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Your To Do List and Beyond: 8 Powerful Ways to Manage Your Tasks

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There are so many things you need to do, and so many ways you could keep track of them. Search the App Store for "to do list," and you'll find thousands of tools that all promise to help you increase your productivity and get more done.

An app is only the start. There are also the various methods of keeping track of your to dos, each with their strong points and some so complicated there are entire books about them. It can be so tough to find the right method and app for you, it's often easier to just give up and try to juggle all of your tasks in your head.

It doesn't have to be that way. In this article, we'll take you through the most popular task management methods so you can pick out the perfect way to manage the things you need to do. Then, in a related article, we'll show you the best apps for each of those methods. That'll give you the tools you need to stay productive this year and beyond.

Choosing the Right Task Management Method

When it comes to task management, there's no one-size-fits-all option. Just as some people learn better visually while others learn far better audibly, there are task management methods that'll fit you perfectly—and others that'll never work for you no matter how hard you try.

That's why it's important to research different methods of managing your tasks to find what works for you. Just by reading though this article, a couple of the methods will likely stick out to you. You can then try them out and see which one's best for you.

In this article, you'll receive an overview along with the pros and cons of each of the following task management methods:

Getting Things Done®

Plain Text Tasks

Rows, Columns n' Sheets

Team-Based Productivity

Pen and Paper

The Kanban Method

String-Around-The-Finger

The "Grocery List" Method

Reminders.app

The "Grocery List" method, or just organizing tasks in simple lists, is by far the most popular task management method. It's the way you'll likely organize tasks without even thinking about it. It puts all tasks and their respective due dates front-and-center with no fluff. There are dozens of apps that use this method of organizing your tasks, and their straightforward lists make the apps look and feel very similar to a grocery list you'd make when heading to the store.

These simple apps are great for people like myself that get a rush from finally checking tasks off of a list and moving onto the next task. When using a grocery list style app, there are no small details to check off, so you're left with the big picture for all of your tasks.

Grocery List apps often have some essential organization features to go along with the bare tasks. For instance, most have the ability to set a due date and some can set reminders for tasks using a device's location.

That being said, Grocery List-style apps may not be practical for everyone. If you need to manage small tasks within larger tasks or like being able to track the progress of a task or project, Grocery List methods aren't for you. Don't fret though, because there are plenty of other task management strategies for you.

The Grocery List Method Pros and Cons

Pros: Grocery List- esque applications are generally simple enough that they require little setup and are easy to use.

Cons: Not as great at tracking small details or handling large projects.

OmniFocus

Getting Things Done® (often abbreviated as GTD®), is the Grocery List method on steroids. This method of task management, popularized by the book with the same name , is simply a powerful way of using lists and details like tags to manage your tasks. Apps based on this method may look similar to standard grocery list-style apps, but they'll also have sub-lists, time management tools, and more built in.

Getting Things Done ® and GTD ® are registered trademarks of the David Allen Company.

For example, when working on an article, I can use a powerful list-based task management app to make a new project for the article and then add tasks for sections of an article, reminders to proofread, and make a list of all additional resources required to complete the article. At the same time, I can have projects for my home tasks, other ongoing projects at work, and more.

Most standard GTD apps have note taking and file-drop capabilities. This is very useful when starting a project, as you can attach all of your ideas and related files to the task, ensuring you won't forget any small details and giving you a one-stop-shop for your task's resources.

Some GTD applications also have built-in calendars that show your tasks and projects with their respective due dates. This can be an absolute godsend when juggling multiple projects for different clients with separate due dates. You'll also usually be able to keep up with notes and files related to your tasks in the apps.

The basic idea with GTD is that you can get everything out of your head and into your to do list app, organized in lists of related tasks with each task tagged (or categorized) according to the place or context in which you’ll do the task, and with any data related to that task attached as a note. It’s a lot of stuff in each tasks to make sure you won’t have to juggle anything in your head and can focus on what you’re doing.

GTD applications are generally desktop-focused and for good reason: creating tasks and adding additional criteria can be tough when typing on a smartphone keyboard. However, many GTD apps—including OmniFocus —have created great mobile apps that sync with their desktop counterparts, making for a seamless on-the-go task management experience.

Getting Things Done Pros and Cons

Pros: GTD applications can track every step of a task and often have other interesting features.

Cons: These applications can be confusing to set up and too cluttered for some.

One powerful GTD app feature is start dates, in addition to due dates. Learn how to use start dates when managing your tasks . Or learn more about how to implement GTD with our guide.

The Text Editor Method

todo.txt

Using text editors for task management has been around for quite some time. In fact, the 'emacs' app in Terminal has its own text-based task management command. Text editors give you the freedom to manage tasks how you'd like and be free of the visual distractions of a Grocery List app.

If you already have a preferred text editor, there's no need to download another task management app: Just use what you already know. On top of this, the text file you use to manage your tasks is universal, so you can switch devices and platforms without disrupting your workflow.

There are many different methods of using a text editor to manage tasks. Two of the more popular are Todo.txt and Today.txt . With Todo.txt, you can create single-line tasks within a text file. These can be arranged by priority and can be tagged with its corresponding project. To create different lists, just create a new text file, it's that easy. If you prefer to edit in plain text on your mobile devices, you can do that as well using your favorite mobile text editor.

Today.txt is even simpler than Todo.txt: it's a three line paragraph stressing one task. The text file starts with "If nothing else, today I am going to __ ." and ends with "If I do this and only this, it will be a good day." This makes the method more motivation than anything else, but it a good way to keep yourself focused when feeling distracted.

Either method—or your own personal method of organizing stuff you need to do in a text editor—could work equally well. And, if you already have a to do list app you like but want a way to keep yourself focused on what needs done today , Today.txt could be a good addition to your workflow.

The Text Editor Method Pros and Cons

Pros: Using a text editor is a simple and free way to manage your tasks. You can set up your workflow however you'd like, using programs you're familiar with.

Cons: Plain text lists can often be too barebones for some and require some setup and management to keep organized.

For more information on using text to manage your tasks, check out our roundup of unique ways to manage your tasks without special software .

kanban

Take pen-and-paper to do management a step further with Kanban productivity. This method, in its purest form, takes Post-It notes, a cork board, and labels, and organizes tasks by progression. To start with Kanban, split your cork board into three sections: to do, doing, and done. Write tasks on color-coded Post-It notes and stick them in their respective step of progression. As your tasks progress, move them to their new spots on the cork board to track them. You can color-code tasks by client, project, or any other differentiator, and can add as much or little detail to each task as you want.

