Tag Archive for: workflow

Distributing Tasks in Things 3 with AppleScript

Stack of task cards on the left flowing into a calendar grid on the right, with one task card placed on each consecutive day, illustrating sequential daily task distribution

I have some pretty good systems for capturing action items; maybe they are too good. Pair that with the fact that no matter how solid my weekly review feels, it’s easy to skip the next one. Pretty quickly, the inputs outpace the outputs, and like the second page of Google search results, there are corners of my Things database I haven’t seen in quite some time.

To address those quiet corners, I’ve spent time working on an automation that puts tasks in front of me every day. While Claude and Gemini both helped me refine this script, what I’m sharing with you today is straight AppleScript; there is no AI required to run it.

So strap in and let me show you my latest creation.

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Purposeful Project Folder Structure

A wooden table filled with fresh ingredients, including leafy greens, asparagus, green beans, chives, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and herbs. Small bowls contain cheese, cream, and an egg. Jars of spices and seeds labeled "Sunflower," "Pumpkin," and "Paprika" are placed nearby. A yellow squeeze bottle, a green apple, and kitchen utensils are also present, suggesting a cooking or meal preparation setting.

Growing up, I spent countless hours recording Good Eats episodes for my mom to use in her high school cooking classes. Beyond the science and humor, one concept from the show profoundly influenced my approach to work: mise en place, which is the practice of getting everything in place before you begin.

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AppleScript for Creating Follow-up Tasks in Things

A macOS script editor window displays an AppleScript titled "Mark an Action Item as 'Waiting For'." The script automates task management in the Things 3 app by retrieving the current date, selecting to-dos, checking for selected tasks, and handling follow-ups. The code is color-coded, with keywords in blue, variables in green, and strings in purple. The interface includes standard toolbar icons and a description field at the bottom.

A major component of my job is asynchronously collaborating with other people, usually subject matter experts from whom I need to get additional information or content approval on something I have created.

All of my project templates have this approval process built in at the appropriate points. This creates a common challenge: the people I’m working with are often overworked or get appropriately distracted by dealing with some type of emergency at work, and reviewing a script for the trainer gets put on the back burner. So, tactful follow-up is a critical skill and often something I’m managing across multiple people and projects at the same time.

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Why I Mind Map

I do some of my best thinking on walks while listening to some combination of silly pop music and songs from my son’s favorite movies and tv shows. Something about that scenario gives me the mental space to think clearly and deeply about creative projects.

Sometimes on these walks, I can write a whole script for a video in my head; other times, I generate a few unstructured fragments that need to be worked into something better. My favorite tool for building out those fragments is a mind map.

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Project Planning Grid

Because of some structural changes at my work, my team was moved to a different department. This new department is full of subject matter experts who are very good at their technical work; however, they do not have much skill in transferring this knowledge to others.

Enter my team!

This week I had to work with one of these experts to prioritize a list of projects she wanted us to work on. As part of the preparation for this meeting, I decided to articulate my method for prioritizing training creation. She found the visual I made very helpful, so I figured I would share it here and explain my thought process.

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