20 Tips For Improved Task Management
Published in
3 min readJun 1, 2017
- When naming a task, be clear & concise but don’t be too wordy, if you need to add more details, add them to the notes section of the task (most task apps like Todoist have a notes/comments feature).
- Always try to include the action in the task name, like “call Mike” or “email John.”
- Use tags that you will actually use and don’t create too many, otherwise don’t bother using tags at all, creating (and managing) too many tags will take up more of your time.
- Always attach files if your brain ever goes “should I attach that file just to be safe?” Trust your gut instinct here, this could save you hours of searching. If you have many files for one task, instead paste a Dropbox link in the notes/comment section of the task.
- Don’t live in the inbox. Using inbox for temporary sorting is fine but then remember to assign tasks to projects ASAP or your inbox could suffer.
- Limit your daily scheduled tasks to 10 or less per day. Seeing too many tasks in your Today view can lead to the feeling of being overburdened, which can lead to you putting off these tasks altogether.
- Take advantage of repeating tasks if your app offers this feature but don’t get too crazy, keep it to a manageable amount.
- Avoid using a task app with a user interface that you don’t like. The more you can enjoy the aesthetics of an app, the more you will use it.
- Take advantage of keyboard shortcuts. The faster you can add, edit, and complete tasks in your software, the sooner you can focus on the actual task at hand. The tool you use should take less time than the task itself!
- Set reminders if you’re having trouble getting tasks done on time. If you start ignoring them, you are probably setting too many.
- Don’t assign due dates to tasks that don’t really need them. If your software doesn’t separate due dates from scheduled dates, drag your daily tasks into your Today view the night before but no more than a week in advance or you could find yourself rescheduling many tasks on a weekly basis. Due dates are for tasks like “submit final exam” and schedule dates are for tasks like “pick up clothes from dry cleaner.”
- If your software includes a log of completed tasks or visual metrics, always archive your projects instead of deleting them so that they can be referenced later.
- Make sure your data is backed up either on the cloud or locally. Losing all of your tasks and projects could set you back weeks, even months.
- Keep an eye on your progress. Compare your past four weeks and ask yourself what variables caused you to do more or do less.
- Group projects within projects as sub-folders to clean-up your project list. The more structured and organized you are, the better you will be able to find stuff.
- If you are working with others, share tasks by assigning them to those people so that you will both share the same copy of the task and all of its relevant updates.
- Don’t use tasks for things like bookmarks, standalone notes, ideas, etc. Those types of items can add up fast and can become too cumbersome to export from your app later on. I recommend keeping those types of things in something like Notion or Workflowy. Only use tasks for actions.
- Try to find an app that also has a mobile version. Being able to check off tasks on the go is a crucial feature, especially if you drive or travel for your job.
- Check out the voice features on your mobile device. You might find yourself using a mobile task app more often if speaking enables you to add tasks quickly on the go.
- Take advantage of integrations with other apps, like Slack. If you work on a large team or run your own business, something like this could elevate you and your team to the next level by keeping everyone in the loop more efficiently.
