Best ToDo List

0:00 Ralph: We've all heard the saying time is money. But have you ever considered it from a spiritual perspective? Our days are precious gifts. And how we manage and reflect our priorities. So ask yourself, this are your to-do lists, glorifying God by helping you manage your time effectively, or are they just another source of stress? We've all got stress in our lives. Whether you're a busy professional, a parent juggling a million things. And trust me, all parents do or simply someone who wants to be more intentional with your days. To-do list can be a powerful tool. They help us stay organized, prioritize our tasks and ultimately achieve our goals. But with so many options out there, how do you choose the right one?

0:43 We're going to discuss that today. Hey everyone. And welcome back to the Ask Ralph podcast on this technology Tuesday, where we're diving into the world of to-do list applications with a Christian perspective, of course.

1:25 Whether you're a busy professional, a parent juggling a million things, or simply someone who wants to be more intentional with your days to-do lists can be powerful tools. I use them myself. They help me stay organized, especially during this time of year. When I am busier than you can imagine what taxes. They help us stay organized. They help us prioritize our task and ultimately achieve our goals. And don't, we all want to achieve our goals. But with so many options out there, how do you choose the right one? now as Christians, we want to ensure our tools align with our values. So important these days to make sure are things aligned with our values. So while features and functionality are important, let's also consider if. The app promotes a sense of peace.

2:07 And helps us manage our time in a way that glorifies God. All right. So let's get down to business today we'll, explore some of those popular to-do list applications. We're going to discuss their unique features and consider their costs. We'll cover some free options. Some with premium features and even a faith-based app. So let's get started. The first one I found online was tick. Tick, never used this one, but let me tell you what it says here. This app is known for its clean interface and powerful features. You can create nested to-do lists, set priorities, and add deadlines and collaborate with others. So if you look at our collaboration with others, this is one that definitely has that feature. It also offers great recurring tasks functionality.

2:48 So if you have tasks that you repeat continuously, This is one of the ones that has a good task functionality for recurrences. It's perfect for those weekly chores or Bible study reminders. ticktick has a free version with basic features. And you'll find that most of the ones we talk about here are going to have the same thing. And a premium version with extras like calendar view and custom themes. So that's tick, tick. The next one I looked at was to do list that's T O D O I S T. This app boasts a karma system. I thought that was kind of cool. That gamifies productivity. Hey, it's life as a game, right? Making it fun to check things off your list todoist excels at project management, allowing you to break down large goals into smaller, manageable task and listen folks.

3:32 My experience has been. If we can find a way to break down things into smaller manageable tasks, that's usually very effective. Again, dois it also integrates with many other productivity tools. Similar to tick, tick todoist offers a free plan with basic features and then a premium plan with bells and whistles. If you like those things. And one of those things is a location-based reminder in integration system. Let's take a look at number three. Now, if you're deeply integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft to-do might be a great fit again. I've never used this one. It's simple, clean and seamlessly syncs across all your Microsoft devices. You can set priorities. You can add due dates and even break down tasks into sub tasks.

4:13 Again, if you break things down into smaller, manageable steps. It's a lot easier to get results. The cool thing about Microsoft to-do is it's completely free. So it doesn't affect your budget whatsoever. Let's take a look at the fourth one I looked at and that one's called focus, keeper, feeling overwhelmed. Focus keeper might be your answer. This app utilizes the Pomodoro technique, and listen folks. When I was doing research for this episode. I had no idea what Pomodoro technique is, but we're going to talk about that today is kind of a cool thing. That's a time management method. It breaks, work into focused. 25 minute intervals, with short breaks in between. We're going to talk about that in a few moments.

4:54 It's a great way to stay laser focused and avoid burnout. Hey, we all need to avoid burnout. Focus keeper offers a free version, just like the rest with basic features and then a premium version with customizations and analytics. So let's talk about. What the Pomodoro technique is. I did a little research on this. The Pomodoro technique is a popular time management method. Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It's a simple, yet effective tool for breaking down, work into focused intervals with short breaks in between. So here's the basic way that it works. You choose a task. I say, for example, you have. A budget report that you need to write. You select one specific task you want to focus on you set a timer the particular time are they promoting this as a 25 minute timer?