If you prefer tracking tasks digitally, Kanban can still fit your workflow. Apps like Trello and LeanKit all use the Kanban method to manage tasks in the cloud. They also offer great collaboration features, so remote teams can get in on the Kanban action.

Kanban is great for teams and those who like to see the big picture at a glance. When using the method, you'll have all of your tasks, due dates, and task progress in front of you, so there's nothing keeping you from diving right into your work. And you can even make a Kanban board in Google Sheets .

The Kanban Method Pros and Cons

Pros: The big picture is always in front of you and your team.

Cons: Small details can be left out, which may cause information overload for some.

Kanban 101 : Learn everything there is to know about this task management strategy.

The Rows, Columns n' Sheets Method

spreadsheet

Spreadsheets are often overlooked when it comes to task management, especially in the mobile space. But they can be as powerful of a tool for task management as you let them be. Due to spreadsheets' flexibility, they're an especially great way to manage a ton of projects and tasks.

When using a spreadsheet, you can make different sheets for different types of tasks. For example, one sheet can be for work tasks and another for home errands, each with columns to keep track of data that makes sense for each. Tasks can be placed in individual rows, and cells can be color-coded to represent their importance or other key parts of a task.

Like the text editor method, you can make spreadsheets work any way you'd like, and you can use applications that you're already familiar with. There are also a ton of free task management templates available for Google Sheets, Excel, and Numbers, making setup a breeze.

If you're working in a team, you can use Google Sheet to make a no-frills group task management system. Just make a new shared Sheet, add your team members, and create color-coded cells to assign tasks. And since Google Sheets has a built-in chat client, it's easy to collaborate with team members.

The Rows, Columns n' Sheets Method Pros and Cons

Pros: You can use familiar tools to create a versatile environment for your tasks.

Cons: Like text-based applications, using spreadsheets for task management can be too basic for some. On top of this, using spreadsheets aren't the prettiest way to manage tasks.

See how to make Google Sheets your to do list app in our tutorial.

Trello

To do apps aren't just for managing your own tasks. When you're working with your team, you need a way to keep up with what everyone's working on and what's left to finish your team projects.

Enter team-based productivity apps.

Team-based productivity apps are often list-based applications that let everyone have their own accounts. They're also usually web apps that'll run in any browser, with mobile apps to work on the go. Team members can add and edit tasks as well as discuss tasks within a comment thread or IM-like service, making collaborating and group task management far simpler.

Many team-based applications have features similar to that of the aforementioned GTD method. Beyond setting due dates, tasks can often have sub-tasks and the larger projects can be organized in their own boards or lists to keep everything organized for each of your different projects or clients. Most will even let you add files to tasks, so you can keep everything needed to complete the task in one spot.

If you end up using a team-based productivity suite with your team and want to use it for personal tasks, don't fret. Most of these applications—such as Trello and Asana — allow you to create single-user task boards that are not associated with your work board, so you can transition seamlessly between work and personal tasks.

Team-Based Productivity Pros and Cons

Pros: Team-based apps are generally cross-platform and are great for keeping teams on track and encourage collaboration. Additionally, they can be used for personal work if needed.

Cons: These applications can be time consuming to set up and expensive for a full team.

Good Ol' Pen and Paper

paper

I'm sure you didn't expect to see this mentioned alongside methods of managing tasks with apps, but sometimes it's best to use pen and paper for task management—especially if you have a problem with checking Twitter instead of staying on task. When using a notebook to manage tasks, you're completely disconnected from the internet and its distractions, keeping you on track.

I've found something refreshing about using pen and paper to manage tasks. Checking tasks off of a notebook is a lot more rewarding than swiping it away, but perhaps that's just me. There are also plenty of ways to digitize the pen-and-paper method , with mobile scanning apps or tools like Evernote . Back up your to do list to the cloud, and you'll have the best of both worlds. Your tasks will live on paper, but will also be ready for you anywhere you need them.

Pen and Paper Pros and Cons

Pros: Paper notes are distraction-free and require no connectivity.

Cons: Not as versatile as other methods in this list, and can be tough to back up.

The String-Around-The-Finger Method

string

Even though a notification on your phone can be a great reminder to complete a task, nothing jogs your memory like a change in something you use everyday. A classic example of this is tying a string around your finger. Or if you prefer a modern take on the method, wrap a rubberband around your phone.

The basic idea is: Put something in your way when you're thinking of something you need to do. Then, the next time you notice that thing—string, rubberband or whatever—your mind will be jogged to remember the task.

Getting a bit more technical with this idea, rearranging app icons or changing your phone's wallpaper are other good ways to jog your memory. If you're using this method on the desktop, you can set special photos or text as your screensaver or my personal favorite: putting a Post-It note in the center of my laptop's screen. Either way, doing something that's out of the ordinary can be a great way to make sure you remember what you need to do.

The String-Around-The-Finger Method and Cons

Pros: The simplest possible way to remind yourself to do something.

Cons: You might end up forgetting why you tied the string in the first place, and it works only well for single, one-off tasks.

Picking the Best Method for You

Like various learning methods, different task management strategies place focus in different areas. For example, the "Grocery List" method of task management places all crucial information upfront, while leaving many small details out of the picture. That's a great option if you just want a simple way to keep track of what needs done now .

But, if you're a more detail-oriented person, using a powerful task management will be more your speed. You'll be able to keep track of every tiny detail, manage multiple projects, and much more, all from one app. You can plan your whole life here, not just the stuff you're doing today.

Both the simple Grocery List apps and more advanced Getting Things Done apps, though, often have fancier interfaces, and they force you to work the way they're designed. If you're the kind that likes your tools to be deeply customizable or if the fancy interfaces of both of these methods throw you off, managing tasks in a text editor or spreadsheet may be best.

Working together? Give the team task management apps—or even a shared spreadsheet—a shot. Or if you'd rather a low-tech solution, mix everything up and write team tasks on a whiteboard.

There's no perfect way to manage your tasks, and you might even need more than one method to keep up with everything you're doing. Just experiment with your own variant of any of these methods, and start getting your tasks organized.

Go Get Things Done

If you're planning on using an app to manage your tasks, there are dozens of to do list apps that could work for you. But which one is the best for your needs? Here are our recommendations:

The Best To Do Apps for Task Management

The Best To Do Apps for iPhone and iPad

The Best Android To Do List Apps

The Best To Do List Apps for Mac

The Best Windows To Do List Apps

Originally published in January, 2015, this post has been updated with more recent details and links. Zapier marketer Matthew Guay contributed to this post.

