I generally don’t like using task managers while I’m working. Adding tasks or jumping to specific projects is a chore. And assigning dates is usually the preferred way to indicate what’s next to work on. The biggest issue is that task managers are, by default, ugly and messy. But Things 3 is different.

I’ve been using Things 3 for my personal tasks for quite some time. But I’ve recently started using it for work tasks as well. I have a unique setup to make this work, since I use Windows while working. I’ll explain later.

Not only does Things 3 have a beautiful and simple UI, but to be able to simply start typing any view, project, or even task without even triggering a keyboard shortcut is a dream.

Adding tasks is also simple, hit the spacebar and start typing. Tab through the fields to assign dates and tags.

One of the most useful features for me is the tag filtering. It is helpful for batching related tasks together. I spend most of my time in the “Anytime” view with a tag filter enabled, so I can focus on knocking out related tasks.

One task manager that gives the Things 3 UI a run for its money is TeuxDeux. Which I also enjoy and use occasionally.

But, for now, I think Things 3 is the king of task management apps.