50 Shades Of Zen
8 years ago, I set out to build ZenTasktic as a true indie project — no investors, no co-founders, just code and a vision. And that vision was: productivity isn’t just a list of checkboxes. It’s a flow — a constant loop of Assess → Decide → Do.
At launch, our only observability layer was a simple pie chart in the Assess section showing your task breakdown for each realm. It wasn’t true AI, but it gave you a glimpse into how much you’d captured versus executed.
Also, back then, no other to do app was capable of this.
That chart proved one thing: you can’t improve what you can’t see.
Today, in version 2.x, we’re unveiling Zen Status, our first true AI feature, handcrafted to give you an on-device “pulse” of how you’re working — and how to work better.
Why ZenTasktic Was Built for AI
From day one, ZenTasktic’s three-realm model offered perfect observability:
Assess: you can only capture and edit ideas, tasks, projects — no dates, no tags, no “done” button.
Decide: here you just assign dates, contexts, and reminders — no editing, no marking as done.
Do: you can execute only one action at a time — only the “done” button is active (or sending the action back to Decide).
This rigid separation means every tap, every move, every “send to Decide” or “send back to Assess” is recorded as a clean signal. For an AI classifier, it’s like being handed a well-labeled dataset of exactly where you are in your workflow: overwhelmed, under-scheduled, hyper-productive… you name it.
From Pie Charts to AI Insights
“When we launched, our proudest feature was a pie chart.”
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was novel — no other app gave you a quick visual of your workload five years ago. Since then, I analyzed, on my own app, hundreds of thousands of data points:
How many items move from Assess → Decide each day
How many make it Decide → Do — and how many bounce back
The rhythm and frequency of my realm transitions
With that data, I started to train a custom classifier. I started with 100 “frequency bands” — think of them as invisible BPM tracks of your productivity. Like definable intervals of your current status.
After four years of fine-tuning on my personal usage, I honed it down to 70 bands, then hand-picked 50 of the most meaningful states.
Thus, “50 Shades of Zen” was born.
Meet Your Zen Status
If you’re on a premium plan, the next time you open ZenTasktic you’ll see something like this at the bottom of your Assess view:
“Zen Status: Ready for a Fresh Start?”
Your realms are looking clear. Add new tasks, projects, or ideas to Assess to kickstart your productivity flow!
Every time you switch realms, Zen Status quietly recalculates your band — right on your device. No data leaves your phone or Mac. No cloud-based profiling. Just instant, personalized coaching copy that helps you spot when you’re relaxed, ready or overwhelmed.
Here are some real examples, already shipped with the app:
“Zen Status: Well Balanced and Active!”
Your tasks are well-distributed across Assess, Decide, and Do, and things are progressing. This is a healthy state for your Zen!
“Zen Status: Lots of Reconsideration?”
It looks like items are moving back and forth between realms. Try to solidify decisions in Decide before moving to Do to ensure steady progress.
“Zen Status: Productivity Powerhouse!”
You’re completing tasks at a fantastic rate! Keep channeling that effective energy and enjoying the clarity.
What’s Next for Zen Status?
We’re in full Assess-Decide-Do mode ourselves — listening to feedback on versions 2.x and plotting our roadmap. Here’s what’s on deck:
Finer-Grained Bands- Expand from 50 to 200–300 distinct Zen Status messages for ultra-precise insights. I believe that there’s still a lot more granularity to be unveiled.
On-Device Sentiment Analysis - Blend in natural-language tone (e.g., “Your energy feels low — time for a break”) without any data ever leaving your device. This should be done using Apple training models, the biggest roadblock being localization right now — still not sure if we can reach perfect native speaker level if we rely only on those.
Richer Signals - Incorporate other data points, like archiving behavior, time-spent per realm, and possibly more — so we can get to train a more robust data set.
PS: We still have a handful of promo codes for early premium testers. Drop a comment below and we’ll get one to you!
Ready to See Your Zen Status?
If you’ve ever wondered “How am I really doing, productivity-wise?”, now’s the time to find out. Download ZenTasktic today, subscribe to the most accessible tier for just one month, and use the app normally — soon your personalized Zen Status will appear, guiding you toward your best work flow.
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