In recent weeks we have been working on a set of small improvements that I comment below:
Perspective
After updating the Perspective section last month, you requested a couple of improvements that we added in the weeks after:
- We added more colors to customize the Areas of Focus.
- We modified the way to filter personal and professional stuff in the filter tool. Now you must first choose between personal and professional, and then (optionally) you can further narrow the selection by indicating a single Area of Focus
Projects
The process of adding a sequence of actions to a Project (in the Projects section) was a bit slow, so we have included the following changes so that you can add tasks to a project quickly and using only the keyboard if you prefer:
- We have added a keyboard shortcut to add actions to the project (
alt+a). We have also added shortcuts for creating projects (alt+p) and sub-projects (alt+s). - When you are adding tasks to a project, the most common option is the first (“I will do it”), which indicates that it is a Next Action. We have added a keyboard shortcut so that you can activate that option once the action is entered (
alt+1). - When you create a new action, the window for adding actions does not disappear, but is cleaned and ready to add the next task.
When you have finished entering all the actions, click the “close” button or press theesckey to finish.
Note: On a Mac keyboard, the alt key is called option (⌥).
Clarify
- When you are clarifying an action you also have available the keyboard shortcut
alt+1for the first option (“I will do it”). - We have added the ability to search for projects, areas and goals by name in the different drop-downs. This will be especially useful for those of you who work with a good number of projects.
- Now you can create sub-projects during this process, as long as the selected project is of the sequential type.
Inline commands
You now have new inline commands to assign a project, goal, or area od focus when typing the text of an action. The commands are :area, :goal, and :project.
To be able to use these commands, you must first associate a one-word code with each element (area, goal or project) that you want to assign in this way (normally you will want to do it with those that you use very frequently). There is a new code field in the areas, goals, and projects editors.
For example, if you have a “Family and friends” area with the code “family”, you can assign that area directly in the text like this:
Christmas dinner at aunt's house :area family
We have also improved the use of the commands :energy, :time, and :day. Now, after entering one of these commands, a drop-down will appear with the most common options.
Shortcuts
The management of keyboard shortcuts has been modified:
- In general, if you use a Mac you must now use the
commandkey (⌘) instead ofcontrol(⌃). However, you must use⌃1,⌃2,⌃3,⌃4, and⌃5to access the menus, as Safari does not allow to customize the combination of⌘plus a number. - Except for the combinations
⌃1,⌃2,⌃3,⌃4, and⌃5, the rest do not block additional functions they may have associated on your system. The FacileThings function and any other associated will be activated simultaneously. - Access to menu options has been simplified. Once you access a menu, you only need to use the appropriate key to activate an option (no need to use
⌃or⌘). For example, with⌃3(or⌘3) you open the Organize menu and then you can choose each option by typing the appropriate letter:L,P,R,CandE. In the Reflect menu (⌃4or⌘4), the options areR,P, andA.
Other stuff
- Searches in the dropdowns of projects, areas, and goals, have also been added in the task editor. In projects and routines, it is also allowed to search in the “area” and “goal” fields.
- In Lists, when an action is updated and it doesn’t meet the current filter anymore, it disappears from view.
- In the definition of routines, the “on completion” calculation option can only be used with frequencies of days. The possibility of using this option with other types of frequency did not make much sense and was confusing many users.
- Work has been done to improve the loading time of the web application.
- A few small bugs have been fixed.
9 comments
I am most pleased at the progress and improved maturity of the offering in the last two quarters. The FT team seems to be managing COVID very well and providing real value to the application. Huge wins for everyone. Thank you for all your hard work! It is greatly appreciated!
What's next on the roadmap?
I am most pleased at the progress and improved maturity of the offering in the last two quarters. The FT team seems to be managing COVID very well and providing real value to the application. Huge wins for everyone. Thank you for all your hard work! It is greatly appreciated!
What's next on the roadmap?
Whoops... forgot to mention how time-saving the search for projects is. Please consider doing the same for Evernote. If I have a lot of projects, you know I have an unreasonably high number of notebooks, too. The method implemented for Project names would work perfectly when I am looking for the notebook I want to add.
Whoops... forgot to mention how time-saving the search for projects is. Please consider doing the same for Evernote. If I have a lot of projects, you know I have an unreasonably high number of notebooks, too. The method implemented for Project names would work perfectly when I am looking for the notebook I want to add.
Amazing work Francesco! The new AoF filtering system works brilliantly, and the extra colours are perfect. When I saw that the Project box had been updated with a Search functionality at the start of the week it absolutely made my day - finding the project in the drop-down list was the single biggest annoyance I had for the whole FT site, and now it's fixed :D This is definitely going to help me to stay on top of my Clarifying step.
As a side note I agree with Cyrus that adding in the same Search functionality for speeding up and simplifying selection of Evernote notebooks and any other drop down lists in FT which are still suing the old alphabetic system would be another great improvement.
Amazing work Francesco! The new AoF filtering system works brilliantly, and the extra colours are perfect. When I saw that the Project box had been updated with a Search functionality at the start of the week it absolutely made my day - finding the project in the drop-down list was the single biggest annoyance I had for the whole FT site, and now it's fixed :D This is definitely going to help me to stay on top of my Clarifying step.
As a side note I agree with Cyrus that adding in the same Search functionality for speeding up and simplifying selection of Evernote notebooks and any other drop down lists in FT which are still suing the old alphabetic system would be another great improvement.
Nothing wrong with a series of more minor and tidy up improvements at all! Great job as always! By the way I have been LOVING LOVING LOVING LOVING the professional vs personal filters as that has been a huge game charger for me.
Nothing wrong with a series of more minor and tidy up improvements at all! Great job as always! By the way I have been LOVING LOVING LOVING LOVING the professional vs personal filters as that has been a huge game charger for me.
Hi Cyrus, Emil and Ivan!
I'm very happy that you find the latest enhancements valuable, both big and small. I take note to add the dropdown search functionality to the Evernote notebooks ;)
Thank you so much for your feedback!
Hi Cyrus, Emil and Ivan!
I'm very happy that you find the latest enhancements valuable, both big and small. I take note to add the dropdown search functionality to the Evernote notebooks ;)
Thank you so much for your feedback!
This application has made implementing the GTD system in my own life a much easier process. Keep up the great work all the improvements and updates are making the app a joy to use.
This application has made implementing the GTD system in my own life a much easier process. Keep up the great work all the improvements and updates are making the app a joy to use.
Thanks Matthew. Will do! ;)
Thanks Matthew. Will do! ;)
Really liking the product so far. I like that it really makes the GTD workflow explicit - that's worth it in itself. It means I don't have to internalize the process - just follow the bouncing ball. I've just set out about 10 tasks in the projects section that need to be completed for me to finish a small project. a number of the tasks are on other people but need to be completed in sequence. There's no way to see the whole lot as a single sequence that i can find - am I missing something?
Really liking the product so far. I like that it really makes the GTD workflow explicit - that's worth it in itself. It means I don't have to internalize the process - just follow the bouncing ball. I've just set out about 10 tasks in the projects section that need to be completed for me to finish a small project. a number of the tasks are on other people but need to be completed in sequence. There's no way to see the whole lot as a single sequence that i can find - am I missing something?
Hi Karl,
Please, open a Support ticket in the web app (top right menu, where is your photo or a default picture) explaining what you've done and what's that project, so we can know who you are (as a user) and be able to help you.
Thanks for your support!
Hi Karl,
Please, open a Support ticket in the web app (top right menu, where is your photo or a default picture) explaining what you've done and what's that project, so we can know who you are (as a user) and be able to help you.
Thanks for your support!