# Orgmode - your life in plain text Rainer König [[!template id=vid src="https://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/emacsconf/2020/emacsconf-2020--09-orgmode-your-life-in-plain-text--rainer-koenig.webm"]] [Download .webm video, 720p, 46M](https://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/emacsconf/2020/emacsconf-2020--09-orgmode-your-life-in-plain-text--rainer-koenig.webm) 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 set of tutorial videos 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 course at Udemy 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 this link. - (End 2020-11-28T13.16.44) # Questions: - Put your questions below, most recent on top: ## 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 here: 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: ### 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?+2 ### 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 orgmode 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 +1+1+1 - 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 ### ### ## UDEMY Course URL: ## 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: