Have you ever noticed an asterisk (*) before the name of a view in the desktop version of MylifeOrganized? This small symbol serves as a helpful indicator that your current view has been modified but not yet saved.

When the asterisk appears

For example, you might open the built-in "Starred" view, and customize it to fit your needs: hide completed tasks, apply sorting or set other filters. These adjustments change the view from its original state, and the asterisk signals that you're now looking at a modified version of the base view.

Retained in the workspace, but not saved in the view

It’s worth noting that unsaved changes are retained within the workspace (tab) where you're working. "Retained" in this case means that even if you close MyLifeOrganized or your computer, the changes will still be there when you reopen the app. This feature is especially useful for experimenting with different view configurations without committing to permanent changes.

However, the changes are still not saved for the view, and if you close the current workspace, the customization will be lost. In other words, if you're satisfied with the changes you've made, you can save it as a new view under a unique name. And if you want multiple versions you should save them all, with slightly different but meaningful names.

Note. If you are in a workspace that contains retained unsaved changes and you hit the [+] tab to create a new workspace, the new workspace will inherit the retained unsaved changes from the workspace you came from.

Saving your view

To save your custom view, click "Save View As..." at the bottom of the "Filter" panel. You can then give the view a unique name for easy identification. After saving, the asterisk will disappear.

 

Once the view is saved, it will be added to the list of views and you will be able to open it in your tabs.

Note. MLO has several built-in views that cannot be saved under the same name after modification. You must enter another unique name for the new view.

Discarding Changes

On the other hand, there may be times when you don’t want to keep the changes.

 

A common scenario: you notice that your view isn’t displaying tasks as expected. This could be because you accidentally applied filters or made other modifications and forgot about them. The asterisk in this case is a useful indicator, showing that the view you're seeing has been altered.

 

If you've made changes that you don't want to keep, you can easily discard them. Simply click the "Discard Changes" link at the bottom of the "Filter" panel. This will revert the view to its last saved state.

 

Tip. Here you can learn more about the difference between view and tab in MLO.

If your workflow requires managing identical actions across multiple projects, you've likely pondered the optimal way to organize them within the MyLifeOrganized to-do app. In this article, we've gathered key approaches to task organization based on insights from forums and your valuable feedback.

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, you can choose the method that best aligns with your accustomed workflow.

Scenario

Example: Onboarding New Employees.

Imagine an HR professional onboarding 10 new employees. While specific roles might have variations, most onboarding tasks are similar. Here's a sample project structure:

Project: Onboarding <Name>
Subtasks:

• Send a welcome email
• Schedule orientation session
• Prepare onboarding documents
• Assign a mentor
• Set up a new employee's computer
• Provide onboarding training
• Conduct a follow-up meeting
• ... and so on

Solutions

Option 1. Create 10 projects and duplicate subtasks in each of them.

Tip: Instead of regular duplication, use the "Create from template." feature. It adjusts task dates dynamically, maintaining scheduled intervals.

Pros: 

• Manage each project separately.
• Simple workflow without additional complexity.
• Track progress per person (enable 'Project completion' column).
  

 

Tip: Sequential task execution? Enable 'Subtasks in order' to keep your To-Do list concise.

Cons:

• If the overall work structure changes, the updates should be made in all 10 projects.
• Some tasks are performed in a bunch for several projects at once, and it is necessary to mark tasks completed in 10 different projects.

Tip: To see the task for all projects at once, use the text filter. As a result, all projects that have this task will be displayed (because the task names are the same for all projects).

 

• The views don't exactly display tasks nicely ('Send a welcome email' - who does it belong to?).

Tip:This can be solved by enabling project display in the settings:
On desktop: Tools > options > To-Do List format > Encode project name.
On mobile: Settings >Appearance >Props line > Date+Project.

Option 2: Create a list of actions with each person's name as subtasks.

Pros:

• Efficient batch processing. You can complete a task for all employees simultaneously if your workflow allows it.

Cons:

• Managing a large volume of tasks may lead to clutter within the list.
• There are still issues like displaying tasks in views without a parent.

Tip: Consider turning tasks into projects. This will let you see which task a person belongs to (as mentioned above).

• You can't see the progress of an individual employee.

 

 

Option 3. Create task list with contexts as employee names

How it works: 

When a task for a person is completed, remove their corresponding context.

Tip: Use the keyboard shortcut "Alt + L" to quickly check or uncheck multiple contexts (employees) at once.

Complete tasks when they no longer have any assigned contexts.

Pros:

• Flexible task structure adaptable to changing needs.
• Allows easy filtering of tasks by person using contexts.
• Batch actions for multiple employees.
• The “Active by Context” view provides a clear overview of remaining tasks for each person.

Cons:

• Removing contexts may be less intuitive compared to ticking checkboxes in standard checklists, requiring frequent context and filter adjustments.
• May not visually represent the onboarding process flow.

Option 4. Use contexts as an action.

How it Works:

• Create separate projects for each person being onboarded.
• Define contexts as the different stages of the onboarding process
• Assign relevant contexts to each onboarding task.
  
  

Contexts in this setup represent the current action required for the person. In the "Active by Context" view, you can drag and drop tasks between different actions.

Tip: Put a number before each context (e.g., '1. Send a welcome email', '2. Schedule orientation session') to have them sorted as expected.


Alternative Option: Contexts as a Checklist

You may also like to use contexts like a checklist:

1. Assign all onboarding task-related contexts to each employee project.
2. Use the keyboard shortcut "Alt + L" to quickly check or uncheck multiple contexts (task stages) for an employee.
3. Unchecked contexts represent completed tasks, while checked contexts indicate what's left to do.
4. When a new onboarding task arises, create a new context and assign it to all relevant employee projects.

