Redlines' Manifesto

Some software appears to help you be more focused and productive. But what often happens, is that you just substitute real work for nothing, constantly engaging with the software instead.

To-do lists, project management tools, and time-management techniques — all of them are ridiculously concentrated on structuring and managing — tags, folders, graphs and relations — see Zettelkasten for example. As a result, there's no time left for doing the job. The actual work got lost because it's covered by non-essentials. You end up with another project just to manage your current one. Not to mention, a pleasing but a false feeling that you completed something where in reality there's nothing produced.

The main problem here is to decide what is real work and what is yak shaving. Tasks require attention, not productivity apps.

Is Your Work Invisible?

Producing real work is hard, especially on a computer where everything is invisible and has no space. As soon as you close your note-taking app, a beautiful image of your project, with all its tags and folders, is gone.

You don't have a visible clue of your work. But you get a drag to constantly update your plan because it's too detailed and inputs are always changing. You start blaming yourself and fear of not complying with the previous plan is growing.

A related problem is If nobody knows about your ideas, your work can be wasted, seen by nobody. But if you make it public and accessible, share it as an artefact that one can reason about, your work becomes real and useful.

When everything is invisible, there's no safe place to work. So why create invisible to-do lists and waste time complying with the complicated plan when you can do your work now?

Do Instead of To-do

Still, I see the essential value in todo lists; they really could help you. The conventional ones are just too complicated: the aforementioned concentration on structuring, unnecessary engagement, and invisibility.

The real utility lies in splitting your work into small chunks and the ability to reflect on them in the moment.

I made an app where these problems are addressed. The app won't vie for your attention and give you false promises. It guides you doing your work. The main feature is it has no features. Simplicity and speed are the actual features. Also, it's always visible. One task at a time and nothing more.

Do instead of a to-do.

I released a beta version of Redline - a Mac todo application that lives at the menu bar. It promotes the right work habits and respects your attention.