Can Software Make You Happy?

Ever wonder exactly why you aren't as happy as you think you are? Software house Llamagraphics' "Life Balance" application says it will help you "put your effort into the goals, projects and tasks that really matter to you."

Available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Palm handhelds, the program takes aligns your to-do list with your broader goals such as "take a vacation somewhere new." Using an outline paradigm, it sets the importance of individual tasks based on the importance of their 'parent' to-do. The master outline drives a short-term to-do list.

One of the coolest elements is a pair of pie charts where you compare your desired use of time (say, four hours / week of exercise) with how you've actually been spending it (oops!). Then, according to Llamagraphics, "you can ask Life Balance to adjust the priorities in your to-do list to encourage you to work on projects that haven't been getting enough of your time."

The 3.x versions of the program averaged 4.9 (out of 5) stars on Versiontracker.com. Reviews of the 4.x version have been more mixed, with criticism centering on pricing and what some reviewers say is a 'my way or the highway' approach to time management. Jeffrey Porten summarized the pros and cons on Tidbits.com:

There are two basic categories for to-do list software. The first category is straight and simple, like the to-do list features in iCal or Palm Organizer, where the programmers say, "Here's a to-do list. It's got some nice features. Have at it, and good luck." The second category is more complex and potentially more rewarding, and says, "Here's a method of organizing your life, which we've implemented in software."

Life Balance falls very much in the second category, and if you're not looking for a new method - or if this method doesn't work for you - you're not likely to get anything out of it. You have to buy into the Life Balance way of doing things, and it can take two or three tries before you get the hang of it. Once you do, though, you get much better results than with a basic to-do list.

He concludes that while it requires effort and isn't for everyone, it's "fairly amazing" and "will pay you back."

If it sounds like this could be for you, free thirty day trials are available for download here. The application retails for a pricey $79.95.