Nix It
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Working with Items

In Nix It, an item is any piece of work you're tracking—an email, a task, or a calendar event. The system treats all items uniformly, letting you process and organize them the same way regardless of their source.

Processing Your Intake

The Intake panel shows items waiting to be processed. Your goal is to make a decision about each item:

Quick Actions

ActionKeyboardWhat It Does
DoneeMark complete and archive
Nix#Delete the item
Move to Column1-9Send to Canvas column
Move to Intake0Return item to Intake

Drag and Drop

You can also drag items directly from the Intake to any Canvas column. Grab the item card and drop it on your target column.

Processing Tips

  • Use the 2-minute rule: If you can handle it in 2 minutes, do it now
  • Don't over-organize: Only move items to Canvas if they need ongoing tracking
  • Eliminate freely: Important things come back

The Canvas

The Canvas is where you track items that need ongoing attention. Items are organized into columns based on their state.

Default Columns

ColumnPurpose
OwnedItems where you need to take the next action
DelegatedItems waiting on someone else
PendingItems waiting on an event or date

Managing Columns

Add a column: Click + Add Column at the right edge of the Canvas

Rename a column: Click the column header menu (three dots) and select Rename

Delete a column: Click the column header menu and select Delete (items will be moved to Intake)

Reorder columns: Drag the column header to a new position

Item Enrichment

Click any item to open its details panel. Here you can add context and organization without cluttering the main view.

Tags

Tags help you categorize and filter items.

  • Press t or click Add Tag to add a tag
  • Create new tags or choose from existing ones
  • Items can have multiple tags
  • Use tags for projects, priorities, or any categorization that helps you

Due Dates

Set a due date when an item is time-sensitive.

  • Click the date field to open the date picker
  • Due dates appear on item cards in the Canvas
  • Overdue items are visually highlighted

Checklists

Break down complex items into smaller steps.

  • Click Add Checklist to create a checklist
  • Add items to track sub-tasks
  • Check off items as you complete them
  • Great for multi-step processes or compound tasks

Notes

Add context, background information, or anything relevant.

  • Click in the notes area to start typing
  • Rich text formatting available (bold, lists, links)
  • Notes are visible when viewing item details
  • Use notes to capture decisions, context, or reference information

Attachments

Attach files to items for reference.

  • Click Attach or drag files onto the item
  • Files are stored and linked to the item
  • View attachments from the item details panel

Reordering Items

Within a column, you can reorder items by priority:

  • Drag and drop: Grab an item and move it up or down
  • Keyboard: Select an item and press < to move up, > to move down

Higher items in a column typically have higher priority. Use ordering to keep your most important items visible at the top.

Tips for Effective Item Management

  1. Keep your Canvas small: Fewer items means better focus
  2. Process Intake daily: Don't let items pile up
  3. Use enrichment sparingly: Not every item needs tags, dates, and checklists
  4. Review weekly: Audit your Canvas and eliminate what's no longer relevant
  5. Trust the system: If you Nix something important, it will come back