serves as an inbox for quick task entry, similar to Todoist's quick add bar, but with enhanced capabilities like attaching images or videos.
• 🔄 Notion allows for recurring tasks with natural language processing or an exclamation command, offering flexibility in task scheduling.
• 📋 Notion's task detail menu provides a clear view of task configurations, including recurrence, reminders, and deadlines.
• 🏷️ Notion uses 'inline tags' similar to Todoist's labels, allowing for categorization and organization of tasks, with the added benefit of applying tags to any text, photo, or video.
• 📈 Projects in Notion are managed through 'notes', which can be organized with tables and shared for collaborative efforts, unlike Todoist's limited number of free projects.
• 📆 Notion's calendar mode is a standout feature, offering a free, visual way to schedule tasks using the time-blocking method, enhancing productivity.
• 🔗 Notion's calendar mode supports two-way sync with external calendars like Google and Outlook, integrating seamlessly with existing digital tools.

Q & A

What year was Todoist launched?

Todoist was launched in 2007.

Why did the speaker switch from Todoist to TickTick?

The speaker switched to TickTick because it offered additional features like a calendar mode, Pomodoro Timer, and Eisenhower Matrix, although they later found the calendar mode to be not free and the note feature too basic.

What is the main reason the speaker prefers Notion over Todoist and TickTick?

The speaker prefers Notion because it offers more customizability and features like a free calendar mode, and it allows for the organization of not just tasks but also any content in a flexible way.

How does Notion's 'Jot' mode differ from Todoist's 'Inbox'?

In Notion, 'Jot' serves as an inbox where you can quickly write down tasks, make reminders, and journal entries, similar to Todoist's 'Inbox', but with the added ability to attach images or videos to tasks.

What is the advantage of using 'Natural Language Processing' in Notion for task scheduling?

Using 'Natural Language Processing' in Notion allows for easier entry of start dates and times for tasks without needing to navigate through a command menu.

How does Notion handle recurring tasks differently from Todoist?

In Notion, you can create recurring tasks by using the 'exclamation' command followed by 'every' and the recurrence interval, which is considered slightly more advanced and easier compared to Todoist's method.

What is the functionality of 'Inline Tags' in Notion, and how do they compare to 'Labels' in Todoist?

In Notion, 'Inline Tags' serve a similar purpose to 'Labels' in Todoist, allowing users to categorize and organize tasks. Notion makes it easy to create new tags directly in the task field and filter tasks by these tags.

How does Notion's 'Note' mode compare to Todoist's 'Projects'?

In Notion, 'Notes' act as project lists where you can create a title for the project and list tasks within it. Unlike Todoist's free plan which limits the number of projects, Notion allows an unlimited number of projects.

What is the benefit of Notion's calendar mode that the speaker highlights?

The speaker highlights the benefit of Notion's calendar mode for building a schedule using the time-blocking method, which is free to use and helps in reducing stress and increasing productivity by knowing what tasks to work on and when.

How does Notion integrate with external calendars, and what does two-way sync mean?

Notion can connect with Google and Outlook calendars, supporting two-way sync which means events from external calendars automatically appear in Notion, and scheduled tasks in Notion also appear on external calendars.

What are the different modes in Notion and how do they compare to Todoist's features?

Notion has four modes: Jot, Note, Task, and Calendar, which compare to Todoist's features by offering an inbox for quick task entry, a project list, a task manager, and a free calendar mode for scheduling, respectively.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Exploring Task Management Apps

The speaker introduces the topic of task management apps, mentioning their personal journey from discovering to-do lists to trying various apps like Todoist and TickTick. They highlight the simplicity and popularity of Todoist but express a desire for more advanced features, leading them to switch to Notion. Notion is praised for its flexibility and the ability to organize tasks and non-task items alike. The speaker aims to guide viewers on using Notion as a task manager in comparison to Todoist, aiming to help them decide whether to switch apps.

05:01

📅 Task Management and Organization in Notion

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of using Notion as a task manager. It contrasts Notion's features with Todoist's, emphasizing Notion's free calendar mode and the ability to create an unlimited number of projects, unlike Todoist's free plan limitations. Notion's 'notes' are likened to Todoist's 'projects,' and the paragraph explains how to create, organize, and share tasks within these notes. The calendar feature in Notion is highlighted as a key reason for the speaker's switch, offering a free alternative to Todoist's premium feature. The paragraph also touches on Notion's tagging system, which allows for detailed organization and filtering of tasks and projects. The speaker concludes by recommending Notion as a free, customizable task management app with robust features.

Keywords

💡To-Do List

A to-do list is a simple tool used to organize tasks and activities. In the video, it is mentioned as a popular method for task management, with the specific app 'To-Do' being launched in 2007. The video discusses the evolution from using basic to-do lists to more advanced apps like Todoist and eventually to Notion, which offer more features and customization.

