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sync-things-tasks

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Syncs tasks between Obsidian vault and Things 3. Adds tasks from notes, extracts action items from projects, reviews existing tasks. Use when managing todos from vault content.

Productivity

What this skill does


# Sync Things Tasks

Bridge thinking (Obsidian) and doing (Things 3) using the `things` CLI.

## Core Concepts

- **Thinking vs. Doing**: Use Obsidian for drafting ideas and planning. Use Things 3 for actionable todos with dates/deadlines.
- **CLI-First**: Use the `things` command to add tasks without leaving the chat.
- **Contextual Tasks**: When summarizing notes, proactively identify action items and offer to send them to Things.

## Auth Token

The CLI requires an auth token for update operations. The user should have `THINGS_AUTH_TOKEN` set in their shell profile.

## Common Workflows

### Adding Tasks from Notes

```bash
# Add to Today with Obsidian link
things add "Follow up with [Name]" --notes "Context: [Note Title](obsidian://open?vault=MyVault&file=Path%2FTo%2FNote)" --when today
```

### Project Task Extraction

When working on project notes, extract action items:

```bash
things add "Draft initial spec" --list "Project Name" --notes "Reference: [Project](obsidian://open?vault=MyVault&file=...)"
```

### Reviewing Tasks

```bash
things today              # What's on today
things areas             # Existing Areas
things projects          # Existing Projects
things show "Area Name"  # Contents of Area
things tasks --project "Project Name"  # Tasks in project
things search "query"    # Search for existing tasks
```

## Integration Principles

- **Discovery First**: Use `things areas` and `things projects` before creating new containers
- **Obsidian URIs**: Include clickable Obsidian links in Things notes: `[Note](obsidian://open?vault=MyVault&file=URL_ENCODED_PATH)`
- **Dry Run First**: Use `things --dry-run add "..."` for complex tasks
- **Things as Truth**: Things is the source of truth for "doing"; don't necessarily update Obsidian when tasks complete
Files: 2
Size: 2.5 KB
Complexity: 12/100
Category: Productivity

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