Paper todos photo via IvanWalsh.com via Flickr ; Kanban Photo by Oliver Tacke via Flickr ; String around finger photo by Flood G. via Flickr ; Research header photo by Neil Conway via Flickr ; Trello photo via Trello Press Pack ._

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Andrew Kunesh

Andrew is a freelance writer and user experience nerd from Chicago, IL. In his free time, you’ll find Andrew trotting the globe in search of the perfect cup of coffee. Follow @andrewkunesh on Twitter.

  • Personal productivity
  • Project management
  • Task management & to-do lists
  • Product management

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How to Use Todoist Effectively — The Complete Guide

Everything you ever wanted to know about using Todoist (and then some)

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Whether you’re finalizing a massive team project, planning a more-work-than-expected event, or keeping track of when your bills are due, you’ve got goals.

The problem is, goals aren’t enough. You need a system to truly get things done.

That’s where Todoist fits in. At first, it’s simple: you add tasks and complete them. But over time, you’ll discover the many features that lie beneath Todoist’s surface — from scheduling weekly tasks, to setting reminders, to turning important emails into tasks.

Get started by browsing this complete guide to Todoist and slowly trying out new features in your daily workflow. Eventually, you’ll find a combination of features that ensures you’re always working on the right things at the right time without missing anything important. That system forms the foundation for a more calm, organized, and productive life…

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

  • Get things out of your head: Add and complete tasks every day
  • Stay on schedule by setting due dates and recurring due dates for your tasks
  • Keep track of your tasks using the Inbox, Today, and Upcoming views
  • Use projects to organize bigger goals
  • Focus on the right things by setting task priority levels
  • Never miss a thing by setting task reminders
  • Upload files and add information by adding task comments
  • Work together by sharing your tasks and projects
  • Add websites as tasks using browser extensions
  • Add emails as tasks using plugins or forwarding
  • Stay on top of a busy schedule by syncing your tasks with your calendar
  • Tag and organize your tasks using labels
  • Find the right tasks using search and filters
  • Pin your important projects, labels, and/or filters to favorites
  • Review your progress using the Productivity view
  • Stay motivated with Karma
  • Customize your Todoist with colorful themes
  • Connect Todoist with all the apps you already use

Before you start: Learn how Todoist works

You’ve got to walk before you run – get started with a quick overview of the basics:

If you haven’t already, create a Todoist account , log in, and start learning how to get things done every day by adding and completing tasks.

1. Get things out of your head: Add and complete tasks every day

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Get everything out of your head and into Todoist.

Start by getting all the tasks you’ve been worrying about off your mind and into Todoist, so you can focus on just what’s in front of you right now. To add a new task , simply press + on any platform, type out the task name, and press Add task to save it.

Make it a daily habit to add tasks to Todoist whenever you think of them on whichever device is closest.

Build a habit of adding a task to Todoist in seconds.

As the day goes on, review what you have to do using the Today view in the top left. Mark tasks as complete by clicking the circle to the left of the task or swiping the task from left to right on mobile.

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Finish everything, hit #TodoistZero, and enjoy your free time.

Tip: If you complete a task by mistake, you can always uncomplete it to bring it back.

⬆ Back to the table of contents

2. Stay on schedule by setting due dates and recurring due dates for your tasks

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Find the perfect time for your tasks.

Instead of trying to do too much today, set future due dates for your tasks so you have the time to do your best work and hit important deadlines. 

To give a task a due date , simply type the date into the task field using natural language. For example, today , tomorrow , June 15 , or next Monday . You can also add a specific time like June 15 at 9am . Todoist will automatically detect the due date and add it to the task when you save it.

Set a due date like next Monday by typing it directly into the task field.

To more easily visualize your schedule, you can also pick a due date from a calendar. Just click or tap on the date field or calendar icon when adding or editing a task on any platform. From there, you’ll be able to manually pick a date from the calendar, or use any of our handy date shortcuts like Today, Tomorrow, or Next week.

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When choosing a due date, glance at your calendar using the task scheduler.

Note: When picking a task’s due date on the web you can peek at how many tasks you already have scheduled on that date by hovering over it.

Setting recurring due dates

Some tasks don’t happen just once — taking out the trash, writing a weekly status update, drafting quarterly reports, etc. Keep track of repeating tasks with recurring due dates.

To set a recurring due date, type the date into the task field using natural language just like you would for regular due dates. For example, every day , every Friday , every 3 days starting next Monday , and more .

When you complete a recurring task, it will automatically reset to the next occurrence so you’ll never miss it.

Changing due dates

Plans change (more often than we’d like) and due dates need to be updated.

If you’re in a rush and want to postpone a task by a day or push it to next week, right click on a task (Web, Windows, macOS) or swipe right to left (iOS, Android) and use the Tomorrow or Next Week shortcuts at the top of the menu.

work task is

Postpone your task by a day by opening the task scheduler and pressing Tomorrow.

If you need to reschedule the task to a specific date, open the task scheduler and click/tap on the new due date in the calendar below. Hit the right arrow to see more dates.

Of course, you can also change the date by editing the task and simply typing a new date into the task field.

💡 Tip: To remove a task’s due date entirely, open the scheduler and click/tap No date .

Dig yourself out and reschedule all your overdue tasks in one go

When the tasks start to pile up, you may end up “snowballing”, endlessly postponing tasks by a day or week until you have an avalanche of overdue tasks.

Rebalance all your tasks in one go by clicking Reschedule in the top right of your Today or Upcoming view. You can also selectively reschedule a few tasks at a time. Simply select multiple tasks, click  Schedule , and pick a date that is a little less hectic.

3. Keep track of your tasks using the Inbox, Today, and Upcoming views

As you add and schedule more and more tasks, it gets harder to keep things organized and know what to work on first.

That’s why Todoist organizes your tasks into three useful views in the top left: Inbox , Today , and Upcoming .

Inbox: The default home for new tasks

The Inbox is the catch-all for any new task you add to Todoist that you’re not sure where to organize. It’s better to get the task out of your head quickly by adding it to the Inbox, then come back to either complete it right away or reorganize it into a new project for later.

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Access the Inbox from the top left to see every task that you haven’t moved to a project.

Today: See every task that’s due today across all projects

Not sure what to work on next? Just open your Today view to see every task that has been scheduled for the day across all your projects. Keep completing tasks one by one, or postpone them if necessary, until you’ve reached Todoist Zero.

💡  Tip: If you didn’t get to all of your tasks for the day, you can drag and drop them to the bottom of your Today list to postpone them to tomorrow.

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Don’t worry about tomorrow: Today shows you everything on your plate today.

Upcoming: See every task due in your future

Get a bird’s eye view of all the tasks due in the next few weeks, months, or years using the Upcoming view. You’ll see a day-by-day breakdown for every task that is coming your way. Plus, you can drag and drop tasks between days.

