TL;DR
Mushin Ando is an app for context-based to-do lists: Instead of one long, cluttered list, each context (location, situation, project) has its own. New tasks first land in an inbox and are assigned to the correct lists with a pinch gesture.
- Context lists filter out tasks that aren’t currently relevant—fewer distractions.
- Mushin (free mind) + Ando (Zen-like serenity after work is done) make up the app’s name.
- The Inbox collects everything new: via sharing, voice dictation, photo, or manually.
- A pinch gesture opens the tile view of all lists—there, you can select and add tasks with a swipe.
- Works as a supplement or alternative to Sock.
Tutorial
To-Do List – The Basic Idea
Imagine you still have a few tasks to complete today and you don’t want to forget any of them. So you simply write the tasks down on a list. You can do this the old-fashioned way on paper. But you can also use our app for this. So you write down: Feed the neighbor’s cat, take the package to the post office, trim the hedge, load paper into the fax machine (if you happen to live in Germany).
The Context Problem
And count how much flare ammunition you still have on board. Wait a minute—so if I’m currently sailing my yacht through the Caribbean, how am I supposed to trim the hedge or feed my neighbor’s cat? That doesn’t make any sense at all. If I have 20 tasks, but can only complete 5 of them because I’m in the right place and have the time, then the other 15 just confuse me.
Context Lists & the Concept of Mushin
Wouldn’t it be great if I could filter tasks or organize them separately so that each context—and let’s call it a context—has its own list? And that’s exactly where Mushin Ando comes in. The term “Mushin” exists in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. We’re referring to the Japanese context, where it means something like: The mind is free from distracting thoughts, judgments, and the ego.
Acting in the Moment
Instead of thinking about our actions, we act entirely on instinct and in the present moment.
Ando & the App Name
Ando means something like Zen-like inner serenity, a deep sense of relief after a burden has been lifted—finally done. Now I can be at peace. We chose this name for our app because sometimes just jotting down the tasks you want to complete on paper or writing them on a list is enough to let you sleep soundly. Of course, you still have to get them done, but you can be sure you won’t forget anything.
App Concept: Lists & Inbox
Mushin Ando is an app that manages a separate list for each context. I can create many of these lists. The lists themselves work exactly like the list in Sock, but there’s also an inbox. The inbox is designed to hold entries—that is, tasks that haven’t been assigned yet—until I have time to assign them to projects.
Pinch Gesture for Assigning
To assign tasks, I use the so-called pinch gesture—the same gesture you use to zoom out. Then I see tiles for each individual list and for each individual context I’ve created. I can then select the appropriate context and place the tasks there. To place them, however, I first have to select them in the Inbox.
Select & Paste
I can do this by swiping individual tasks to the right. But I can also do it with two fingers. The top finger selects the top task and the bottom finger selects the bottom task, and I swipe all the tasks in between to the right at the same time. Then I select the destination list from the tile view (don’t forget to pinch) and tap “Insert” at the top. After that, all the tasks I previously selected in the input list end up in the list of the context where they belong.
Collect Assignments via Share
In addition, just like in Sock, I can import tasks from other apps into Mushin Ando using the “Share” feature—they also end up in the Inbox.
Dictation & Photo to the Inbox
Or I can record a dictation from the lock screen or the home screen—it goes into the inbox. Or I can take a photo, and that goes into the inbox, too. And from the inbox, I can then sort them into the appropriate context-specific lists.