Repeat task X times

OmniFocus
#1

Hi, I was wondering if it is possible to have a task that you can say “repeat X times, once a week” where X is some positive integer? If not, I would greatly appreciate such a feature: for example, I need to remember to take medication 14 times, but I was given extra pills and can’t remember how many times I’ve taken it/if I have lost any.

#2

Repeats continue until you stop them, so this isn’t possible. You can email a request for the functionality you want, though.

#3

I approach this with my medication by having a few tasks:

- Take morning pills
- Take afternoon pills
- Take bedtime pills

… each repeating daily at the appropriate time of day. This way, my tasks are kept clean and separate, and if the Rx runs out or expires, I can simply delete the next instance of the tasks (likely, if a refill is required, I’ll probably make a task for that when I see I only have a few left).

ScottyJ

#4

The way I’ve dealt with this is to make one main repeating task, and then a secondary “end” task. Using your example, the main weekly task would be:

  • Take medicine
  • Defer: Friday 9am
  • Due: Friday 10am
  • Repeat Every: 1 week

Then I count out 14 weeks and make an “end” task:

  • Take last medicine today (14th dose)
  • Defer: September 21 9am
  • Due: September 21 10am

This doesn’t account for missed or delayed doses. So if you missed and the overall schedule needed to adjust, you’d have to remember to change the end task.

I think your suggestion would be cleaner. Still, I hope that helps!

2 Likes
#5

My approach is slightly different…

Let’s say I have to start taking the medication next Monday, July 2nd, for 14 consecutive days.
I create a task:
- Take medication X [daily] • until 15/7

…and set it this way:

  • defer: July 2nd 7am
  • due: July 2nd 8am
  • repeat: daily, from assigned dates

Notes:

  • The thinking should come on the planning phase (when creating the task on this case) so I can just do it when needed (no thinking)
  • When the task shows up on 16/7, I know I just have to delete it.

Another use case:

  • for some tasks, I just write (RUC)* on their naming, meaning Repeat Until Complete.
  • eg. I like to have my Drafts inbox empty but recently I left a few dozen items unprocessed there. So I created a task on OmniFocus to process them:
    - Get Drafts inbox to Zero (RUC)
    I’ve set it to repeat daily and whenever I noticed it available I processed as many notes as I could (giving it a little attention) and then checked the task off. When I went to do that and noticed my inbox was clean, I just deleted the task.

* got this naming idea from someone, most probably @timstringer :-)

5 Likes
#6

I think it was me who first came up with the RUC convention. I continue to use it regularly and find that it works well. Good to hear you’re adopting this convention as well!

3 Likes
#7

just create one task with due the last day repeat and put you attivity inside the due repeat attivity and when you complete the last, automatica finish repeat.