Drag and drop a task from Friday to Saturday to free up some time to relax.

💡  Tip: To look further out into the future, simply type the number of days into the Quick Find bar at the top of your Todoist. For instance, type in “14 days” to see all the tasks due in the next 14 days.

4. Use projects to organize bigger goals

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Each project deserves its own space.

A single task isn’t always enough. If you’re working on a team presentation at work or planning a multi-stop trip, you’ll need a project to keep track of all the details.

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Create a project to keep track of anything. Fitness, work, life goals… it’s up to you.

To create a project in Todoist, scroll to the bottom of your project list and click Add project (on Android/iOS, go to your left-hand navigation menu and tap + to the right of Projects ). Give your new project a name (maybe with an illustrative emoji ✈️) and click Add Task to start listing out all the relevant steps along the way.

You can quickly assign a task to a project by typing # into the task field to pull up a list of all your existing projects. Continue typing the project name to narrow down the list.

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Type #Work and Todoist will move it to that project when you add or save the task.

When should I use projects? 💡

  • Coordinate your work with teammates
  • Keep track of a side project
  • Create a concrete plan to achieve a goal
  • Save things to read or watch later
  • Share a to-do list with a loved one

Create a project and start a new adventure.

💡  Tip: Save time and move multiple tasks to a new project at once.

Split bigger tasks into sub-tasks

Don’t be afraid to add smaller tasks to a project. For example, you’ll need plenty of little steps to take care of a task like “Write a video script”. Add sub-tasks for every step along the way to completing the bigger task.

Let’s say you’re writing a script as part of your #Video project: You can add sub-tasks named 1st draft , 2nd draft , and Final draft . Breaking big tasks down into smaller ones makes it less daunting to get started, and checking things off along the way builds momentum to get to the finish.

Add sub-tasks to give yourself a path to finishing things.

Create a sub-task by dragging and dropping a regular task underneath a parent task (Web, Desktop, Windows). For Android and iOS, long press on the task and drag it to the right, under the parent task.

Completing sub-tasks is just like completing normal tasks: Click the circle to the left (Web, Windows, macOS) or swipe left to right (iOS, Android). To help you visualize your progress, completed sub-tasks will stay visibly crossed out until the parent task is completed.

💡 Tip: If you want to hide a completed sub-task from view, hold down the shift key while completing it (Web, macOS, and Windows) or swipe left on a completed sub-task (Android & iOS).

Organize your project into sections

Keep your project tidy by organizing tasks into sections and adding tasks underneath each.

For instance, if you’re planning a project to run a marathon, you can have a section for tasks related to your Equipment (like buying new shoes and a tracksuit), your Training (like Run 5 miles tomorrow), and your Nutrition (like learning about different types of diets):

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Sections are useful if you like to work on things in batches, like buying all your equipment at once.

To create a new section, simply hover over the bottom of your task list to reveal the "Add section" action. You'll then have the option to add new tasks underneath the section or drag and drop existing tasks into it.

Quickly add a task to any section of any project by typing "/" in Quick Add or in the task editor, too. For example, typing “#Big Ideas/Work” will add your task to the Work section of your Big Ideas project. This same slash also works while searching for sections or even adding them to a filter (more on those later).

Finally, you can also click or tap on the gray arrow to the left of a section name to collapse or uncollapse the section, making it easy to focus on just one part of your project at a time.

Keep related projects together using sub-projects

Once you’ve been using Todoist for a while, your list of projects tends to grow.

First off, try to keep your projects to a minimum. You only have so much time and energy and the more you can focus, the happier and more productive you’ll be.

But if you need the projects, keep it tidy using sub-projects.

Let’s say you’re starting a new semester at school and you want to keep all of your coursework in one easy to find place. Create a project for Schoolwork and projects for each course: Math , English , Chemistry , etc. Then drag and drop the courses underneath the Schoolwork project to turn them into sub-projects:

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Your sub-projects are grouped together in the navigation menu so you can find them easily.

You can collapse your sub-projects underneath the parent project to hide them when you don’t need to see them by clicking on the arrow to the left of the parent project’s name.

People often use sub-projects to organize their list around the major areas of their life. For example, you could have just two parent projects — “Work” and “Personal” — so you can focus on just one area at a time. At work, you have your Personal projects hidden and at home you can have your Work projects hidden. Play around with your project organization to discover what makes most sense for you.

💡 Tip: Using Todoist at school? Read the Student’s Guide to Todoist or the Educator’s Guide to Todoist .

Save your most used projects as templates

When you find yourself recreating the same project over and over again — like vacation packing lists, new client checklists, employee onboarding, etc. — save the project as a template to reuse later.

A template will save every task in the project. Later, you can import the template into a new project and make any changes you need.

Some templates may be useful to your friends, teammates, or coworkers too. You can share them by sending them the file or link .

You can also browse dozens of Todoist templates at todoist.com/templates to kickstart your next project.

Tip: Learn best practices for taking a project from start to finish with our quick and easy guide to completing any project in Todoist .

5. Focus on the right things by setting task priorities

Ok, now you know what tasks you have to do and when to do them. Now you need to figure out which tasks to do first.

Eating the frog means staring down the hard, important tasks you have to do today and doing them first. You’ll start your day with some momentum and kill any chance to procrastinate.

In Todoist, mark your most important task with a red color by setting its task priority to p1 . Your Today and Upcoming views will automatically sort based on priority so your p1 tasks will always show up at the top. That way you’ll always know which frog to eat at the start of your day.

Todoist offers four priority levels: 1 being the most important (marked as red) and 4 being everything else (no color). To set a priority, type “p” into the task field followed by the priority level you want, e.g., “Eat the frog p1”.

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Setting priorities helps you figure out what matters… and what doesn’t.

6. Never miss a thing by setting task reminders

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Don’t forget the important things.

What’s the point in using a task manager if you forget to finish important tasks? Fortunately, you can have Todoist send you a reminder by email or push notification when a task is coming up.

Automatic reminders

When you set a due date and time for a task, Todoist will automatically send you a reminder 30 minutes before the task is due (you can change the default reminder time in Settings > Reminders ).

Manual reminders

When you absolutely can’t afford to miss a task, set manual reminders that will trigger at any time (or any place) you want.

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Set a reminder to review your coursework by pressing the clock icon .

To set a reminder, click on the task, then click on the clock icon in the bottom right and set a trigger for the reminder one of three ways:

  • Specify a date and time for the reminder like “ tomorrow at 10am ”.
  • If your task has a due date and time, you’ll have the option to set a relative time for the reminder, like 1 hour before the task is due.
  • If you have the Todoist app on your mobile device, you'll have the option to set a location-based reminder and choose a specific location to trigger the reminder.

