Discussing when to use Highrise tasks vs. Basecamp to-dos

At the Highrise Customer Forum, Peter V. asks the following:

I have 3 To Do lists -

1. Highrise To-do’s [Ed. note: Peter presumably means Tasks here.]
2. Basecamp To-do’s
3. Mac Mail To-do’s (which I was hoping would work with iPhone by now??)

There has to be an easy way to streamline these. What’s everyone else doing?

Isaac, another customer, offers this thoughtful response:

I’ve wrestled with this too, and I think seeking a single solution is a fool’s errand.

There is almost NO time that seeing everything we have to do in one place actually helps us, other than by making us anxious. Theoretically, it sounds nice, but I don’t think there’s a practical application.

Instead, I think keeping tasks somewhat separate allow you to focus on what is important right now.

I’m using Basecamp to-dos for detailed lists of followup tasks with my team, on a complex project, or tracking bug fixes. When you’re working on that project, it’s the only place to be. But Basecamp todos don’t remind you or carry due dates, so they’re really just good for punch lists.

I use the Highrise tasks for things I have to get done today or by a certain date in order to keep a promise to someone. For this, I appreciate Highrise’s ability to

* receive tasks by email (sent from my phone or desktop)
* remind me when they’re due
* tag according to context

I use a variation of Chemnitz’s strategy above, to create a Highrise task like “TODAY: clear Basecamp todos on ABC project” if it really has to be done for a client expectation.

Hope that helps.

Try Highrise or Basecamp.