💡Todoist

Todoist is a task management app that allows users to create and manage tasks. The video compares Todoist's features, such as its calendar mode and labels, to those of Notion. It is noted that Todoist has a free plan with limitations, and some users may find it too basic, prompting them to look for alternatives like Notion.

💡Notion

Notion is a versatile tool that serves as a task manager, note-taking app, and database. The video highlights Notion's ability to replace a to-do list app by offering features like an inbox, calendar mode, and tags for organization. Notion is praised for its free plan that includes most productivity features, making it an attractive alternative to Todoist.

💡Calendar Mode

Calendar mode is a feature that allows users to view and schedule tasks in a calendar format. The video discusses how Todoist's calendar mode is a paid feature, whereas Notion offers it for free. This feature is essential for users who prefer to plan their tasks in a visual calendar layout.

💡Pomodoro Timer

The Pomodoro Timer is a time management technique that involves breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The video mentions that Todoist's alternative, TickTick, offers this feature, but it is not available in Todoist's free plan.

💡Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a time management tool that helps users prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. The video does not detail how this matrix is implemented in the apps discussed, but it is listed as an extra feature in TickTick, suggesting it aids in task prioritization.

💡Natural Language Processing

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a technology that enables computers to understand and process human language. In the context of the video, NLP is used in Notion's quick add bar to simplify the task of entering tasks with dates and times, making it more user-friendly.

💡Tags

Tags are labels used to categorize and organize tasks in task management apps. The video explains that Todoist uses labels, while Notion uses inline tags. Tags help users filter and manage tasks more efficiently, and the video provides examples of how to use them in both apps.

💡Projects

Projects in task management apps refer to collections of related tasks. The video discusses how both Todoist and Notion allow users to create projects, but Notion offers more flexibility by not limiting the number of projects in the free plan, unlike Todoist.

💡Time Blocking

Time blocking is a scheduling technique where time is allocated for specific tasks or activities. The video emphasizes Notion's calendar mode as a tool for time blocking, allowing users to schedule tasks and visualize their day, which can lead to increased productivity.

💡Two-Way Sync

Two-way sync refers to the synchronization of data between two systems in both directions. In the video, it is mentioned that Notion can sync with external calendars like Google and Outlook, ensuring that events and scheduled tasks are updated across all platforms.

Highlights

To-do list app was launched in 2007, the same year as the first iPhone.

To-do list remains one of the most popular to-do apps due to its speed, ease of use, and beautiful design.

Some users find To-do list too basic and seek more advanced features.

TikTok is another top to-do app with a calendar mode and features like Pomodoro Timer and Eisenhower Matrix.

TikTok's calendar mode requires a paid subscription, which may deter some users.

The user switched to Notion due to its advanced features and better note functionality.

Notion offers four modes: Jot, Note, Task, and Calendar, providing a comprehensive task management system.

Notion's Jot mode functions similarly to To-do list's inbox, allowing quick task entry.

Notion supports natural language processing for easy task scheduling and can attach media to tasks.

Notion's Task mode is where all tasks are organized and can be filtered by various criteria.

Notion's tags, called inline tags, offer flexibility in categorizing and organizing tasks.

Notion allows creating custom tags for any content, not just tasks, providing versatile organization options.

Notion's calendar mode is free and offers a time-blocking method for schedule building.

Notion supports two-way sync with Google and Outlook calendars, integrating external events with scheduled tasks.

Notion provides a free plan with extensive productivity features, making it an attractive alternative to paid apps.

The video offers a guide on using Notion as a task manager and compares it with To-do list to help viewers decide if they should switch.

Notion's calendar mode is a significant draw for users seeking a free, customizable scheduling tool.

Transcripts

like many people I first discovered a

to-do list ages ago when you must see up

for anyone serious about to Do's did you

know what to do is launched in 2007

that's the same year that Steve Jobs

revealed the first version of the iPhone

it is truly impressive that to-do list

remains one of the most popular to do

apps today but I can't say why it's fast

easy to use beautiful design and free

but some may find it too basic and want

something little more advanced to its

features like calendar which is why I

decided to switch to tiktik a while ago

tiktik is another one of the best to-do

apps it's got calendar mode as well as

lots of extra features like Pomodoro

Timer and Eisenhower Matrix but the

problem was the calendar mode is not

free you have to pay to use it also I

wasn't happy with the note feature which

was too basic so I tried a bunch of

other to do apps and then I finally

settled with a few years ago and I

haven't looked back ever since you may

think it's a noitab but it's actually a

great to do up too so in this video I

want to give you a guide on how to use

amplinoid as your task manager in

comparison to todoist so I can help you

make the decision to switch from todoist

or not and if so I'm hoping to make the

transition easier with this video

[Music]

