Question: I have a productivity system where I assign each task a point value, like a game...

[Leo Staley]

I have a productivity system where I assign each task a point value, like a game, currently just on pen and paper. 

Some examples are: Making breakfast is 1 point. Taking a shower in the morning is 2 points. Doing the dishes if they've piled up is 12 points. A larger project might be something like 200 or 300 points. 

I make it a goal to earn as many points as I can in the day, to help build habits, and get things done. I have a custom calendar on my wall that I use to see, with colors, how much i've improved over the months. 

I've looked around for a software that can be used for this, for years, to no avail. BUT! I just recently found AbsractSpoon's ToDoList and it's robust customizability makes me think it might be able to do it! ... but I don't know for sure. 

This isn't exactly priority levels, because priority levels aren't cumulative with other tasks. 

Is there a way to do something like this with ToDoList? From all the existing customizability with ToDoList, I'm guessing that it may be doable as a user defined tool, or something? It would basically be another attribute, kind of like priority levels, but cumulative, and the program would count up all the points you earned in a given period and display them in useful ways. Or I guess it might be thought of as the inverse of the "cost" attribute. 

[Leo Staley]

Welp, I think I may have answered my own question. I went to View > Custom Task Attributes... > Data type = number (whole), features = accumulated, sortable. 

I still don't know how to make it show how many points I've earned in a day, or over time though. I'll see if I can figure it out, but I'd appreciate any help!

[.dan.g.]

Welcome Leo.

If you nest your tasks within suitable containers eg:

2017

    |

    |_ Jan

    :       |

            |_ 1st

            |_ 2nd

            :

            |_ 31st

    |

    |_ Feb

            |

Then the points should get accumulated and displayed for the containers.

[Leo Staley]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I know how to create subtasks and folders to nest items, like categorizing them and making projects, but I don't understand what kind of suitable containers you're talking about there. Could you explain furthter?

[.dan.g.]

>> I know how to create subtasks and folders to nest items

Each of the folders containing the 'things' (taking a shower, etc) will display its accumulated (points) total in the appropriate attribute column:

[Tony G]

Leo - funny you should bring this up now. I was recently looking through Android apps in Google Play and was astounded to see exactly what you're describing here. There are games with graphics where you create the tasks: rather than killing beasts for points you clean your desk. You use points to somehow improve your character, just like any other game. I haven't actually found one that I like - to me the few that are there seem to be lacking. But they are rather new and I'm sure the authors are open to feedback.

Specific app examples include Habitica, LifeRPG, (and) Life RPG, EpicWin, Application RPG in Real Life (awful name), Level Up Life...

For those who aren't into games, per-se, there are other apps that are less game-like and more for simply tracking progress on habits.
These include HabitBull, HabitHub, Loop Habit Tracker. and Fabulous Motivate.

If any of the more fun apps have an API, I'd love to integrate them with ToDoList, so that as we accomplish tasks in this app we see the fun/graphical progress elsewhere. If anyone finds something like this, please let me know.

Another suggestion here: ToDoList includes a plugin mechanism that allows data to be shared with an external program that renders new views. Anyone with the right skills can create a view which displays ToDoList data in a more fun / less business-like format. An effort like this would require a great deal of pizza and beer for motivation...

HTH
T