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# Orgmode - your life in plain text
Rainer König
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In this talk I'll give you a quick overview of my Orgmode GTD
system. We start with capturing a small project, scheduling
the tasks, doing all and then archiving the finished tasks.
To stay on focus, every morning I build a plan for the day
with the 3 most important tasks first and then some other
stuff that should be done. In this way I avoid getting
pulled down by an endless agenda view that I can't finish on
that day anyway.
Background info: I'm using Orgmode for many years now, and I'm not
exaggerating if I tell you that it saved me from a nervous breakdown
when my wife got diagonosed with severe illness and I was suddenly in
charge of everything. Orgmode was there and reminded me of the
important things so nothing was forgotten and I could focus on what
really matters.
In 2016 I recorded a <a
href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVtKhBrRV_ZkPnBtt_TD1Cs9PJlU0IIdE">
set of tutorial videos </a> which are available
on my YouTube channel which gained more than 3600 subcribers because
of those tutorials.
In Summer 2020 I recorded the tutorials again for
a <a
href="https://www.udemy.com/course/getting-yourself-organized-with-org-mode/?referralCode=D0CB0D077ED5EC0788F7">
course at Udemy </a> which went online in October 2020 and is
supplemented by a 100+ pages course book.
For the Emacs Conference 2020 I created a coupon code EMACSCONF which is valid until December 2, 2020 11:58 AM PST, so you can get the course for the price of €9.99. You can use this code with <a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/getting-yourself-organized-with-org-mode/?couponCode=EMACSCONF">this link</a>.
<!-- from the pad --->
- Actual start and end time (EST): End: 2020-11-28T13.16.44
# Questions
## What's the advantage of copying tasks from the agenda to a separate daily plan, rather than just managing them directly within the agenda?
- [Karl Voit]: I asked Rainer the very same question and his answer
was that his agenda is full with tasks. Copying them (via keyboard
shortcuts) to a manually curated daily list provides a condensed
daily agenda showing only the tasks he is going to do (when the day
goes as planned).
- I feel it can reduce some mental stress.
- Yes, this is it, I want to decide in the morning (I can never do all
what is in the agenda) and then I'm no longer overwhelmed by that
long agenda.
- This may also be relevant: <https://github.com/alphapapa/org-now>.
- OK thanks - but then why not just create custom agenda views for a)
building the daily list and then b) just viewing the daily list
without distractions? e.g. via org-super-agenda or org-ql?
- Sometimes I also want to review my previous tasks I've done.
- There is build-in org-agenda-log-mode (v l) to do this. One just
need to make sure that the task state changes are actually
logged (see `(apropos "org-log-*")`).
- I suspect that could also be achieved via org-ql or similar but
admit it's probably a more complex solution. Just naturally
averse to anything which duplicates data and could lead to
inconsistencies :)
- Exactly. It is just very easy to do it in such a format, but
it can definitely be achieved by super-agenda/org-ql
## How long does it usually take you to manage/maintain your agenda on a daily basis?
- Five minutes a day.
- Extensively uses org-capture to get thoughts down and schedule
things for later — gets things out of head and saves the task for
later.
- Weekly review to go through checklists — usually takes about half an
hour.
## What version of Emacs and of Org do you currently use?
- Emacs: 25.3.1
- Orgmode version: 9.1.5
## Do you keep Emacs open with you all day, or just when you need to add tasks or reference todos?
It's open all the day. Two monitor setup, Emacs is always opened on
one (usually the non-main one, apparently, but moved back to the main
one if necessary).
## Where do your notes/tasks end up after you complete them (lurst asked that first on IRC)?
In archives (missed some details here, sorry).
## Do you use Org mode on a mobile device as well? If so how do you do it?
On the road I have a real old fashioned paper notebook with a
ballpoint pen ;-)
## How did you add the super fast typing?
- A) I learned touch typing at school around 45 years ago.
- B) Kdenlive can accelerate video material. You need to mark it (cut
it left and right) and then press Shift-Ctrl and the mouse to drag
it, that adds the time lapse effect.
## Do you export your Org files or Agenda files for others?
I once tried it at work, but it didn't work out. For me Org is a
**personal** prodcutivity system and not a sort of
groupware. Nevertheless, I have a ToDo keyword "DELEGATED" to monitor
e.g. errands that I give to my kids.
## Do you use Emacs for everything or just a few things like time management, programming, etc.?
Emacs is my primary editor for shell scripts, LaTeX files, even
LilyPond (remember that talk in the morning). I wrote all the LaTeX
files for the book I prepared for my course in Emacs.
## Do you keep your project notes and backup information with the to do items in your agenda or in separate files?
The notes are all in the :LOGBOOK: drawer of each task. So I have a
sort of "micro blog" there that clearly shows what happened with that
task so far. I even see all the "RESCHEDULED on…" timestamps
which helps me to identify the tasks I procrastinate. ;-)
## Not a question but thank you so much for your videos Rainer
- You're welcome. What started as a "I need to show Org to a few
people" turned out helpful to a lot more than I ever expected. ;-)
- These videos helped me so much! Thank you!
# Notes
- Showcases org-capture, org-agenda, rescheduling from the agenda.
- The idea of "The 3 most important tasks" is important to make a
clear target on day to day basis.
- Just in case Rainer is not checking the IRC: lots of compliments!
Also for your courses (on YouTube)!!
- How Org Mode Saved My Life - Programmer Interview With Rainer König
On Emacs Org Mode
- <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_DYO0_eJ6A>
- <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPKhS-QDn7c&t=1332s>
- Udemy Course URL:
<https://www.udemy.com/course/getting-yourself-organized-with-org-mode/?referralCode=D0CB0D077ED5EC0788F7>
- Very interesting thing to know: Rainer is not using a substantial
customized setup. It's rather out-of-the-box only.
- Org-mode tutorial YouTube playlist:
<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVtKhBrRV_ZkPnBtt_TD1Cs9PJlU0IIdE>
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