Some months ago (actually, more months than I care to think about), I thought it would be a great idea to trial a bunch of task management applications and services.  The general idea was to find the one true task manager that would suit my needs and keep my life on track.

I did actually trial a fair few of the applications I said I would.  I installed things on my phone; I got online accounts.  But at the end of the day I realised that while each of the applications I tried would manage my tasks, it really came down to how I organised them in the first place, not where I put them.

So the core of the problem is this.  I am inherently disorganised when it comes to my personal tasks.  For things related to work, I am right on top of it.  But when it comes to my private life, I’m a complete mess.

So instead of putting off the act of actually organising myself but endlessly searching for the right solution, I decided to properly deal with the problem.  I am actually getting organised. 

I’ve taken a bit of inspiration from Tim Ferris and am outsourcing things that need to get done but aren’t a priority for me.  Enter my new ironing lady and the people doing some web design for me.

I’m also completing or giving up on all the miriad of little projects that have been hanging around in my head for years slowly driving me both insane and lazy. 

Will this work?  Who knows.  But I really feel that before I can give any task manager, system, program or plan the attention and use it deserves, I need to close of few of the open loops and give the manager/program/system a chance.

The one aspect of my ‘personal’ productivity system that is currently letting me down is also a biggy; tasks.  Tasks at work are handled by a paper-based system and I’m pretty happy with that.  Personal tasks however are currently in a number of places and I really need to get them all together if I ever hope to do another weekly review.

So with that in mind, I thought I’d take a good hard look at what I’m using to make sure it is the most efficient for me.

The Story So Far…

I currently have a Vista-based PC, a WinMo 6 smartphone and a number of paper-based notebooks and online task and calendaring accounts.  I use Outlook on the PC (only for syncing with the Smartphone) and Pocket Informant on the WinMo phone for handling calendar appointments, contacts and tasks.

Some of my tasks are in the phone.  Some are in my Remember the Milk account (mostly shared task lists for shopping and housework) and some are floating around in a less than helpful fashion in my head.

So what do I want…?

The ideal task system:

• Online so I can access it from anywhere – I want to be able to see my contexts and tasks from either home or work.
• Import/Export Capabilities – for dragging my current tasks in and out (less of an issue if I get my next wish).
• Syncing/Mobile Access – My phone is my primary device so it must have at least a mobile webpage for access.  Ideally a Winmo client.  Double-bonus-points for a syncing client that integrates with Pocket Informant on my device.
• Sharing – I share task lists with other people.  I want to be able to keep doing this.
• Intuitive/Easy to use/Pretty/Easy – yadda.  All the things everyone else wants.
• Functionality -  I’d love to be able to set up larger projects containing multiple tasks and have tasks unable to start until another task is completed.  If nothing else, then reminders, the ability to set due dates and priorities and a percentage complete/status are a must have.
• Cost – I’m not against paying (although I really enjoy free) however a trial period is essential for paid services.  Cost should be reasonable and double-bonus points for multiple currency payments.  I don’t operate in US Dollars much and at the moment the exchange rate makes everything twice the price.

So what am I prepared to do?

Test.  Trial.  Experiment.  Review.

I intend to trial a number of online task lists over the next few weeks to find the one I really like.  I have a list of task list applications I have found already and will be expanding it as time goes along.  I’m really hopefully that I’ll be able to find an application that will fulfill at least most of my requirements while keeping the downsides to a minimum.

I’ll report back on my results and provide some feedback and scoring based on my wish list above.

The list (in no particular order)…

• Vitalist (I’m beginning here as I reviewed this application quite some time ago and felt it needed another look)
• Task2Gather
• Goals on Track (Thanks for the rec, Harry)
• Remember the Milk
• Toodledoo
• Todoist
• Doris
• GTDagenda
• Doitdoitdone
• Wipee List

I expect to expand this list as I find more but if you have an application you love that isn’t on the list, let me know and I’ll put it into the mix.

I’ve had the same theme for the past two years, so I thought it was time for a change.

About seven months ago, I thought that I’d sit down for a quiet 60 minutes and try the Steve Pavlina method of determining my life’s purpose.  The before I could get up the gumption to give it a go, life kinda got in the way and completely derailed my plans.

So now that things seem to be a little back on track (or I’m just getting used to the new way my life seems to be going), I thought I’d sit down and give this another go.  I went to my local coffee shop as I can’t seem to get 60 minutes at home that will be guaranteed to be without interruption.  I bought a coffee as I seem to experience much better everything with a bit of caffeine in my system and I started typing.

I gave this a truly good shot.  I spent an hour typing away line after line and I’ve got about 100 lines of thoughts.  Somewhere about the middle I went off on a tangent but most of my items seem to be heading down the same path.  And while I seem to be able to generate a good and substantial purpose for my life, none of the options I created seem to bring me that ‘Yes, that’s it!’ moment of clarity.  I came very close and definitely misted up a little on some of them, but nothing that I’m truly happy with.

So I’ve put it to one side for a little bit of time and have spent the past few days doing a bit more inner exploration of my plans and feelings.  I will go back to this exercise, start again with a clean slate and see where I end up. 

I think my problem was I was thinking too much; putting down things that looked good and that I seemed to think would be a good purpose in life rather than what I truly felt.  It doesn’t matter if your life’s purpose doesn’t include curing cancer and being nice to little kittens specifically.  I need to find what is truly me.

When you take your own advice, strange things can happen.  Early this year I started the mammoth task of changing my life.  I had identified the need and what I was lacking and was poised to find out my true purpose when something truly monumental happened. 

I started to really analyse my life from the outside.  Rather than looking inwards to how I was feeling, I studied my entire life and feelings as if I was watching someone else.  And in doing this rather odd thing, I discovered some really interesting things about myself.  And then I started to change.

I gave up a lot.  Random television was bringing me no joy so I stopped watching it.  I now watch a very small number of shows that either interest me or give me some other benefit.

I stopped blaming other people for much of my life.  I gave up a lot of negative thoughts and old baggage and became much happier and more stable as a result.  This had the odd effect of releasing a lot of old anger and making me a nicer person to be around.  As such I have a stronger relationship with a number of people and am able to better cope with their shit when it happens.

I put on indefinite hold a number of projects that ranged from ’slightly niggling’ to ‘full blown anxiety’ over their incomplete status.  I packed up books and projects and hid them in a cupboard.  I may go back to them one day; I may not.  It doesn’t matter.

I threw out everything that I didn’t need and could easily replace.  I put everything irreplaceable but not currently useful away so I didn’t see it.  As a result, my home office space has reduced from a whole room to a small desk in the corner of the spare room.

But possibly the most amazing thing to come from this unexpected purging of my life is a new sense of adventure.  The biggest thing I gave up was my fear.  My fear of the unknown, my fear of failure and my fear of looking like a complete idiot.  And as a result, some amazing things have happened to me over the past six months that wouldn’t have otherwise come my way.  I have a number of new ventures opening up to me and my life is heading in so many new directions, both professionally and personally.  That isn’t to say that I don’t still have fear.  Fear can be very healthy and certainly can stop you from doing some really stupid things.  But it can also cripple you and stop you from getting what you want and realising your potential.

I never did get around to working out my life’s purpose, but it is still on my list.  For now though…well I’m enjoying the ride regardless of the destination.