In my workspace, tackling the ever-growing to-do list has always been more of an adventure than a chore. My daily routine isn’t really routine at all. Each morning, I step into the unknown—no clue what the day might toss my way. More often than not, a sudden urgent issue bulldozes through my neatly laid plans, and just like that, my to-do list morphs from a blank slate to a bustling beehive of tasks.
My old method? A simple piece of A4 paper, folded vertically, scribbled with tasks and updated continuously throughout the day. It’s a bit old-school but has served me well. However, I’ve always craved a bit more digital finesse—something that could keep a history of my completed tasks long after the paper has been recycled.
So, I embarked on a mission to create a digital solution that suits my no-frills needs. Many existing task management apps felt like navigating a labyrinth—too integrated, too colorful, and just too much for my taste. What I needed was simplicity: add tasks, mark them done, and maybe look back at them later without wading through a sea of tags and statuses.
That’s when I turned to ChatGPT for help. I envisioned a basic app: an uncomplicated interface for entering and tracking daily tasks that didn’t require wrestling with complicated software installations or admin rights at work.
Spoiler alert: I did end up crafting my own app. It’s straightforward and unassuming—no colors, just pure function. Though I stumbled a bit trying to turn it into a sharable .exe file (who knew zero coding experience would be a hurdle?), the journey taught me loads.
Using ChatGPT, I managed to build something that works directly from a Python terminal. Sure, it’s not the prettiest app on the block, but it does exactly what I need. I’ve even started to think about future improvements and how I can continue refining the app with a little help from my AI buddy.
A funny thing I learned while working with ChatGPT is its short-term memory in chats. To keep the development flow smooth, I started saving our chats—this way, I can pick up right where I left off without reintroducing the entire project each time.
For those interested, I’ve even shared a snippet of how I guided ChatGPT to help me build this app, from explaining my needs to fine-tuning the features. It’s a neat peek into how versatile and powerful these tools can be when you’re clear about what you need.
While the current version of my app lives on my desktop, my next steps are all about making it shareable. I’m optimistic about overcoming the technical hitches and eventually sharing this simple solution with others who might be seeking a break from overly complex task managers.
As for now, I’ll keep testing and tweaking. And, of course, I’ll keep you posted on my progress in turning this humble Python script into a handy executable.
This experience has not only equipped me with a handy tool but also deepened my understanding of what I really need to stay organized—and how to create it. Here’s to more days of productivity, fewer days of to-do list turmoil, and the simple joys of ticking off completed tasks, one click at a time.
Below is a small video of how my app is currently working, you can check my project post to see how i prompted to create this app and you can also try to build something for yourself.