GoKawiilArtie Beaty/ZDNET
ZDNET's key takeaways
This TickTick app setting changed my productivity.
The default option shows a due date or time.
Countdown shows minutes or days until your deadline.
I've never been the most organized person. While I call my approach "working better under pressure," my family tends to call it "procrastinating." Either way, I'm the type of person who often puts things off until they're due and then knocks out whatever the task is in a flurry of productivity. As much as I hate to admit it, this strategy means I occasionally miss something.
I've turned to a variety of note-taking, list-making, and to-do apps through the years. I still use several to keep my thoughts together, but even a calendar of things-to-do creates another problem. There are times during the summer when my kids are home, and normal schedules don't exist, when I don't know what day it is, much less the date. Seeing an arbitrary date on a calendar, or even "Due Friday," might not convey how pressing the deadline is.
Also: Android 17 is out now, with a fresh Pixel Drop for June - here's what's new
TickTick is my main to-do and reminder app. The app is available on iOS and Android, and it's immensely helpful. However, I was missing out on a critical setting, and when I discovered it, my whole perspective shifted.
How countdown mode works
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