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Set a location reminder to buzz your iOS or Android device when you arrive in New York.

Reminders are a paid feature in Todoist's Pro plan .  Compare Todoist's plans and see which one is right for you.

7. Upload files and add information by adding task comments

When you’re busy, you don’t want to waste time searching for files and information related to your tasks. Get in the habit of attaching related notes and files to each of your tasks in task comments. For example:

  • If you’re traveling, add a comment to your travel task with the address and a link to the map.
  • If you’re submitting a report, attach the working document to the task.
  • If you’re working on a design, add a comment with your latest mockups.
  • If you’re working with a team on a presentation, attach the slide deck so everyone can discuss it in the comments.

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Keep up the good work, team. 👍

To add a comment or upload a file, hover over a task on the web (or tap a task on Todoist mobile) and click the speech bubble icon to open the comment view. Then drag and drop your file into the input box and/or type out your comment.

💡  Tip: Use project comments to save information for an entire project as opposed to a single task.

8. Work together by sharing your tasks and projects

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Delegate tasks to teammates so each person can focus on their area of expertise.

Completing tasks gets easier when you don’t have to do all the work yourself. Whether you’re delegating family errands or coordinating a project with your team, Todoist’s shared projects keep tasks, due dates, comments, and files organized in a single place that everyone has access to.

To share a project on Web, macOS, or Windows, right-click the project you want to collaborate on and click Share Project . To share on Android or iOS, open the project you want to share, tap the three dots icon , and tap Share project . Then invite everyone using their email addresses.

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Tap  Share project in the menu and the person icon in the top right to share the project with anybody.

Delegate work by assigning tasks to others

You’ve shared your project with everyone, now what? Figure out who’s doing what and assign tasks to people.

To assign a task to someone in a shared project, click on the grey person icon to the right of a task (Web, macOS, Windows) or below a task (iOS, Android) and choose a name from the list of everyone in the project.

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Assign a task using the person icon to the right of any task (Web, macOS, Windows).

Steve Jobs believed that only one person should be responsible to get things done and called his approach the Direct Responsible Individual . Accordingly, you can only assign a task to one person in Todoist. If you have a task that needs to be completed by multiple people — like asking your team to submit their expense reports — duplicate the task for each respective team member.

💡  Tip: We've got an article for you if you're keen to learn how to delegate well .

Discuss and share information in comments

In shared projects, comments become an essential, collaborative space to discuss task details, share files, and keep relevant information organized. You can specify who to notify about a comment and they’ll receive it in their notifications.

💡  Tip: It can be overwhelming to suddenly be assigned a bunch of tasks with no explanation. Give the people you’re assigning tasks to a heads up and provide additional context in task comments .

9. Add websites as tasks using browser extensions

When you’re browsing the web, you don’t always have time to read things right away. Save things to read (or buy) later by saving web pages as tasks in Todoist with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Here’s how it works:

  • Download the extension (you’ll see a Todoist icon in the top right-hand corner of your browser window when it’s installed).
  • While browsing the web page you want to add to Todoist, right click and choose Add to Todoist .
  • A new task will be created linking back to the web page. Later, simply click the task name to revisit the page.

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Keep your web reading list up to date with Todoist’s browser extensions.

💡  Tip: You can add a webpage as a task even faster by highlighting any text on the page, right clicking, and selecting Add to Todoist. The highlighted text will become the task name.

Save websites as tasks from mobile

On iOS and Android, you can use your browser’s share option to save pages as Todoist tasks, too. Just find the Share option in your browser app and select Todoist’s Add as task action.

10. Add emails as tasks using plugins and forwarding

You can’t respond to every email right away. That’s why your Inbox keeps piling up. But at some point, you forget to follow up on important emails. Let Todoist help you remember what needs a response by saving your important emails as tasks without leaving your email client.

By installing the Gmail and Outlook email plugins, you can add an email to Todoist with a few clicks:

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Don’t forget that important email by adding it as a task with the Todoist button in your email client.

While you’re in your email client, click the Todoist icon at the top. A new task will be created with a link right back to the email, just click Add Task to save it.

💡  Tip: You can also see all your Todoist tasks and projects without having to leave your email. Just tap the Todoist icon in the top right of your email inbox. Todoist will open in a small window in the bottom right.

Forward your emails to Todoist

Don’t use Outlook or Gmail? No worries. Forward your emails to Todoist to add them as tasks.

Here’s how to set it up:

  • Open Todoist on Web, macOS, or Windows.
  • Open the project you want to email your tasks to.
  • Click the three dots icon .
  • Select Email tasks to this project .
  • Click Copy to clipboard to copy the email address provided.
  • Go back to your email client and forward any email to that address.
  • A task will appear in Todoist with the email subject as the task name and the body of the email in the task’s comments. Email attachments will be in the comments, too.

If you want to attach an email to an existing task, you can also forward emails directly into task comments. To get the comment forwarding email address, open up task view, click the three dots icon, and select Add comments via email .

💡  Tip: If you’re tired of dealing with a crowded Inbox, try the two-step process for getting to Inbox Zero with Todoist .

11. Stay on top of a busy schedule by syncing your tasks with your calendar

A calendar is a great way to get a big picture view of your day-to-day, hour-to-hour work. Keep your calendar synced up with your tasks using Todoist’s calendar feeds and integrations and you’ll never miss a thing.

You can choose to see all your Todoist tasks in your calendar or only tasks from a specific project.

Add and edit Todoist tasks from Google Calendar

If you’re using Google Calendar, you can add and edit tasks directly from your calendar and have those changes reflected back in Todoist using two-way sync. Learn more about the Google Calendar integration

Add a new event to your Todoist calendar in Google Calendar and it appears in Todoist.

12. Tag and organize your tasks using labels

Sometimes you’ll want to see certain types of tasks even if they’re scattered across different projects. You can do this by assigning a label to all related tasks.

For instance, you might want to see every email related task in one list. Simply tag each task with a label like @email and you can pull them all up whenever you need to:

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Pull up your @email label to see every email-related task, no matter what project they’re in.

Here are a few ways that you can use labels:

  • To keep track of how long your tasks will take, use labels like @5_minutes, @15_minutes , and @30_minutes . That way when you have just 5 minutes to spare, you can pull up your @5_minutes label so you won’t waste any time.
  • If you’re waiting on someone to finish a task, use the @waiting label so you know to it doesn’t need any action until the person gets back to you. If you don’t hear back, you can pull up your @waiting list and quickly follow up with the people you’re waiting for.

To add a label, simply type out @ when adding or editing the task. You’ll see a list of available labels and you can pick one or type out a new label name.