5:40 This period is called the Pomodoro. Well, Ralph, what's a Pomodora it's Italian for tomato. That's what Cirilo used because he had a tomato shaped timer on his desk. So during that 25 minute interval, you work without interruptions. You dive deep into your task with full concentration for the entire 25 minutes. The thought process. There is folks. If you can focus 25 minutes is a reasonable number to focus. If during that 25 minutes, a distraction pops up, you write it down for later and stay focused on your current Pomodoro. After the 25 minutes you take a short break. When the timer rings, take a five minute break, step away from your work. Relax your mind. We all can tend to do that sometime. Right.

6:20 Grab a snack. Make sure it's a healthy snack. Whatever helps you reset, maybe you get up and walk around. Maybe you take a little time to stretch. And then you repeat it. And then after you done four Pomodoros, you take a longer break, maybe 20 or 30 minutes. So what they say the benefits of this now, again, I've never tried this, but it's something I'm actually going to experiment with. It sounds like a pretty cool technique. So here's what they claim the benefits of this Pomodoro technique are improve focus. The thought process here is it helps combat distractions and train your brain for longer periods of focus work. Hey, I get it. We are so easily distracted during my day. I have two monitors in my office here, sitting on my desk.

7:01 As I record this right now, I have three with the teleprompter I'm using. But the truth is it's so easy for something to distract us and pop up on one of these windows or a phone pops up, or we get a text message or something like that. So the idea here is to focus your efforts. The other thing they say is overcomes procrastination. I tend to agree with this. It breaks down tasks into short, manageable chunks. Making them less intimidating to start. Hey, truth is. That is a very wise technique, We can have a big project. It may seem like insurmountable, but if you break it down into manageable pieces, you're more likely to get it done. And of course the other thing in boasts is better time management.

7:44 It provides a structured rhythmic approach to your work. Increasing your awareness of how you spend your time. And then finally they claim there's reduced mental fatigue. And it kind of goes without saying the regular breaks, prevent burnout and keep you refreshed. Well, here's some additional tips as it relates to pomodoro. Some of these to-do lists are designed specifically for the Pomodoro technique because they have built in timers and tracking features. And during breaks the here's the key to this. You truly have to disconnect from work. you can't use these breaks as well. Let me go do another task. The idea behind his technique is to clear your mind. Absolutely. And that gives your body and your mind, the ability to rest and recharge.

8:26 Now, if you're an apple person like me, If you're highly invested in the apple ecosystem, the built in apple reminders, app is a surprisingly robust option. we talked about the Microsoft to do well. If you're an apple user like myself, I have all the apple stuff. The apple reminders app is surprisingly robust. It integrates seamlessly with Siri. So you can add things by saying the Siri commands. It allows you to set location-based reminders and even let you create shared lists for household chores, team projects, for example. I don't know how many people know this, but I have a black Angus cow farm. And on my cow farm, I have a farmhand. And I actually use apple reminders, to get a to-do list going for him so that he knows what to work on today.

9:09 So again, if you're big into the apple ecosystem, then the apple reminders is probably a good app for you to use. And finally, the prayer app. This is designed specifically for Christians. This unique app allows you to create prayer lists, set reminders, and even track your answered prayers. Now we can all benefit from that. No, there's a level of gratitude there. How many times did we forget about the things that we've already gotten responses from God on? So this prayer app offers a prayer journal and a daily Bible verse. So it kind of kills two birds with one stone. If you will. The prayer app is a fantastic way to integrate your faith into your daily routine and ensure you're prioritizing your spiritual wellbeing alongside your to do's.

9:52 And that's a key folks. Putting together that prayer life and that routine to make sure you're being effective. Again, the prayer app offers a free version with limited features and of course, a premium version. That has more scripture integration and other things like that. we've explored some fantastic to-do list applications each with its unique strengths, but with so many options Ralph, how do you choose the right one for you? Here's the way I take a look at this number one, consider your needs. Listen folks, this is the golden rule in general. Think about your workflow and what features were truly make your life easier. the question you could ask yourself is, do you collaborate frequently? You need a tool that allows shared lists. We talk about someone that do that.

