What's a note, what's a reminder, what's an event?

Question

So, I was putting my father-in-law's birthday into my iPhone using Siri and I couldn't figure out whether it should be a reminder or an event. Which do you think?

Sometimes I make a list of things, just as a brainstorm of things I'm thinking about, not necessarily things that have to get done, just things I want to think about what needs to get done, like "Typography," which could turn into an action later like "Go to the library and pick up that book on typography." But usually it's just a thought that I don't want to forget. Reminder or note?

What about "Ask my wife about that bill." This is definitely a reminder, but I want it to come up when I'm talking with her, so that's a reminder with a context, right? But it also has a due date so it's not that different from an event. So is there an event on iCal that is "Bill due." and a reminder that's separate from that that's "talk to my wife about that bill" or do I just put one thing in as a reminder "Talk to wife about this and make sure bill is in before due date."

I feel that having to make the decision about which program these things go into actually slows down my productivity. A lot of the time reminders go in as notes, or events go in as reminders (before of things that need to get done beforehand).

Does anyone have a simple solution for cutting through this decision making process that doesn't require a 200 page book explanation?

Answer 1

I think that the real alternatives to choose from are:

1. Event: this is something that will happen in the future (meetings, concerts). It has associated with it:
   • Reminders: You may set the software you're using to remind you some days or hours before the event.
2. Note: this is some idea, that you set as something that you need or have to pay attention. When you work on it, it will probably have associated:
   • Events: When you work on the topic that is represented by the note, it may generate events (note "study calculus" generates event "go to the library").

This may be a starting framework for a basic but productive decision making process.