Add a label to a task to group it with other related tasks.

To view a label’s tasks, open the Labels dropdown in your navigation pane and find the label you’re after. Or simply type the label, like @shopping, into your search bar.

13. Find the right tasks using search and filters

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See only the tasks you want to with fully customizable filters.

As your Todoist fills up with tasks, you’ll want to see tasks that match certain criteria, like every task with the word “Presentation” or every task due in the next 30 days.

Find any task, comment, project or label fast with Search

The fastest way to find a specific task, comment, project, or label is with Search . Simply click on the Quick Find bar at the top of Todoist or tap the magnifying glass on iOS or Android and type out the keyword you’re looking for. You’ll see a list of every task, comment, project, and label containing that keyword.

Filter your tasks to see exactly what you want

The default task views that Todoist provides — Inbox, Today, Upcoming, projects — may not always be enough. For example, you might want to see every task due in the next 30 days, or tasks that don’t have a due date, or every task assigned to you.

That’s where filters come in handy.

Filters are custom views of your tasks and projects based on whatever criteria you like. For instance, you could have a filter that only shows:

  • Tasks due in the next 14 days.
  • Tasks in your #Work project that are due today.
  • Tasks due this week that are Priority 1.

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See every task without a due date by using the filter, “No date”.

Once you know which tasks you want to see, create a filter so you can easily come back to the same view later. Start by clicking the  + symbol next to Filters in the menu. Type out your filter name, add a filter query that specifies what you need. Here are a few examples:

  • 30 days will show you tasks due in the next 30 days.
  • assigned to: Jennifer will show you tasks assigned to Jennifer.
  • No date will show you tasks without a due date.

You can also combine two or more criteria in your filter. For example:

  • Today & #Work will show tasks due today that are also in your #Work project.
  • 7 days & p1 will show you tasks due this week that are also priority 1.
  • Assigned to:Jack & 30 days & #Work will show you tasks that are assigned to Jack, have a due date in the next 30 days and are in the #Work project.

Once you’ve typed in your query, tap or click on Add  to save it. To see its tasks, click or tap the Filters dropdown in your navigation pane and then click or tap on the filter you’re looking for. As you add tasks that match the filter query, the filter is automatically updated.

You can find more example queries , and everything you need to know about filters on our help center.

14. Pin your important projects, labels or filters to favorites

If you have a project, label, or filter that‘s particularly important to your workflow, keep it beside you at all times by saving it to your  favorites . Favorited items will always be visible on your navigation pane to the left, right below Upcoming .

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Keep an often used project, label or filter close at hand by adding it to your favorites.

Your favorites follow you everywhere you use Todoist, your phone, your tablet, your computer, your watch, and wherever, so you’ll always have quick access to what you need.

15. Review your progress using the Productivity view

How productive are you really? Use the Productivity view to find out.

You’ll see how many tasks you’ve completed this week, how much progress you’ve made towards your daily and weekly goals, and how many Karma points you’ve earned (see the next section for more on Karma).

To open Productivity , click your daily count goal (Web, macOS, Windows), tap your productivity icon (iOS), or tap the more icon (Android).

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Use the Productivity view to set daily and weekly goals and keep yourself motivated.

Start by setting daily or weekly task goals and see how well you do for a week or a month. Try to hit your goal multiple days and weeks in a row and build up a streak — then keep that streak going for as long as you can (and be more and more productive along the way).

💡  Tip: You don’t always have to be productive. Take a few days off or turn on vacation mode to protect your streaks while you’re away.

16. Stay motivated using Karma points

Karma points are awarded to you as you complete tasks in Todoist. They’re the yin and yang of productivity: A little recognition for completing your tasks and a push to keep going and not break your streak. As you gain points, you’ll earn higher Karma levels and maybe one day join the ranks of the Todoist Enlightened. 😇

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Check out your Karma level and how far until the next one from the Karma tab in the Productivity view .

💡  Tip: If you’re not into Karma in Todoist, you can turn it off .

17. Customize your Todoist with colorful themes

Take a page from organizational guru Marie Kondo and make your Todoist a space that inspires you by draping it in color. Pick a theme from Sunflower to Amethyst in Todoist from Settings > Theme . Your theme will sync across every device you use.

A Todoist for every season.

If you’re a night owl or the type that likes to keep the lights down, try the Dark theme :

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Try a new shade of Todoist with Dark Theme.

💡  Tip: You can add a color to each of your projects , too — it’s a great way to categorize your projects in a long list. You can add colors to labels and filters, too.

18. Use Todoist with all your apps with integrations

Sometimes it can feel like your life is scattered across a bunch of apps and it’s hard to get a pulse on everything that’s going on.

Let Todoist be your central hub by pulling info from your various apps so you can check in on everything at a glance. There are over 100 Todoist integrations that let you do things like:

  • Dictate tasks into your phone (or Google Home) using the Google Assistant integration .
  • Import your Dropbox or Google Drive files into tasks and task comments.
  • Pull information from hundreds of apps into Todoist using your favorite Zapier Zap or IFTTT Applets .

You now have a complete list of ways to capture and organize your tasks with Todoist, but the true key to productivity is building a simple and sustainable system you can trust. Keep at it, and maybe some of these features will become stepping stones that lead you towards your optimal personal productivity system, whether that’s an all-encompassing workflow or just a few simple rules to stay organized.

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Neil Vidyarthi

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Let Todoist take the mental load

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9 Tips On How To Prioritize Tasks Effectively At Work

Jitesh Patil

There’s nothing more satisfying than checking off work on your to-do list. But before you attack your task list, you want to learn how to prioritize tasks. 

Prioritizing tasks helps you:

  • Meet deadlines by getting the most critical work done first.
  • Better utilize scarce time and team resources.
  • Effectively manage your team’s workload.

Project management tools help you capture, prioritize, and organize your work. You can also use simple task management tools — from simple to-do lists to visual Kanban boards — to get things done. But, irrespective of the tool, you need to learn how to prioritize work.

In this article, you’ll learn about prioritization methods. Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • Make A Master Task List
  • Categorize Tasks Using The 4Ds Of Time Management
  • Prioritizing Tasks Using Eisenhower Power Matrix
  • Prioritize Project Tasks Using The MoSCoW Method
  • Prioritize Using Relative Priorities
  • Focus On The Most Important Tasks Of The Day
  • Do The Most Difficult Task First
  • Prioritize Using The Pareto Principle
  • Review & Revise Task Priorities

Ready to get started, let’s begin.

1. Make A Master Task List

Task requests come from various sources — your boss, different team members, colleagues, partners, and clients. Task requests can also come from multiple channels — emails, slack messages, or even a watercooler talk.

