Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. Here are
different ways that you can use the Reminders app on your Mac.
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So it's pretty straight forward to use the Reminders app to create Reminders' Lists.
When you have something you need to do later you just add it to the list
and then later you can review that list to get a reminder. But there are so many different types of
lists that you can create. Here are some ideas that I put together
and hopefully you can use some of these or maybe they'll spark an idea of your own.
First let's start off with the basic Task List. This is also known as a To Do List.
It's probably what most people use Reminders for. When you think of something you need to get done
but you can't do it right now you instead add it to a list like this. Then you can check them off
as you complete them. They're not necessarily due today or at any given time. They're just
something you need to do in the future. So you can set these to remind you on a certain day and
at a certain time, or a location. You can set a priority for these. So you can sort them by
priority. You can add notes here and a link here as well. When you're viewing them you can always
sort them by the due date that you've set, the creation date, the priority, or sort them
alphabetically. But you can use reminders for so much more than this standard kind of list.
Here's another kind. This is called a Project List. So this is a To Do List but for a specific
project. For instance, my example here is for me to release a new version of an app I'm working
on. Then when I have a list like this I can work towards my goal of releasing that new version
of the app. So I've listed everything here that I need to do to get to the release. I can go through
these one-by-one to complete my project. You can use this for any kind of personal or work project.
You can have many of these here. You can even list the entire project in the Task List and then check
that one off when you're completed with the entire list and then delete or reuse the list later on.
You can also have a Daily Task List. This is a list that you need to use over and over again
every single day. Maybe you don't need to do all of the items but you need to review everything
here on a daily basis and make sure you've done each of these things. Now when you're using a list
like this it's going to be important to be able to reuse it. Notice as I Complete Items they'll
clear off of the list. So how do I get them back. Well, first thing I want to do is change my View
to Show Completed. Shift Command H will toggle this. Now I see the completed items here. So at
the end of the day I may end up with all of the items completed. Then I could easily uncheck them
either one at a time or I can click one, Shift Click to select a range, and then I could go to
Edit and then mark as Completed, Shift Command C or that changes to mark as Incomplete. So I could
select them all again. An easy way to do that is Command A. Then Shift Command C will mark them
all as incomplete. Then if I change Sort By to Creation Date then they'll stay in this order.
Another type of list is a Process list. So this is something you may need to repeat often when you're
doing a certain process like, for instance in this example, might be opening up a retail store. You
need to go through and do each of these things before the store is opened and you're ready for
business. So you can go through and check each one off or maybe for something like this you just do
them in order and you don't need to check them all off individually. But you do want to repeat them
everyday just like a Daily List. A Process List is not something you may need to do every single day
or you may need to do it several times a day. You also can Share lists. If you go here and
click on this little button there you can share a list with somebody else.
So if this is the kind of process where you or somebody else could be doing it
then you could share it with them and you both have this Process List if either one updates it
with a new thing or changes the description of one then both of you see that change.
Another common type of checklist is a Training List. So this is when you need to teach somebody
to do something. It could be in a work type of situation or at home. For instance here's a list
for training a new pet sitter that might come into your house to look after your pets while
you're away. You may want to make sure you tell them to do all of these things for each visit.
Now let's go in a completely different direction and look at a Wish List. An obviously type of wish
list may be for items that you want or things you want to ask for as holiday or birthday presents.
Or it could be something like restaurants that you want to visit like this list. So you can
make yourself a Wish List of restaurants you want to visit, food you want to try,
things like that. Now you could move towards your goal for trying various things. Related to this
is a To Watch or To Read List. So when somebody recommends something to me I could simply add
it to this list and the next time I'm looking for something to watch or to read I can refer to it.
Another type of list is a Troubleshooting List. This could refer to a piece of
equipment in your house or at work or situation that sometimes arises
and you want to make sure you go through the proper steps in checking everything
when this problem comes up. This is another good list to share with anybody else that may need it.
Related to this is a Safety Checklist. So this isn't when there is a problem
but maybe something to review every time you're about to do something. Like work with a piece of
equipment. You may want to have a safety checklist and review it before you start using that piece of
equipment. Now you may want to have a Maintenance Checklist for home or work for things that you
regularly need to review. Maybe it's a monthly or quarterly or annual checklist and you can go
through each of these items and make sure you don't forget to check anyone of these things.
Now here's something that maybe you've already you do use Reminders for. That is a Shopping List.
So you go ahead and add items to a shopping list and then you can check them off as you
find them in the store. This is when it's really handy to have the iCloud syncing
so you can add these items on your Mac or your iPad but then use your iPhone when you're at
the store to actually check off the items. Then, of course, you can use Shift Command
H to reveal all of the checked items. Maybe when you're done shopping you want to uncheck
a few of them to get them all setup so your next week's shopping list is started already.
