How to organise your work and life - online to-do lists and apps

Oct 31, 2015

PC Tech & Authority Issue 205 Dec 2014

Online to-do lists advantages:
1. Being searchable. - keywords, people's names
2. Gives you structure.  Allow you to set priorities and deadlines to tasks. What's important and what m b done immediately, done next month, no fixed dealine, isn't important and m b crossed off
3. All have iOS and Android apps. Todoist has Windows 8 app
4. Tie in with google or facebook, no need to remember another password.


TOP 5 ONLINE TO-DO LISTS

1. TODOIST  ease of use and advanced features. Press Q to add new task. many keyboard shortcuts. US$31/year for Premium feature if you click too  many buttons reasonable. Windows 8 app for offline usage.

2. TOODLEDO  choice as it has big support community. Author of article uses this app.


3. REMEMBER THE MILK  dated interface large user base
4. ANY.DO.  Simple to use
5. WUNDERLIST   simple task manager that looks great too. Need to drag task to folders not drop down menus.

HOW TO BECOME ORGANISED
1. Set up an account
2. Capture all nagging tasks you have to do on pieces of paper. Go thru email, daybook, diary, voicemail, projects and associate tasks. At least one hour to do this.
3.  Group together PROJECTS from pieces of paper. 
4. Type in those tasks.
5. Don't put in false deadlines if there is none. Toodldo is good as it leaves this to the author.

In this way, you have A STRUCTURE OR ORDER OF projects you're are working on, no. of tasks associated with each one, good ideas of deadlines approaching

EMAIL is communication, NOT a to-do list.
Avoid reading email twice or more. Paralle to this task, clear your inbox. Create a folder "zArchive" and move all your existing inbox and subfolders there. "zArchive" forces folder to sit at bottom of your list.

Now create 4 folders; ACTION, WAITING, PERSONAL, WORK
Also ORGANISATIONS YOU WORK WITH.

1. If you can respond to an email in 2 minutes, do so.
2. Delete emails unless it contains valuable reference info
3. If it requires more time than 2 minutes, move it to ACTION folder for reference or turn it into an action on your online to-do list.
4. The key is to avoid looking at emails twice unless necessary.

BACK TO PAPER IF YOU LIKE
Now you have a clear inbox, a list of projects you are working on, an idea of the most important tasks to complete, you must set up all your devices (mobile, tablets etc) to synchronise, so that you can add tasks - mark them as completed - wherever you are.

Author creates a DAILY lists each morning from the "master" list on Toodledo, based on most urgent tasks he has been avoiding. Cross out the tasks done at the end of the day.

There will be good and bad days or weeks. You can always reset the process and start fresh.