+
+
+
+I've been using Emacs Org mode for nearly a year now. For a while I +mostly just used it to take and organize notes, but over time I've +discovered it's an incredibly useful tool for managing projects and +tasks, writing and publishing documents, keeping track of time and +todo lists, and maintaining a journal. +
+ ++Most of what I've been using Org mode for has been breaking down large +projects at work into tasks and subtasks. It's really easy to enter +projects in as a hierarchy of tasks and task groupings. Using +Column View, I was able to dive right into scoping them individually +and reporting total estimates for each major segment of work. +
+ +
+
+
+Because Org Mode makes building and modifying an outline structure +like this so quick and easy, I usually build and modify the project +org document while planning it out with my team. Once done, I then +manually load that information into our issue tracker and get +underway. Occasionally I'll also update tags and progress status in +the org document as well as the project progresses, so I can use the +same document to plan subsequent development iterations. +
++More recently, I've been looking into various ways to get more +things organized with Org mode. I've been stepping through +Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs with some other +folks from work, and discovered that Org mode was an ideal fit for +keeping my notes and exercise work together. The latter is neatly +managed by Babel, which let me embed and edit source examples and +my excercise solutions right in the org document itself, and even +export them to one or more scheme files to load into my +interpreter. +
++Publishing my notes with org is also a breeze. I've published +project plans and proposals to PDF to share with colleagues, and +exported my SICP notes to html and dropped them into a site built +with Jekyll. Embedding graphs and diagrams into exported documents +using Graphviz, Mscgen, and PlantUML has also really helped with +putting together some great project plans and documentation. A lot of +great examples using those tools (and more!) can be found here. +
++While learning all the cool things I could do with Org mode and Babel, +it was only natural I'd end up using it to reorganize my Emacs +configuration. Up until that point, I'd been managing my configuration +in a single init.el file, plus a directory full of mode or +purpose-specific elisp files that I'd loop through and load. Inspired +primarily by the blog post, "Making Emacs Work For Me", and later by +others such as Sacha Chua's Emacs configuration, I got all my configs +neatly organized into a single org file that gets loaded on +startup. I've found it makes it far easier to keep track of what I've +got configured, and gives me a reason to document and organize things +neatly now that it's living a double life as a published document on +GitHub. I've still got a directory lying around with autoloaded +scripts, but now it's simply reserved for tinkering and sensitive +configuration. +
++Another great feature of Org mode that I've been taking advantage +of a lot more lately is the Agenda. By defining some org files as +being agenda files, Org mode can examine these files for TODO +entries, scheduled tasks, deadlines and more to build out useful +agenda views to get a quick handle on what needs to be done and +when. While at first I started by simply syncing down my google +calendars as org-files (using icadl2org.awk), I've started +managing TODO lists in a dedicated org file. By adding tasks to +this file, scheduling them, and setting deadlines, I've been doing +a much better job of keeping track of things I need to get done +and (even more importantly) when I need to get them done. +
+ +
+
+
+This works not only for one-shot tasks, but also habits and other +repetitive tasks. It's possible to schedule a task that should be +done every day, every few days, or maybe every first sunday of a +month. For example, I've set up repeating tasks to write a blog +post at least once a month, practice guitar every two to three +days, and to do the dishes every one or two days. The agenda view +can even show a small, colorized graph next to each repeating task +that paints a picture of how well (or not!) I've been getting +those tasks done on time. +
++The last thing I've been using (which I'm still getting a handle +on) is using Capture to take and store notes, keep a journal, and +even track time on tasks at work. +
+ +(setq org-capture-templates + '(("j" "Journal Entry" plain + (file+datetree "~/org/journal.org") + "%U\n\n%?" :empty-lines-before 1) + ("w" "Log Work Task" entry + (file+datetree "~/org/worklog.org") + "* TODO %^{Description} %^g\n%?\n\nAdded: %U" + :clock-in t + :clock-keep t))) + +(global-set-key (kbd "C-c c") 'org-capture) + +(setq org-clock-persist 'history) +(org-clock-persistence-insinuate) ++
+For my journal, I've configured a capture template that I can use +to write down a new entry that will be stored with a time stamp +appended into its own org file, organized under headlines by year, +month and date. +
+ ++For work tasks, I have another capture template configured that +will log and tag a task into another org file, also organized by +date, which will automatically start tracking time for that +task. Once done, I can simply clock out and check the time I've +spent, and can easily find it later to clock in again, add notes, +or update its status. This helps me keep track of what I've gotten +done during the day, keep notes on what I was doing at any point +in time, and get a better idea of how long it takes me to do +different types of tasks. +
++There's a lot that can be done with Org mode, and I've only just +scratched the surface. The simple outline format provided by Org mode +lends itself to doing all sorts of things, be it organizing notes, +keeping a private or work journal, or writing a book or technical +document. I've even written this blog post in Org mode! There's tons +of functionality that can be built on top of it, yet the underlying +format itself remains simple and easy to work with. I've never been +great at keeping myself organized, but Org mode is such a delight to +use that I can't help trying anyway. If it can work for me, maybe it +can work for you, too! +
+ ++There's tons of resources for finding new ways for using Org mode, and +I'm still discovering cool things I can track and integrate with it. I +definitely recommend reading through Sacha Chua's Blog, as well as +posts from John Wiegley. I'm always looking for more stuff to try +out. Feel free to drop me a line if you find or are using something +you think is cool or useful! +
+