1---
 2template:
 3slug: push
 4title: Push-based productivity
 5subtitle: Getting told when to get things done
 6date: 2025-01-03
 7---
 8
 9Way back in 2021, I wrote about [my productivity endeavours][prod],
10which were -- in summary -- me writing a list of todos in a notebook.
11I still carry these around to quickly note stuff down or to summarise my
12pursuits of the week every Sunday evening.
13
14[prod]: /blog/bujo/
15![notebooks](https://cdn.icyphox.sh/fit?url=http://files.garage.koti.lan/IMG_2558.jpg&width=1000&height=2000)
16
17However, I quickly realised a glaring issue with this system: it needed
18*me* to constantly check the notebook to learn of things to be done. For
19me, this failed constantly:
20
21* I didn't check it often enough and missed time-critical tasks
22* I checked it but I *forgot* to do the thing because I was distracted
23
24As an example, every so often during the day, I'd note down a task to
25say "buy oat milk". Easy enough. I can do that on my way home from
26work. There's a supermarket at my nearest metro station so popping by
27there before walking home should be a trivial task.
28
29Hardly so. I either never checked my todo list on the metro ride home,
30or embarrassingly, I'd check and then proceed to immediately forget. The
31sheer annoyance when I'd realize my lapse upon getting home and taking
32out my notebook...
33
34This is a problem inherent to any "pull-based" system -- one where the
35user/client/whatever must "pull" (or poll!) for information at
36intervals. Especially given that said information has an arbitrary TTL
37in my head, and the poll interval is not fixed, there are several of
38these blind spots where tasks get missed.
39
40And so, my new push-based system -- one that I've been using to great
41effect for the better part of last year -- came about. At its core it's
42incredibly simple: my phone's Reminders app. I use Apple Reminders but
43really, this works with any similar app.
44
45Nothing revolutionary, I know. I'm just rather proud of how easy it was
46to get setup and see positive results. I have mine setup against my
47[self-hosted][sh] Radicale server. Separate lists to organize tasks and
48a homescreen widget to quickly check off completed ones.
49
50[sh]: /uses#homelab-k3s-cluster
51
52<div class="row">
53<img src="https://cdn.icyphox.sh/reminders.jpg" style="width: 240px;" alt="reminders">
54<img src="https://cdn.icyphox.sh/hss.jpg" style="width: 240px;" alt="home screen widget">
55</div>
56
57For quick input, I've been in love with [Remind Me
58Faster](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/remind-me-faster/id985555908). I'm
59now able to rapidly create tasks, assign it a time[^1] and optionally, a
60location. The latter, I find, is the killer feature. Being reminded of a
61task *when* you're arriving/leaving (RMF lets you choose this) a
62location is very powerful.
63
64[^1]: Apple Calendar in iOS 18 onward now shows your reminders alongside
65    other events. Very handy for scheduling.
66
67<div class="row">
68    <img src="https://cdn.icyphox.sh/IMG_2561.PNG" style="width: 240px;" alt="remind me faster">
69    <img src="https://cdn.icyphox.sh/IMG_2563.jpg" style="width: 240px;" alt="setting time and location">
70</div>
71
72I now get reminded to "buy oat milk" when I'm arriving at the metro
73station's shopping center.[^2] Or of a restaurant in an area that I've
74been meaning to check out. Or to text someone when I'm in their city at
75a future date. Or to post this once I get home.
76
77[^2]: _kauppakeskus_ in Finnish.