10:32 Are recurring task, a constant struggle. Or do you crave an app? Excels in scheduling? Perhaps staying focused is your biggest challenge. maybe you look at that time management method, we talked about the pomodoro method. That could be a game changer for you. The second thing I think you should do. Is to explore the free options. the beauty of technology is that most of these apps offer free versions with core functionality. So you can go kick the tires with this. take advantage of this, download a few that peak your interest and spend some time exploring their features. take a look at how intuitive their interface feels. You don't have to buy anything, go test it out. experiment with adding tasks and setting deadlines, make sure you really are going to use this because true of the matter is folks.

11:13 It makes absolutely zero sense to go buy one of these or subscribe to one of these. If you're not going to use it. take some time and see how that app integrates with your workflow. And of course then you have to factor in cost. So once you've narrowed down your options based on features and usability consider the cost. Many of these apps offer tiered subscription plans. Like I said, they have a basic free version and then premium versions that unlock additional features. That's where a little financial prudence comes in. Folks don't feel pressured to jump straight into a premium plan. Now you'll get the ads from them. They'll pop up. you can make this a, get our premium plan right now for just $49 for the year. Especially if that free version, and maybe you have to look at some ads occasionally, or maybe it doesn't do exactly what you wanted to do.

11:58 But that free version could be an option. However, If a specific features offered in a premium plan, significantly improves your productivity. Then you can consider that a good return on your investment. think about how much time. And time equals money. That can be saved if you are able to use this app. And it helps you in all areas of your life. and then finally folks. Pray about it. I think sometimes we forget about our connection to God. And this might seem like an unexpected step. But hear me out. As Christians we're called to be good stewards of our resources. Well, one of our main resources is our time. So if you choose a to-do list is essentially choosing a tool that helps you manage this most precious commodity.

12:43 So take a moment to pray about it. Ask God for guidance, God, what is the app you think would be the, I don't know. It sounds silly. But think about this. If we're supposed to be stewards of our resources. And one of our biggest resources is our time. Then we've got to ask God to say, God, show me your way. Show me your direction. What can you put in front of me that will allow me to prioritize my tasks. But make sure that aligns with your values and faith. The truth is so it's by following these steps you're well, on your way to finding the perfect to-do list application. Now you probably never really thought about this before you listened to this podcast today. This tool can empower you. To be more productive.

13:24 To manage your time effectively and ultimate glorify God in your daily endeavors. And that's what we're all looking to do. And if we can find a tool that will help us. Be a good stewards of our resources. That'll help us find achievement and the thing is that's going to build on itself. If you're doing a good job and you're feeling like you're getting things done and trust me, we all face this. I use a product called Zen desk in my office that keeps track of every task that we do. And we measure those things. I don't want to let anybody down. So folks we've covered a lot of ground on our discussion of to-do lists applications, probably more than you expected. Remember, these tools are not magic wands. But they can be powerful allies in your quest for greater organizational productivity.

14:05 But you've got to take the time to explore the options. Choose wisely. And embrace the process of refining your system. This can be a cool journey. If you want to dive deeper and learn more about how to manage your finances. It's what I do for a living. With a Christian perspective. Head over to our podcastPage@askralphpodcast.com. Now listen, while you're there. I'm going to encourage you greatly encourage you to join our email list. And you'll be entered into our Amazon car $25 weekly giveaway. We want to get your email so we can connect with you. While you're there. If you would like to leave us a review or click on the bottom, right. Microphone icon, you can leave us a message or a topic you'd like us to discuss. And we'll be sure to put it on our show.

14:47 So as we wrap up, let's recap. What we talked about today. To-do list apps come in many forms. We talked about five or six of them. Understand your priorities and workflow understand what works for you. The free versions are a great place to start. And I encourage you to experiment before committing to a premium option. You don't have to pay for one. Until you've kicked the tires and you're comfortable with it. And again, Don't underestimate the power of prayer. This is in all things, seek God's guidance in choosing the right tool for you. Remember friends, staying organized. and productive is not only about efficiency. But also about glorifying God by making the most of the time and resources he has given us.

15:28 Stay financially savvy, my friends and God bless you. Abundantly.