You need a way to capture all these requests and identify top priorities. 

In addition, a task list also helps keep track of project progress. Plus, taking up the task request then, can mess up the rest of your schedule.

This is why you need a way to capture all your work in one place. It could be a notebook, a to-do list app on your phone, or the task backlog in your project management tool .

Once you have a list of all your tasks ready, you can easily categorize and prioritize them.

2. Categorize Tasks Using The 4Ds Of Time Management

Before you can prioritize your task items, you need to categorize each task in your master list into one of these four categories:

  • Do the task now
  • Defer the task to a later time
  • Delegate the task to someone else
  • Delete the task from your list

4Ds of Time Management

The “Do, Defer, Delegate, Delete” framework is also called the 4Ds of time management . 

You can do a few tasks on your task list quickly. They take less than a minute or two. And there’s no dependency on anyone else. Go ahead and do these to trim down your to-do list.

A few other tasks can be done by your subordinates or team members. They have the skills and the necessary information to complete the work. Delegate this work to trim down your task list further.

You’ll also find some tasks that you don’t need to do anymore. They have been on your task list forever. Or, compared to the estimated effort involved, they provide very little value. Delete these from your list.

The only work that you’re left with now is the deferred tasks. You cannot do, delegate, or delete these. This is the work that needs prioritizing. 

Next, let’s look at three ways to organize your tasks by priority.

3. Prioritizing Tasks Using Eisenhower Power Matrix

The Eisenhower four-quadrant, power matrix is a straightforward framework for prioritizing work. 

Dwight Eisenhower — the 34th president of the United States — conceptualized the power matrix. But it was Steven Covey who made it popular in his best-seller — The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People”.

The power matrix framework helps you answer two questions. Which tasks are important? And which tasks can be eliminated altogether?

Eisenhower Prioritization Matrix

To prioritize work using this framework, put each task into one of the four quadrants:

  • Urgent and important
  • Important, but not urgent
  • Urgent, but not important
  • Neither urgent nor important

Urgent and important tasks have the highest priority. Not doing these asap will have negative consequences. 

Important but not urgent tasks will take up most of your time. Avoid neglecting these until the last minute to prevent unbalanced schedules and workloads.

Urgent but not important tasks can be delegated to your team. You don’t have to do them yourself.

Finally, you can eliminate tasks that are neither urgent nor important.

4. Prioritize Project Tasks Using The MoSCoW Method

Budget and time constraints are big challenges in project management. These challenges often directly affect the project’s outcomes.

The MoSCoW method helps prioritize work based on outcomes. Thus, it’s most effective when managing projects. 

It was developed by Dai Clegg, a software engineer, during his tenure at Oracle. 

This method helps stakeholders and clients understand the significance of each outcome in the final project delivery.

To use MoSCoW prioritization, divide your project outcomes into one of the four buckets:

  • Must have: Outcomes without which the entire project is considered a failure
  • Should have: Outcomes that are not as critical as must-have outcomes but still important
  • Could have: Outcomes that can be delivered when you have budget or time remaining for final project delivery
  • Won’t have: Outcomes that won’t be delivered with the project

Once you’ve categorized the outcomes above, you can prioritize work that supports these outcomes.

5. Order Tasks Using Relative Priorities

Using the prioritization strategies above often helps. But how do you order tasks with similar priority? What if you have lots of tasks that are important but not urgent? Or tasks that support must-have outcomes? 

How do you prioritize items that have the same priorities? What prioritization methods do you use?

The answer is simple — using relative priority. Relative priority works by weighing the importance of each task compared to other tasks on the priority list. Then ordering the tasks based on this weight. 

For example, let’s say you have ten work items. Assign a number from 1-10 to each task. And in no time, you’ll have sorted high and low priority tasks.

But, how do you decide which task is more important?

Two straightforward ways are to order work by their due dates and by dependencies. Tasks with an earlier deadline become priority tasks. Also, complete tasks that block other work from starting first.

Next, let’s look at three techniques that’ll help you breeze through your personal, prioritized task list.

6. Focus On The Most Important Tasks Of The Day

Leo Babuta of Zen Habits popularized the Most Important Tasks (MITs) method. This prioritization technique can help if you struggle to get daily tasks done even after prioritizing them.

To use the MITs method, choose up to three tasks that you want to get done today. These are your most important tasks. Complete these first. 

Then if time permits, you can take up other miscellaneous work. This extra work is a bonus. You only work on bonus tasks if you finish the MITs.

You can consider your day successful even if you just do your MITs.

7. Do The Most Unwanted Task First

But what if you struggle to get through your MITs?

Thanks to Bryan Tracy’s method and his book — Eat That Frog! — you’ll have an answer in the following few paragraphs.

But what do frogs have in common with Task prioritization?

Mark Twain has the answer:

If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.

Once you’ve eaten the frog, there’s nothing worse you’ll have to tackle for the rest of the day. Replace frogs with tasks, and you’ll have your answer.

Most people put off complex tasks. And not because they’re less important. But only because they seem difficult. Bryan Tracy recommends you get unwanted work out of your way first. Then getting through the rest of the work becomes a breeze.

8. Prioritize Tasks Using The Pareto Principle

If you hate frogs like most people, the Pareto Principle is another popular way to blast through your daily task list. It’s also known as the 80/20 rule or the “law of the vital few.”

According to this principle, 80% of your day’s success depends on 20% of the tasks. 

It’s tricky to identify the 20% work. The best way is to look at your MITs and pick one task you feel will make your day a success. For example, it could be an important task that provides the most value or takes up the most time. 

Once you’ve identified the task, stay focused on getting that one task done.

Together the Pareto Principle and Bryan Tracy’s methods will help you blast through your daily task list.

9. Review & Revise Task Priorities

Do you know what the most frustrating thing about managing work is?

You’re halfway through your work plan, and suddenly tasks and/or priorities change. There’s little you can do with this change. It’s a risk that you have to live with. 

Because of these changes, it’s critical to review and revise project task priorities often. 

If budget, resource, or time constraints change, revise project priorities using the 4Ds framework, Eisenhower’s Power Matrix, or the MoSCoW method.

And if short-term priorities change, review and revise your relative task priorities.

Armed with the tips in this article, you’re now ready to tackle work and bring clarity to your team.

Speaking of clarity, you may want to check out Toggl Plan . It’s a beautifully simple work management tool that provides clear visual cues about what needs to be done, by whom, and when. For project managers, Toggl Plan comes with easy, drag-and-drop timelines that make planning work a breeze.

Start your free Toggl Plan team trial now .

