Have you ever have that feeling as you’re laying in bed (after the end of a day that seemed a bit too easy to be a day at UC Berkeley) where everything you want to accomplish comes to you in a rush of urgency and desperation? What’s more, it feels like you won’t be able to accomplish all of what you suddenly realized you want to do, let alone  remember it. Sometimes, it feels like the urgency of these tasks might merit jumping out of bed in your undergarments and doing work and running errands right then and there (it’s too cold for that) – it’s as if your mind was suddenly able to prioritize what actually needs to get done and you’re at risk of forgetting any second. Well, instead of leaving without getting dressed and facing serious shrinkage/nipping/public indecency charges, head to your phone’s app market and download any.do: the best to-do app I’ve ever seen.

The fatal flaw I’ve seen in most to-do apps and even calendar apps is that they don’t recognize that some things don’t have a definite timeline. Let’s take my situation for example. Right now, on a Saturday evening, I really want to get to the gym to lift tomorrow at 10 in the morning. I only lift on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays (and I have missed exactly two workouts this year), so this actually makes sense and allows me to set a concrete date and time for this activity. The calendar would be fine in this case. However, it’s when you don’t know exactly when you want to do something where any.do shines.

Any.do takes the notion of ambiguity in planning being normal, expected, and even productive and drives it one step further with the upcoming and someday features. I want to study for my math final, too, but it’s not until the Thursday of finals week; chemistry should be my main focus right now and in the immediate future. Additionally, I’ve been told time and time again that even though my first year at Cal isn’t even halfway over, I need to start looking for housing next year (these people are actually assuming that I will pass Math 1B – how cute). However, looking for housing is an ongoing process that takes longer than a day, a week, and even a month. Therefore, “look for housing” will always be in the ‘someday’ field when I’m planning my day or looking at my schedule, reminding me that it’s always something to think about if I have a minute and get done, even if it’s little by little. I think that this is its coolest feature; too often, people try to dive into everything headfirst and then burn out and abandon their goals. This isn’t a healthy or efficient way to do things, and any.do recognizes that.

It’s only been two weeks since I’ve started using the app, and I love it. Any.do has an iOS app, an Android app, and even a Chrome extension, so your plans for the day can be glaring at you as you scroll down your Facebook newsfeed. Even if you have your own system that’s working for you already, I wholeheartedly encourage you to give any.do a try just for a few days; just be sure to use the “plan my day” feature – it’s killer.

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