First time seeing my karma points deducted by 2 points (screenshot) after 8 years using Todoist 😁
Not freaking out but just curious anyone knows why? What's the rule here?
Hi guys,
I've been a Todoist user for 8+ years and I've always used Todoist to manage my goals in various ways. So with the Goals feature, I have five feedback points given its current iteration
1. In terms of structure, Goals should be a higher level of projects. Multiple projects can be nested under one Goal. Individual tasks should be created under a Project first, not linked directly to a Goal.
This hierarchy is important because a) If you link a task to a Goal, what's the real difference between a Goal vs. a Project? b) Goals should a directional, big outcome goalpost that requires multiple projects to get done, otherwise it isn't a goal, just a normal project.
2. Visually, Goals should provide an overview of what the Goal encompasses i.e. have a layout to show how the Goal is broken down into projects and then, into tasks and sub-tasks.
For example, you can have the Goal name + description on top, then have the attached projects (like the current beta view) and have one or two layers of dropdown to see tasks under the project. This visual linkage is very important to see how each tasks, projects contributes to the overall Goal. Conversely, if it takes 2-3 clicks to see this linkage and it's on separate screens, it losses visual consistency & linkage (Griply does this quite well with their annual planning guide, for reference).
3. Goals should be on a visual timeline and should be the sum total of the start + end date of all Projects under it.
First, Put Goals on a yearly or monthly Calendar view. Goals usually span more than a week to complete, therefore, it's useful to see Goals on a wider calendar/timeline view especially if you have multiple goals and you're doing them in parallel or one must finish before another goal can start (dependencies between projects under same Goal).
Secondly, Goals should reflect all the Start + End dates of projects attached to it i.e. if the latest deadline in a Project under a Goal is 30st June, that Goals' deadline cannot be sooner than 30st June.
4. Have some guidance on setting a goal. A big part of what can make the Goal feature great is the embedded thinking process of how to set goals. It can simple in-app text prompts or each a AI agent trained on coaching user to set goals (I think already mentioned in the demo).
For example, when I sit down to write Goals, before inputting into Todoist, I go through checklists on Word document to set my goals. I set goals based on Areas of Life or biggest problem/challenge, I write them as SMART goals, I attach some image or visual reminder for motivation, I break Goals into initiatives, milestones, then task (like OKRs) etc. So, if Todoist can help with all this "cognitive load", that's definitely a huge value-added feature.
5. Limit the number of Goals a user can set, for example 5 goals per month. This might seem like an artificial constraint as many users pointed out 3 goals aren't enough in the initial beta release. However, my argument--and years of personal experience as well as have read some research on goals theory--tells me less is more because it creates focus.
If you have 10 goals, then there's no real focus. It is no different than have 50 goals and then goals becomes projects or tasks--it doesn't set direction, motivate and doesn't stretch you to achieve more.
Therefore, all the above suggestion is about having more clarity of what a Goal should be (vs. Project vs. Tasks) to ensure Goals are adding a different value to users. In the end, if you can have 5 good goals and getting 3/5 Goals done in a month, that's already great vs. having 50 goals that's not high-impact and getting 50/50 done.
This is my personal view. Would you guys have other points of improvement for Goal feature? Or do you agree/disagree with my points -- love to hear your views!
Thanks.