Personal Assistant · Nym and Goblin Tools Magic ToDo
Nym vs Goblin Tools for sorting out your week
It’s Sunday night again and nothing for the week is sorted. You asked Wren, the Personal Assistant Nym, to check in with you each week. With Goblin Tools, you break each task into smaller steps.
Pick Nym if the problem is remembering to sort the week at all, because you hear from Wren without having to remember. Pick Goblin Tools when one task feels too big and you want it in steps.
Try the task breakdown tool, free
The same request to both
“I keep getting to Sunday night and realizing I haven't sorted anything for the week. Every Sunday at 6pm Los Angeles time, can you check in with me here about appointments, errands and one thing I'd like to make time for? Keep it to a few questions rather than a big productivity exercise.”
What you got from Wren
You get a note in your chat at 6pm Pacific on Sundays. Wren set it up in one reply, starting the next evening.
Wren asks what’s on your calendar this week and what errands need doing. Then it asks for the one thing you’d like to make time for. “No spreadsheets, no scoring, just a short check-in,” Wren said.
If you want it earlier in the day, or even shorter, you just say so. You need Plus for a check-in on a schedule. On Free, you can ask Wren the same questions whenever you open the chat.
What you’d get from Goblin Tools
With Goblin Tools, you open Magic ToDo and type one task. You choose how hard it feels, from one to five peppers, and you get the task back in steps.
You can get a rough time for each step from the Estimator, and send the list to Todoist or Notion.
It won’t notice it’s Sunday and ask what’s coming up, so you have to remember to open it. In return, you pay nothing and need no account.
What changes for you
Remembering
Nym
You don’t have to remember, because the note arrives at the time you chose. Move it or stop it in the same chat.
Goblin Tools
You open Goblin Tools when you need it. Nothing runs on a schedule.
Breaking tasks down
Nym
Tell Wren which errand feels too big and it splits it into steps with you in the chat, sized to the time you have.
Goblin Tools
This is where Goblin Tools shines. You can break any step down again, and again, until each one feels doable.
The tracker
Nym
Ask and your Nym keeps your loose ends in a private app, saved between visits. If you already use Todoist, it can add them there. Two apps on Free, five on Plus.
Goblin Tools
You use the checklist page for free. With Pro, at $3 a month, you also get sync across devices and lists you can share.
Cost
Nym
Nym is in early access. Free costs nothing, with as many Nyms as you like and two personal apps. Plus is $20 a month, and Pro is $60.
Goblin Tools
The website is free and has no ads. The iPhone app costs $1.99, once.
The two side by side
| Detail | Nym | Goblin Tools Magic ToDo |
|---|---|---|
| You ask with | A sentence: when to check in and what to ask | One task per line, plus one to five peppers for how hard it feels |
| You get | A weekly note with three questions, at the time you set | Steps under each task; more steps at more peppers |
| On a schedule | Check-ins on Plus, at the time you choose | None; you open it when you need it |
| Keeps the list | A private tracker app, or your Todoist or Notion | Free on the site; sync and sharing on Pro |
| Cost | Free $0; Plus $20 and Pro $60 a month | Website free; Pro $3 a month; iPhone app $1.99 once |
When to pick Goblin Tools Magic ToDo instead
Goblin Tools is the better choice when one task feels too big and you want it in steps right now, free and with no account. When the hard part is remembering to sort your week, use Nym.
Next step
Try the task breakdown tool here with a task of your own.
Try the task breakdown tool · Explore Personal Assistant
Sources
- Goblin Tools: Magic ToDo (spiciness, subtasks, estimates, export)
- Goblin Tools: Estimator
- Goblin Tools: about (free, no ads, no paywalls)
- Goblin Tools: Pro features and price
- Goblin Tools on the App Store
Reviewed . Read Wren’s full answer on the Personal Assistant page and check Nym pricing.