I think the best thing about todoist is

it's Simplicity it's got everything you

need for task management right out of

the box you have the inbox today

upcoming to Do's filters and projects

where things are a little bit different

in I'm brunoed it's got four modes dots

note task and calendar you can think of

the jot as your inbox where you can

write down things to do make a reminders

and journal and notes as your project

and list so let's start with the inbox

because that's where most people start

their day just like in todoist inbox

write down things you want to do in jot

it can be anything like taking trash out

to the taxes call grammar and so on also

if you think of something you need to do

or want to remember you can use the

quick add bar like in to-do list it's

called natural language processing which

makes it easy to enter the starting date

and time furthermore you can attach an

image or video to the task too which is

used tool because sometimes it's hard to

describe things just with words if you

want to make a recurring task you can

use the exclamation command find every

and enter how often you want the task to

repeat perhaps this is something to do

if that's better than natural language

processing is a little more advanced

compared to ampreneurs you can just type

every three days to make a recurring

task instead of using a command menu

like in ampreneur it the difference may

be small but I find to do its way a

slightly easier still this comes down to

personal preference ampu node does have

a good task detail menu where it's easy

to see the configuration of each to do

such as how it's supposed to recur does

it repeat on a fixed schedule or when

task is complete and also when it's

going to send you a reminder and how

long you need to finish the task if

you've been using to-do list you

probably used labels before because they

are useful to categorize Your Tutus and

keeps them organized in entrepreneurs

the labels are called inline tags like

in todoist they start with the add sign

so it's easy to recognize them for

example if a task is about your work you

can put the outside work to it and

making a new line tag is easy let's say

you want to make a new one for personal

tasks for that you can simply add

outside personal in the task field and

then if you switch to the task mode

which is where you can see all the tasks

you can filter for the inline tag so you

can see only the personal to-do's

similarly you can add more tags to your

heart content I have about 20 tags in my

Android for instance I have a tag for

things to buy as well as my reading list

so it can be anything you want to

organize just make a new tag and put it

to the thing you want to organize it

doesn't have to be a task by the way you

can put a tag to any text or even a

photo and a movie this is something I

love about this app it lets me organize

not just tasks but anything in whatever

way I like by the way if you want to pin

an inline tag that you want to use

regularly you can just add it to the

shortcut and this way you can always

access it from the left sidebar quickly

if you found your way to a video

comparing the detail of task apps

chances are that you have a busy life

juggling multiple projects thankfully

both todoist and ampu node have great

options to keep your projects organized

but something I wasn't happy about to do

is that it only lets you have five

projects on their free plan and you have

to pay to have more whereas you can make

as many projects as you like in

amplinoid here you can think of the

notes as your project list say you want

to find a new apartment just create a

new note and the title is the name of

the project then inside it you can make

a list of 2DS such as contact realtor

prepare document and move your staff and

so on again you can add this to the

shortcut for quick access and if this is

a group project you can publish this

note so you can share the link with your

friends and family now what's cool is

that you can even make tables how to do

in notion and Excel this might come in

handy when you want to organize lots of

items and things recently I actually

used this for my apartment hunting once

you write down things to do you can

check your tasks in task mode just like

you use tags to filter you can also use

projects so if you want to see the tasks

for that Apartment project just find and

select that note then it will show you

all needed to Do's in it by the way if

you have too many projects on your plate

you can use tags to organize them tags

are like folders for example if a

project is about house you can put a tag

personal slash house this way you can

filter projects using the tags so you

can see only the project about it okay

now here's my favorite part let's head

to the calendar this is where you can

build your schedule using the time

blocking method this is actually why I

switched from to-do list because it's so

useful actually I know that a lot of

todoist users like me because one of

their top voted features is calendar

this is probably why many users switch

to tiktik because it has calendar view

but the thing is that you have to pay

for that whereas it's free in unpreneurs

anyway you can see your calendar which

can be changed to one day three days

week or month view then see the list of

two-do's from this class bottom and now

you just have to tap on the task you

want to schedule and choose the time

this way you know what task you're going

to work on and when

foreign

you can use the filter to sort your

to-do's so use a project notes or tags

to find the ones you are looking for and

schedule them personally I like how you

can connect your Google and Outlook

calendars to know it it supports two-way

sync which means your event in your

external calendar automatically show up

inside amplinode and your scheduled

tasks in amphronaut also appear on your

external calendar if you want I use this

calendar mode every single day in the

morning so I know what I'm going to do

which is so much less stressful than

having a long to-do list and helps get

more things done there are a lot of

great alternatives for todoist but most

of them require paid subscription so if

you're looking for a free to-do app with

more customizability and features like

calendar ample node is not a bad option

it has multiple plans where you can get

almost all the productivity features

with its free plan so no need to

subscribe to the premium plant unless

you want to fancy Advanced features if

you're curious about how I use ampenoid

I have a playlist so you can check out

you can start using ampreneurs right

away for free from the link in the

description it's available for IOS and

Android as well as on the web alright

thanks for watching and I will see you

in the next video bye