---
title: "The Perfect Todo App Doesn't Exist"
type: 'article'
date: '2024-01-18T09:00:00Z'
slug: 'the-perfect-todo-app-doesnt-exist'
published: true
---

I've tried them all. Things, Todoist, Notion, Apple Reminders, pen and paper, sticky notes on my monitor. Each promises to be the solution to my productivity woes, and each eventually joins the graveyard of abandoned systems.

## The Cycle

It always starts the same way:

1. Discover new todo app
2. Feel rush of organizational dopamine
3. Migrate all tasks with excessive enthusiasm
4. Use religiously for 2-3 weeks
5. Gradually abandon as real life intrudes
6. Feel guilty about abandoned system
7. Return to step 1

## The Problem Isn't the Tool

After years of this cycle, I've realized something: the perfect todo app doesn't exist because the problem isn't the app. It's the expectation that any tool can magically transform us into productivity machines.

Real productivity isn't about finding the perfect system. It's about:

- Saying no to things that don't matter
- Being realistic about what you can accomplish
- Accepting that some days you'll get nothing done
- Understanding that busy isn't the same as productive

## What Works (For Me)

These days, I use a simple text file. One for today, one for this week, one for "someday maybe." No tags, no priorities, no due dates unless absolutely necessary. Just a list of things I'd like to do.

Some get done. Some don't. The world keeps spinning.

## The Real Secret

The perfect todo app doesn't exist because perfection doesn't exist. The best system is the one you'll actually use, even if it's just a piece of paper or a note on your phone.

Stop optimizing your system. Start doing the work.

---

_What's your relationship with todo apps? Have you found something that works, or are you still searching for the perfect system?_
