Why Use a Todo List
You forgot it again. You promised you’d remember it. Now you’re in damage control mode. Does this sound familiar? It happens more often than you’d like to admit, right? Using a todo list or a task manager app, if used regularly, will eliminate this from happening.
If you’re like me, using a todo list is an integral part of your day. It can serve as a guide to keep you on track to accomplish what you need to do to move projects forward or achieve your goals. You’ve probably seen the myriad apps to help you do this. I also feel like I’ve used every one of them over the years, and to confess, I have a habit of switching every few months just to keep things interesting. That was then; Google Tasks is now!
Some of the Top Task Managers
Some of the top task list managers that are in use today are very capable of helping you manage your day. Todoist, Omnifocus, Microsoft Todo, Remember the Milk, and several others all can help you manage your day. They have extensive features that allow you to customize the way your work is presented endlessly, but all share the same downfall: the ability to customize the way your work is presented endlessly. It’s important that done is way better than perfect. You could spend hours setting up categories, tags, and other options and never get started on what matters.
Enter Google Tasks
Google tasks has been around for years and went through a significant update several months back. As a G Suite consultant, I’ve been using Google Tasks for the last year and have to say that its simplicity is so attractive. When it’s due, you enter the task name, notes about the task, possibly a few subtasks, and bam! Your day is started. You can take a look at a great post about getting started with Google Tasks here.
4 Steps to Stay On Top of Your Day with Google Tasks
- Create the Lists that You Need – Lists in Google Tasks are the equivalent of projects in other task managers. Think of your life’s main areas and things that have to be accomplished, whether projects or goals.I work with clients to set up this list either by role or subject. For example, if by role, it could be parent, volunteer, spouse, manager, runner. If by subject, it could be work, home, hobbies, recreation, family. Once you have the main lists in place, you’re ready to begin organizing your tasks.
- Create the list you will work with each day to accomplish your planned tasks. I call this list my “Priority” list. As I said, this list is the one that you will keep open and consult each day to accomplish your most important tasks.
- Next, begin populating your lists. Let’s take a look at the role example. If you have a list titled “Parent,” create a task in this list for each project or goal you’d like to accomplish for this role. Some possibilities could be “Enroll Kids in Primary School” (Add Image Here) or “Look into Nearby Quality Pre-Schools.” When you have the main tasks created, then begin adding sub-tasks in each one. (Add Image Here) Your sub-tasks will be each step needed to complete the project or goal.
- The final step is one that I work with clients on virtually every digital or information project. The review step. Choose a time each day to review each one of your lists, along with each project or goal within, and select which task is essential to complete today or perhaps tomorrow and move that to your priority list. This is achieved by choosing the drop-down icon next to the list in the sub-task.
You WILL Stay on Top of Projects…
If you follow this simple process for managing tasks with Google Tasks, you will stay on top of what you need to accomplish. Google Tasks is a capable task manager that doesn’t distract with additional options that can weigh your day down with endless detail. Google Tasks comes with apps for most platforms and can be downloaded here for android and here for iOS and iPadOS
I’d love to chat with you about how this process can help you accomplish your goals and complete your important projects. Mention this blog post when contacting me and receive 10% discount on project rates.