The Done line

I’ve tried many different task trackers for working on computer projects and of the one’s I’ve tried so far this is the most satisfying and useful:

A simple plaintext file, titled tasks or similar. I keep it in the project folder and update it whenever I have an idea or a task that is not an immediate concern.

Often I’ll write a file that looks like this:

task: write the done line post
experiment: improve rss generation
config: add xyz to support vwy

If I finish one of those, say the line with experiment:, then the file will be updated:

task: write the done line post
config: add xyz to support vwy

-----------DONE LINE-----------

DONE    experiment: improve rss generation

I cut out the task line, paste it below the DONE LINE, preface with a big old satisfyingly typed DONE and indent with a tab.

For me, this feels like the digital equivalent of vigorously filling a circle in a bullet journal or striking several lines over a task on a piece of scratch paper. Typing DONE feels great, as does the finality of the tab. Keeping track of what has been done also feels great because as the project progresses, the amount of finished items keeps on growing. It gives me a sense of momentum that simply removing the task would squander.

And that’s it, that’s my little task tracker for homegrown computer projects. Very simple, very satisfying.