Memory

A todo list is a neuroprosthesis that augments long-term memory for tasks.

The todo list provides three things:

• Memory: the list remembers things for you. You’re not at the mercy of your brain randomly pinging you that you forgot to do X.
• Order: drag and drop tasks to figure out the sequence.
• Hierarchy: break tasks down hierarchically and without limit.

Of these, the most important is memory. The todo list is an action-oriented long-term memory prosthesis.

This is especially useful for habit formation: the biggest blocker with forming habits is just remembering you’d committed to doing something. The todo list turns many habits into one — you only need to form a single habit: checking the todo list.

Analogously, projects fail simply because you forget about them. You start reading a book but don’t track it anywhere. You leave it where it’s out of sight (and therefore out of mind). The todo list prevents this: create a project to represent reading the book, and it’s now tracked and visible.

How Borretti Uses Todoist

Key project structure in the sidebar:

• Tasks — ad-hoc tasks. Only rule: everything must be scheduled.
• Groceries — self-explanatory.
• Ideas — half-formed goals, project ideas. Occasionally promoted into active projects.
• Blog — ideas specifically for blog posts.
• Reading List — divided into fiction, non-fiction, technical books, blog posts, papers, games, films.
• Cycles — recurring tasks divided by period: daily, weekly, and above.
• Projects — actual active projects. Lifted to sidebar level so they’re visible at a glance. Out of sight, out of mind.