Activities vs Goals #144
Replies: 11 comments 56 replies
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I don't have any problem with this. Also the name "Goals" being the primary thing here implies I need to run after them to chase them or something like that 😅 |
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Giving my thoughts (after reading the thread): I think replacing activities with goal is fine, but the name 'activity' is going to be much better than 'goal'. I have one activity "anxiety", its separate from "other" or break because I want to know how much time was spent being too anxious to do anything compared to when I was actively taking a break. Saying it was a goal sounds wrong. I think removing emojis altogether (allowing it to be added in the activity/goal text itself) is great. The emoji doesn't really serve as anything other than part of the text itself so it should be fine. I have never used keep screen on. I prefer the notification sound to remember time has passed and it works. Timer hints are mostly unused by me as well. Except for activity like anxiety, where I set it to 4 hours because usually getting a notification for timer ran out is not helpful for it. I dont see it ever hitting 4 hours so whenever Im ready to do something again I can open the app and choose. Anxiety-like activities I also don't really want on my homescreen preferrably, so maybe an alternative approach where some activities/goals can be put into a different place? I had this idea where the activity page is replaced with a detailed history view. With a button or slide-able area with "extra activities" like anxiety. Regarding the detailed history view, I think a small alteration to the current summary page (not pie chart) works. It can be iterated in the future. The small alteration I would really love is being able to click on any of the activities and it being isolated on the bar-chart-thing. I really like the nested goals idea and modular summaries. |
1. Naming and ClassificationMy understanding is that the core of the app lies in what you call "goals" (I prefer to think of them as "tasks" or "items", since "activity" encompasses multiple goals). Activities serve as categories for tasks—you decide on the category when starting a task. Folder, on the other hand, act as temporary groupings. 2. Current UsageI'd be happy to walk you through my current workflow and usage patterns. Where relevant, I'll use the example of developing a software project to illustrate.
How I use NoteI also use a separate note-taking app (Obsidian), and I prefer to keep them distinct rather than going all-in-one. For notes in
Additionally, rendering hyperlinks in notes would be a nice touch for easy clicking (e.g., web links, email copying). But no need for full Markdown support—that would feel bloated and blur the lines with dedicated note apps. How I use ChecklistSince checklists are reusable, I rarely create them ad hoc for a single task, as that would require ongoing management after the task ends. I only make them when they're standardized and reusable, like a backup file list or pre-travel packing checklist. This might stem from my intuitive style—others might prefer checklists to break down tasks step-by-step, tying into personal granularity preferences. Some folks granularize everything (big project → several tasks → checklist per task). I find that overly effortful: once a task is finely broken down, maintaining a checklist becomes unnecessary. When planning, you naturally recall what needs doing and jot a rough description. Creating an extra checklist introduces page-switching disruptions and mental overhead. When starting, you'll intuitively know the steps anyway—the cognitive cost of maintaining a checklist often exceeds the task itself. Building on the page continuity discussion above, if we add an extra text annotation area for tasks, keeping the task title and description on the same page would be better to avoid unnecessary switches. Other SuggestionsRemove Emoji Icons from ActivitiesI think this change is harmless—older versions didn't have them anyway—and it would allow more flexibility to add emojis directly in tasks. History and Summary UsageI rarely use the history or summary features. That said, the current pie chart categorizes by activities; if activities are phased out, the pie chart would need a redesign. Custom Time Hints, Countdowns, and TimersI like the current custom time hints design. Switching to fixed hints—what special benefits would that bring? Retaining flexibility seems preferable. A related extension: countdown vs. forward timers. The app currently uses countdowns, but consider adding forward timers—they differ philosophically:
Summary
NotesVersion info: Android v2025.09.13.590-fdroid |
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Question for everyone. What about |
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Appending from #152. TLDR of #152:
In the context of the topic of this discussion, this would mean allowing nesting dynamic, where this nesting can be altered while preserving history. My use case for this app lies in tracking my productivity, any non-productive activity is categorized under "Nothing", and I routinely check the pie chart to benchmark myself. Nomenclature:
UI:
Goals/Activities:
Notes/Checklists:
Overall, I like that nomenclature is being standardized for simplicity. The Home screen being swipable to other useful screens would add to usability. |
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Another question. Does it make sense to disable the “Today on Home Screen” option? |
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Beta vestion is here! I would appreciate your help with testing. Please read the discussion head. |
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Release Candidate is here! Please read the discussion head. |
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Have been using the merged Goal-Activities version for a few weeks now as the main driver. Here's my thoughts (Ill keep new features ideas separate from old vs new): I think it is a major improvement. But somethings are missed in the move.
Previously I would have these different timed goals based on days on the homescreen. And same goals everyday stuff just in activities mostly so home screen could have spaced out stuff. Now everything has to be on the home screen so space is limited.
This is also a UI issue, for me at least. With everything now on home screen, and lack of space. Having a time besides every goal's text easily becomes unreadable at times and overwhelming. This is for me one of the biggest issues I've had with the update, as it takes me far longer to find and select my next goal. There's a lot more information to digest than the previous activity menu, as each goal has a bar filling with color, time, the goal text, and when its done a "+" symbol. Which is not useful information for a lot of passive things as explained before, and just overwhelms. Its far easier for me sometimes to click randomly and change the goal in history. My fixes suggestions:
New feature suggestions:
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Hey, guys! Please keep atthention to this #216 |
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Hi folks! Please help me test a new release here #262 |
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Currently, goals duplicate almost all activities features. I'm working on a huge refactoring.
Key changes:
Update 8 October 2025: Beta Testing
I invite anyone who would like to help me with testing.
The most important is migration process. The data will be migrated, but you will most likely need to reconfigure your home screen goals (Settings - Goals). Please note the "Parent Goal" option on the goal's form.
Update 11 October 2025: Release Candidate
If you have installed the beta testing version, just update to this version. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Medvedev91/timeto.me/refs/heads/activities_to_goals_migration/misc/builds/592-fdroid.apk
Otherwise, follow the manual for the beta version, then upgrade to the latest one.
I suggest you test it for a day/week, then come back with the feedback.
Thank you!
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