Repeating tasks - Repeat after X days
Wow, nice work on repeating tasks in N2! I'm guessing there will be some tweaks to the user interface, but I'm impressed with how flexible the repeating options are.
However, there's another type of repeating task that I'd really, really like to see: tasks that get recreated a certain amount of time after they were last completed. These could be used for all those recurring chores we all have that don't necessarily have hard deadlines. Examples include vacuuming, checking your smoke detectors, calling your mom, washing your car, getting a hair cut, going to the gym, scheduling lunch with a friend, ... You might prefer to repeat these tasks X days after the last time you did them, rather than, for example, the third Thursday of every month.
Let's use mowing the lawn as an example. You should mow your lawn every two weeks, but you can let it go up to three weeks if you're too busy (or if it's raining for a few days). You'd like to create a recurring task that is created two weeks AFTER the last time you completed it and that is due one week after it's created.
Without support for these kinds of recurring tasks, you'd have to create a "mow the lawn" task that repeats every two weeks no matter what. Let's say the task shows up on your list but it's a week before you actually do it. You check it off your list, but then it shows right back up after only one week! You're essentially forced to mow the lawn as soon as is appears on your list, otherwise it will show up again before two weeks has passed. Mowing the lawn now feels like a calendar item that must be done on that day, when the calendar should be reserved for things that absolutely need to be done on that day.
What do you all think? Speak up if you think this is an important feature.
2 Posted by galbarm on 26 Mar, 2011 07:52 AM
Sounds like a good suggestion.
Actually that's the only option that can turn repeating tasks to a usable feature for me.
3 Posted by kevinelms on 26 Mar, 2011 11:35 AM
+1
4 Posted by westis on 27 Mar, 2011 12:24 PM
This would certainly be a useful feature!
Just wondering what will happen if you don't check the task as completed on the same day. Could be a good way not having to mow the lawn after another two weeks though... :)
5 Posted by Mark S on 28 Mar, 2011 02:46 PM
+1
There are 2 types of repeating task that need to be considered.
Now there is some argument that repeated from due date tasks should actually be in a calendar rather than a GTD system as they are tasks with a "hard" completion date.
They have to be completed on that date.
For example, paying a bill.
Repeated from completion date, to me at least, are a more "pure" GTD task as they have a "soft" due date.
As an example, I'd have a task to check the salt tablets in my water softener every month.
It doesn't have to be done on the exact same date every time the task repeats but just 1 month on from the last time I completed that task.
I hope that makes sense to the Nirvana team so they can consider how to implement these 2 types.
Great update with build 171, congratulations.
Thanks,
Mark
6 Posted by schollguin on 28 Mar, 2011 06:40 PM
+1 for Repeat from completion date.
7 Posted by JamesT on 28 Mar, 2011 07:34 PM
I love the new task repeat feature!
I too would love to see the repeat from completion date feature added.
I've used this in past to do list managers and it works very well.
Nick described the problem with not having this feature very well. I know that in the past when I used repeat by due date for the more "optional" type tasks I had on my schedule it could get overwhelming. For example - If you go on vacation for and don't complete a number of daily or weekly chores and then come back to your task list you will quickly find that you have dozens and dozens of spawned tasks for the same items cluttering up your task list. The repeat from completion date feature is the answer to this problem.
Thanks!
James
Support Staff 8 Posted by David McLaughlin on 29 Mar, 2011 05:46 PM
We've put the suggestion on the list.
Thanks for the feedback.
David
9 Posted by galbarm on 04 Apr, 2011 01:25 PM
Just a note as to how I believe the naming / UI implementation should be (inside the Repeat popup window):
checkbox with:
"Automatically reschedule task upon completion"
and if checked:
"x days from completion" where x is obviously selectable somehow.
It is important to make it clear that this is substantially different from repeated tasks, maybe by greying out everything else in the window when the checkbox is checked.
10 Posted by dji.tea on 05 Nov, 2011 02:11 AM
+100 ;)
This would be a huge help for me
11 Posted by sirmontegu on 21 Dec, 2011 01:24 AM
Has this been implemented yet? I wholeheartedly agree with Nick and Mark S. "x days from completion" is much more GTD than "from due date". Unfortunately the way recurring tasks is laid out is extremely confusing. I am currently looking for an explanation of what the features do. If anyone can point me to one please do.
And a note for future development of the feature - I just moved to N2 from Gqueues, which I feel has two legs up on on all the other task programs I have looked at in handling recurring tasks.
Support Staff 12 Posted by David McLaughlin on 21 Dec, 2011 08:44 PM
implemented yet? - no, but will be
I expect to get the documentation done for recurring done between Christmas & New Years.
David
13 Posted by Ryan Sweeney on 12 Mar, 2012 04:39 PM
+1