I’m wondering if there are any apps that combine the functionality of a todo list and a calendar with the concept of a daily agenda. I use Notion to do this but it requires manual work.
Each morning I create a daily agenda. I pull in my calendar entries. I also pull things I plan on doing from my todo list. I generally work off of my daily agenda.
When the day is over I put everything with doing back to the todo list.
It's going to be work to get it set up, but Emacs + org-mode will do those things for you. Example:
** PROG [#C] Meeting with Bob and Alice
SCHEDULED: <2024-10-23 Wed 18:00-18:30>
That's a TODO item in the PROG state (TODO->PROG->DONE, I like 4-letter words to keep the columns aligned) with priority C, and the meeting is scheduled from 1800 to 1830.
Clicking on the date or calling `org-agenda-list` which in my instance is bound to `C-c a a` will show something like this:
Tuesday 22 October 2024
Wednesday 23 October 2024
8:00 ┄┄┄┄┄ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
10:00 ┄┄┄┄┄ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
12:00 ┄┄┄┄┄ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
14:00 ┄┄┄┄┄ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
16:00 ┄┄┄┄┄ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
17:13 ┄┄┄┄┄ ◀── now ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
2024-10-21: 18:00-18:30 Scheduled: PROG [#C] WAF Updates
18:00 ┄┄┄┄┄ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
20:00 ┄┄┄┄┄ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
2024-10-21: TODO [#D] Issues from deployment
Thursday 24 October 2024
Unfortunately (or fortunately?) this doesn't sync my work office365 calendar. I can sync Jira tickets though :)
Notion supports this without too much manual work. Create a database, have two separate views, one a Board view and the other a Calendar view. To make a todo show up on the calendar, you can either set the date property manually or create a Button property defined to "Button is clicked → Edit `This page` → `Date`: `Date Triggered`. To make it even better, create a View of that database right next to itself, and you can keep both the Board and the Calendar view open simultaneously. Dragging from the Board to the Calendar works to set the dates for that entry/todo/page. I've been using this workflow since January and very happy with it.
I do something similar, and I've come to appreciate the manual work. It lets me take a moment and reflect on what's important before I copy it over to/from the endless list.
Todoist handles this pretty well now with their new calendar view and updated Google Calendar integration. I believe it also handles other calendar services.
I remember using Lotus Organizer for this until I switched over to macOS a few years ago. I still haven't found a good alternative that combines it all in one place and is as lightweight. It had all those goodies like automatically moving undone ToDo's to the next day, a lot of options for reminders/due dates, schedule conflict checker etc.
Notion is great, but I too find the extra work distracting and unnecessary.
Check out Twos App (https://www.twosapp.com/). The interface makes it pretty easy to move tasks around, has integrated Calendar and can keep notes/journal as well.
Not affiliated, just been trying it out for a month now. Developer has been very responsive as well.
I highly recommend you checking Amazing Marvin. I was looking for the same thing and found this app a few months ago (I am not affiliated to them in any way).
Each morning I create a daily agenda. I pull in my calendar entries. I also pull things I plan on doing from my todo list. I generally work off of my daily agenda.
When the day is over I put everything with doing back to the todo list.