Tip: Assign the same hotkey to all onboarding-related contexts to create a compact mini-list of contexts to choose from (see the screenshot below).

 

In the task note, you can add registration data, and other relevant information, keeping everything at hand.

Pros:

• Batch actions for multiple employees.
• Easy to filter tasks. The "Active by Context" view shows which tasks remain for each person.
• Flexible Workflow: Easily add, update, or remove contexts (stages) as your onboarding process evolves.
• Contexts allow you to add notes, set open/closed hours, and include them in groups.

Tip: Here you can learn more about contexts.

Cons:

• It may be unusual and uncomfortable to work with contexts and filters instead of ticking task checkboxes.
• Not suitable for managing dependencies between tasks.

Summary

We've explored four methods for organizing projects with similar tasks in MLO. Probably, most of our users prefer the first solution due to its simplicity and clear separation, allowing for straightforward progress tracking per project. However, it does require more maintenance when structural changes occur. On the other hand, the fourth solution is good for advanced users who are comfortable with contexts and filters. This method offers flexibility and efficiency by enabling batch actions and easy adaptation to evolving workflows.

We hope these methods help you find the best way to organize your tasks in MLO. Share your experiences and let us know what works best for you!

We want to inform you that our site and forum have been subjected to a DDoS attack since June 19th. This caused a brief synchronization failure of 1.5 hours on 19.06.2024.

We promptly resolved the synchronization issue and restored the site, while also enhancing our security measures to prevent future attacks.

Thank you for your understanding, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Best regards, 

The MLO Team

Even if there's no predefined setting for a specific scenario in the to-do app MyLifeOrganized, you can often create an effective workaround. Here's an example from a forum question.

Question: I have a task that I want to perform 2x per week, but only between May and October. I want this task to repeat yearly. I can't figure out ho to configure this task in the recurrence window.

Solution: There isn't a built-in feature for setting up such a yearly recurrence in MLO, but you can create the following workaround:

1. Set Weekly recurrence for your task:

• Set the task to recur weekly on the specific days (e.g., Monday and Friday).
• Set the start and due dates for the upcoming occurrence.

2. Set 'End date' to the last day you plan to perform this task in October (see the screenshot)

3. Create a parent task for this recurring task and name it something like "Set up recurring task for next year."

How it works: Every week, the task will appear on your To-Do list twice. When you complete the last occurrence in October, the recurring task will mark itself as complete. At that point, the parent task will become active, reminding you to reschedule the recurring task for the next year.

Do you have creative workarounds for managing tasks in MLO? Share them in the comments!

Question: Is it possible to display subtasks from projects, when only the top level items are flagged? I want to avoid having to flag each individual step under the project, in order to get it to show up in the view.

Challenge:  Enabling the normal flag filter may seem like a solution. But here's the catch:

• Cluttered View: It shows all flagged tasks, not just those within your projects.
• Subtasks not displayed: It doesn't display unflagged subtasks in flagged projects, requiring you to flag each one manually – a time-consuming hassle.

Solution: Hierarchy Filters to the rescue!

MyLifeOrganized personal task manager offers robust hierarchy filtering options that allow you to display tasks based on the parent or child task's status. There are several ways to achieve what we need.

 

Option 1. Using Child Items filter

1. In the filter by Flag, tick the required flag.
2. Open the view "All Tasks"
3. In the General section click "Config":



4. Click ‘Include child items’’

This will display all subtasks from projects where the top-level task is flagged. However, this view shows individual flagged tasks as well.

 

To avoid cluttering the view, use option 2.

Option 2. Using Parent Items filter

1. Discard any changes to the view to start from scratch.

 

2. In the Filter pane, open “General” and  click "Config".
3. Click 'Set parent filter'
4. Add your filter by flag.

 

5. Click Ok.

This should display exactly what you need:

Result: The view displays all levels of subtasks within projects where the top-level tasks are flagged, providing a clear and concise view.

Try the latest enhancements in our task management app for Android with our recent minor update.

New sorting options

Aligning with the desktop version, our Android app now supports the following sorting options: by Context, Project Completion %, Parent, Path, Folder Name, Top Level Folder, Top Level Project, Time, Last Reviewed.

To apply sorting to a view, open the main menu > Edit > select the view > Sort by.

Try again / Cancel buttons when adding a task by voice

If Google's speech-to-text conversion doesn't quite accurately capture your voice input, tap ‘Try again’ to retry. Or, tap ‘Cancel’ in case you just change your mind.

'To task' option when adding a task by voice

As shown in the video above, you can now use the "to <TaskName>" command to place your new task under a specific existing task – not just projects or folders.

Tip: For assigning tasks to projects or folders specifically, you can still use the existing voice commands "to <ProjectName>" and "to <FolderName>". Here you can check the supported syntax for voice input.

Task Preview in Search Results

As you may know, a quick tap on a search result takes you directly to the task in your list. But what if you just need a quick glimpse of the details?

Now, with a long tap on a task within a search result, you can preview the task details (and even edit them) without navigating away from your search results.

Prev/Next buttons when opening a task from a widget

When you tap a task from your widget, you now have Prev/Next buttons for navigating to the task above or below in the list. Same as inside the app itself.

Hide a group of views

Just like on desktop, you can now hide groups of views that you don't need to see on the Views Pane.

To hide a group of views, open Main menu > Edit > Tap the ‘eye’ icon next to the views group name.

Note: Since the ‘All tasks’ view is always visible, the group it belongs to will also remain visible at all times.


In addition to these enhancements, we've also fixed gesture bugs and a few other issues. Check it out!