The Next Web: Holy sheet: How to create a simple to-do list with Google Sheets.
https://thenextweb.com/basics/2020/04/20/holy-sheet-simple-to-do-list-google-sheets/

Way too simple for this crowd, and God forbid we should use something we already have. But I didn't know about the check box option.

jaslar wrote:

The Next Web: Holy sheet: How to create a simple to-do list with Google
Sheets.
https://thenextweb.com/basics/2020/04/20/holy-sheet-simple-to-do-list-google-sheets/

Way too simple for this crowd, and God forbid we should use something we
already have. But I didn't know about the check box option.

LOL.
I've been keeping my todo list in an XLS file (first in OpenOffice Calc, now in Planmaker from Softmaker Office Pro) since 2014. Instead of Google Sheets' checkboxes I use "X".
It's a simple list with columns for my different jobs and for private tasks. And at the same time an archive of all my todos and dones from the last 6 years.

The use of a spreadsheet for GTD has been around a long time.

http://gtd.marvelz.com/blog/2007/01/01/implementing-gtd-with-excel/

It is perfectly possible to implement GTD in Excel. In fact, I think Excel is a perfect tool for many purposes. Using a combination of built-in Excel formulas and my own custom made VBA code, I have implemented a basic GTD system for myself. It is in fact an ongoing project, but I am using the system successfully every day.

Can be rather detailed or very simple depends on the person of course.

Right, and Excel allows you to fold. I don't know if Sheets does or not.

Numbers also allows you to fold - although it can be a bit complicated to set up.

Excel is the main competitor to just about every software product I have ever written, including Hyper Plan.

I see your point. After I studied the first link I sent about using Excel, I see that it was actually pretty sophisticated. Then I poked around with Google Sheets, which also has checkboxes and grouping (the spreadsheet word for folding). LibreOffice Calc does not have grouping, which is interesting.

Years ago, I designed a pretty robust task management system using the Appleworks database module, a sort of pared down File Maker Pro. Spreadsheets can provide a lot of the same functionality. But I have to say that something like AirTable is easier to use than Excel.

Andy Brice wrote:

Excel is the main competitor to just about every software product I have
ever written, including Hyper Plan.

Excel is a wonderful programme. Too huge for some, yes, ungainly sometimes, less nifty than Numbers, but still wonderful. Working mostly in sentences not calculations, I wouldn't - you might think - have much use for it. But I do. Leaving aside the more familiar terrain of personal financial records and planning, for a time I outlined longform pieces in Excel, factual and fictional, listed locations and characters, even crudely timelined. I still keep records in Excel of versions, word counts, page revisions and work durations, and roughly calculate productivity.

I think I read somewhere that someone had managed to write a novel in Excel, but I never managed to track the source of that report down.

Excel is a very impressive piece of software. You can do just about anything in Excel, even create art:
https://mymodernmet.com/excel-art/

It is not necessarily the best tool for the job though. ;0)

jaslar wrote:

LibreOffice Calc does not have grouping, which is interesting.

LibreOffice Calc has also a grouping feature at least in version 6.4.0.3 (but perhaps also in former versions) (Menu Data | Group and Outline).

This reminded me of when I used to keep a simple to do list and pretty much a whole PIM of information in spreadsheets back in the late 80's and early 90's. Sidekick was fun but didn't do it all for me.

I used Lucid-3D at first. Having sheets for the to-do, contacts, calendar events, notes etc. There wasn't too much need for passwords back then unless you got on Compuserve. It was just about all BBS's.

Then I started on Quattro Pro and became pretty good with macros in it. I even created a whole inventory / ordering system for a warehouse I worked for. I'm not good at programming it's just that spreadsheets are so versatile.

Spreadsheets are incredible. Thinking of it, I can't believe I haven't used one for years.

Now I'm going to go start to play in spreadsheets again. Thanks for the reminder everyone.

Larry

Now, if only Excel or Google Sheets could monitor my web browser and alert me when my local supermarket opens up new delivery slots for self-isolators like me...