Here's one I personally like. It's a Packing Checklist. So before going on a trip there
are a lot of things that you commonly take. So have a list all ready to go and you can check
the individual items on the list, reset the list for the next trip. Even if some of these
items aren't things you need on every single trip I found it useful to put them there. If
it's something you know you don't need on that trip check it off right away and don't
worry about it. Then make sure you go through the entire list before you leave the house.
Speaking on leaving the house I also find it useful to have a checklist to complete
before I leave on a trip. Things to check in the house to make sure everything is secure and
setup for either the house sitter that's going to be there or for being vacant for a few days.
Now not all lists have to be something that you go through and complete
each individual item. For instance you can have a cleaning checklist
and this can be something that simple reminds you of all the things in the house
that you may need to clean. It doesn't mean you have to go through them all in
one single go. You can just review them every once in awhile and think, well it's been awhile since
I've done this one or that one and then maybe if you decide to do a complete cleaning in a
day or a weekend you can go through the list and check them all off and then reset the list after.
Now one type of list that a lot of people have is for big picture goals.
Things that you want to accomplish. So you can add to this list and then review them every once in
awhile and ask yourself what have you done to move forward in accomplishing this particular goal.
These could be big things. These could be little things. They could be career and work related or
just personal. This is also where the Reminders' ability to have subitems comes in handy. So you
can have a goal like this and add some items underneath it. Then you can select those
and add them as subitems underneath one here. You could Hide or Expand
underneath one of these. You see you get this handy little number here.
Here's another type of list. Something with information that you want to review. For instance,
if you want to learn the Eight Logical Fallacies so you can get better at debating somebody
then you may want to have a list like this so you can review them in your head. Maybe
have links to wikipedia pages or other sources for each one so that you can go through and on
a regular basis and review them. Your Info Review List may be on a completely different topic. Maybe
related to industry or skill or just something you think would be fun to learn or memorize.
Now in Reminders not only can you share a list with somebody but you can actually assign tasks
to people. So here I am using my Project List for releasing a new version of an app
and I have all these different things. This is a Shared List
with two people in the list here so maybe it's a two person team and with each one you can go in
and assign to somebody. So you can see even here it includes the little icon there for
each person. Now this is kind of related to the Packing List idea. An Equipment List is
a little different because the idea is to list all the equipment that has to do with a certain
type of thing. Like, for instance, you might want to list all of your camping equipment.
Then when you're ready to go camping you may want to go through the list and think about,
well am I bringing this on this particular trip. So this could also be something to do
with tools and doing projects around the house.You may have a list of all the different tools and
think well I'm going to go up into the attic and do some work, here's a list of all my tools. Let
me check each one that I think I'll need and then grab all of those tools and bring them with me.
Here's another variation of a shopping list. Instead of having specific things
you may want to have just general ideas. For instance if you like antiquing you may want
to remind yourself of all the different things that you want to look for when you look around
at different antique shops. It's a reminder when you start your shopping day to look for these
individual items. Now here's another type of daily list. You may want to have a daily medicine list.
If there are several pills you need to take throughout the day and then you can go through
the day checking each one off as you take it and reset it the next morning. You could also
include foods and nutritional things on here as well. Having a list like this could help you
build good habits. You could even put exercises and other things on the type of list like this.
Here's an extra one that's really just for fun. If you like to travel a lot you may want to
create a Seek and Find or Scavenger List. This could include some things that you could
look for any place you go. For instance, you could look for a unique local food
in every place that you visit and make that something you want to check off
on your list with each trip. This is also great if you go to museums and you've got kids with you.
You could bring a list of things that are specific to that museum or things in general like a
painting that's more than 300 years old, a statue that includes some sort of fictional creature,
and maybe some type of art that has no color in it. It's only black and white. Have a check list
like that and it turns the day into kind of a scavenger hunt as you go around the museum.
Now one thing to consider is that Reminders isn't always the best app for every type of list. In the
Notes App you can also create lists. So you can take a list like this and turn it into a checklist
like that. You can check individual items. There's a preference here for automatically sort checked
items. You can have that On or Off depending upon what you want. Notes is really good for being able
to check items and then have them remain there in the list which sometimes is preferable to how
Reminders does it. Under Format you have Mark as Checked which will check everything that's
selected. When they're all selected you can mark as Unchecked, the same keyboard shortcut for each
one, Shift Command U. So don't feel that you need to use Reminders for these lists. You may
find that Notes better suits your needs for some types of checklists and Reminders for others.
I hope you found this useful and I hope my ideas maybe inspire some of your own ideas
for ways to use Lists in Reminders and Notes. If you have any great
ideas you want to share be sure to leave them in the comments below.