How do you handle single steps for todos?

[ChrisVn]

I like to break down TODOs into individual steps. So I almost always have the following structure…

• TODO “this is the MAIN TASK to work on”
  • TODO (step 1) clarify the first step
  • TODO (step 2) collect necessary information
  • WAITING (step 3) waiting for the answers
  • etc.

The problem I’m facing now: When querying for the open todos, I now not only get the main tasks, but also all the individual steps. In addition, these individual steps are listed in a wildly disorganised way and it is not obvious to which main tasks they belong.

In any case

• the overview gets lost because all subtasks are always listed.
• the connection between subtasks and their main task is lost.
• From such a list of open tasks it is no longer possible to see which of the steps can be started next.

A possible solution would be to be able to define your own workflow steps. If a sub-task had its own workflow status, this could be taken into account in the queries.
(this would lead us to this feature request that is already on the roadmap

Add support for customisable TODO keywords

As per Multi-state Workflow (Org Mode Compact Guide) support user customisable keywords for TODO stages and the sequence in which they cycle. Adding support for the "|" also allows for multiple DONE states, for example a CANCELLED and DONE state are both considered to be done. This would allow users to configure their own task workflow, or multiple workflows (setq org-todo-keywords '((sequence "TODO" "INPROGRESS" "PENDING" "ONHOLD" "|" "CANCELLED" "DONE") (sequence "REPORT" "BUG…

).

You could also map the sub-tasks not as TODOs, but only as “checklist items” - but is that currently possible in LOGseq?

Adding cheklists

How to make checklists in logseq

I have also tried to filter out these todos using a keyword in the query - but have not been able to get this working so far.

But maybe there is already an elegant solution without new features? How do you handle this?

[ChrisVn]

I would like to share with you how I am tackling the problem so far…

Quick TODOs like “call someone back” are not the issue here. I enter them directly in the journal and work through them as quickly as possible.

But I treat larger tasks quite differently:
The main task (the subject of the task) is NOT marked as TODO, but with the tag #BACKLOG.task. The single steps that have to be done to complete the task are marked as TODOs and subtasks are only marked with a (further steps to take). This way I avoid having too many TODOs on different levels.

I see all my main tasks on the page “BACKLOG.task” and if a main task is completed I rename it to “BACKLOG.done”.

An example would be:

[#A] #BACKLOG.task organise workshop for project XY.
 - 🔲 TODO set topics
     - 👣 → brainstorming
     - 👣 → agree on the content with the team
     - 👣 → define agenda
 - 🔲 TODO find a suitable date
     - 👣 → and so on ...

If I start one of the (subtasks) I use the shortcut to transform them into a TODO.

I think a solution with an extra workflow status for subtask (TODO, DOING, WAITING, “subtask”) would be more elegant - but this is working for me quite well.

Are you doing something similar?

[Luhmann]

Via the slash command one can use the following states: TODO, DOING, NOW, LATER (in addition to DONE, CANCELLED). I use DOING for projects I’m working on now, and NOW or LATER for the individual steps. You can then filter by project or individual tasks…

[ChrisVn]

Thanks, that’s a nice idea. Even when using “TODO, DOING” as the main workflow I could still use “LATER, NOW” e.g. for the subtasks. I will give it a try an see how it “feels”.