Jitesh Patil

Jitesh is an SEO and content specialist. He manages content projects at Toggl and loves sharing actionable tips to deliver projects profitably.

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How to work smart with a task tracker (benefits, best tools)

Task Tracker

Maintaining a lengthy task list with multiple deadlines, client requirements, and resources can be quite a tedious task. 

Fortunately, you can replace your to-do lists and unreliable sticky notes with a more efficient, fool-proof alternative — a task tracker .

A task tracker will ensure that no important task escapes you by tracking everything that requires your attention.

In this article, we’ll explore what a task tracker is and how you can use it. We’ll also tell you five ways in which task trackers can improve your work quality and discover the best tool for the job.

This article contains:

(Click on the link to go to a particular section)

  • What is a Task Tracker?
  • How to Track Work with a Task Tracker?
  • The Best Task Tracking Solution for 2022: Time Doctor
  • 3 Incredible Benefits of Task Tracking

Let’s begin!

What is a task tracker?

A task tracker is a tool that lets you list, organize, and prioritize tasks, ranging from your daily tasks to large projects. 

With the right task tracker, you can track the time taken per task, automate reporting, etc. 

Task trackers can also track the productivity levels of individuals or a team, giving you insights into how they spend their time on different projects. You can then check the team’s progress to optimize their work accordingly.

This way, a task tracker does more than just letting you create tasks and map out things to be done. It’ll also help you stay on deadlines, improve productivity, and reach the next milestone in success.

Pro Tip : For maximum functionality, opt for task trackers that offer a complete task management system, like Time Doctor . Such tools can streamline mundane administrative processes by automating payrolls, reports, tracking daily tasks, checklists, etc. 

But how do you use a task tracker?

Let’s find out. 

How to track work with a task tracker

Here’s how you can track your task lists and projects with a task tracker:

1. Define project tasks

A study states that 85% of people spend valuable time searching for misplaced docs and information. Unfortunately, this happens when you don’t organize your tasks and related data.

So first, you can list down every project task that needs your attention on your task tracking software – ensuring you don’t miss out on any essential work. 

A project task is a single activity or a work item, leading to the completion of a larger project. 

For example, an advertising company may break their new campaign into scripting, research, cinematography, budgeting, editing, etc. Each of these tasks will take you closer to completing the campaign.

After you list down your project tasks, estimate the time needed to complete these tasks and set due dates for each of them. 

Having all the tasks in one place, on the task tracker, will help you see the big picture.

  • You’ll know where you stand with each of your tasks.
  • You can check on potential task dependencies.
  • You’ll easily know which tasks to tackle first.

With all this information, it should get easier for you to assign tasks accordingly.

2. Scheduling and allocating tasks

The next step is to assign these tasks to your team members. Your team can then start their task planning according to the due dates. 

But to ensure that you don’t overburden any employee, you’ll need an overall view of your team’s project progress. 

For example, some project management apps offer tools like Gantt chart to help you give a comprehensive view of your task list. That’ll help you break down complex projects into simple tasks, rank dependencies, track ongoing task progress – which, in turn, will help you better schedule and allocate tasks.

Allocating multiple projects and tasks through a task tracker will:

  • Help project managers consider the task dependencies before assigning them. 
  • Ensure there isn’t any discrepancy when you draw deadlines and schedule future tasks. 

Note : You can also schedule recurring tasks like weekly meetings in a task tracker.

3. Automate time tracking

According to a study, employees are only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes in an 8-hour workday. This means we have to make conscious efforts to be productive for long hours. 

But you can only do that if you know how long your employees are productive. This is why most task management tools have automatic time trackers. Or they often provide integrations with other time tracking tools if they don’t have a native time tracker.

Once your team starts working on a project, the tracker will automatically monitor their time on it. 

Project management software like Time Doctor , Proprof Project, Todoist, etc., also gives you the option to choose the task you’re working on. This’ll help you track the time and effort employees put in on every individual task in real-time.

The task management tool then utilizes this time tracking data to generate reports and timesheets, which you can use to review your team’s productivity. 

This way, you’ll not just track time but also receive real-time insights into the tasks they work on and the time they spend on each task. This information will help you work on your team’s productivity and efficiency.

4. Track task status

Nobody likes to be micromanaged or have their project manager look over their shoulders every five minutes. 

Task trackers eliminate the need for micromanaging as you can track all the projects on your screen. It also saves time as employees needn’t send constant updates on their tasks.

Task status plays an essential role in many stages of task tracking. 

For example, while scheduling future tasks, you’ll need to know the status of current ones. This’ll ensure that you’re neither overlapping tasks nor exhausting your team. 

Additionally, it’ll send you notifications if a task is overdue or nearing a deadline. You can then take the necessary steps to speed up the process and stay well ahead of the game.

5. Review task performance

The final stage of task tracking would be the progress review. You need to routinely review your team’s productivity if you’re looking to improve team performance.

Some task trackers like Time Doctor automate reports and work summaries while tracking your team’s project progress. You can then use these reports to analyze the areas of improvement.

These reports can also help you check if your estimation of project completion is correct. And if it’s not, timesheets will show where your team has spent the most time. 

Reviewing can also determine if the tasks are within the budget or not. 

Now that you know how to track projects with a task tracker, let’s check out the finest task tracking solution.

The best task tracking solution: Time Doctor

There are plenty of task trackers available today. 

But how do you know which tool to go for? 

The best tools will track your tasks in progress efficiently, be easy to use, and come with other powerful features to make your work easy – just like Time Doctor .   

What is Time Doctor?

time doctor Time Tracking

Time Doctor is a powerful employee productivity management tool used by major companies like Verizon and Ericsson, as well as small ones like Thrive Market to boost productivity. 

It lets you assign tasks, track them, and check the time spent on each individual task. 

You can even create work schedules for your employees with Time Doctor’s work scheduling feature . 

Time Doctor also generates automated payrolls and productivity reports, saving you a lot of time to work on other important areas of your project. 

Here are some of the features that make it a powerful task tracking and project management tool:

1. Project and task tracking

Time Doctor is a project and task management software that allows you to allocate work, track tasks, and assist in team management. 

With Time Doctor, you can create a main project and break it down into simple tasks. You can then assign these tasks to your team members.

This’ll help you track the progress made on each project task more efficiently while improving the overall workflow of your team.

2. Time tracking

Time Doctor lets you track the time spent on every task, project, and client. 

The tool offers two types of time tracking modes: 

  • Manual: An employee can kickstart time tracking by entering the task’s name and clicking the start button. To stop the tracking, all they have to do is to click the stop button when they’re done with the task or need a break.

Easy and accurate time tracking

  • Automatic: With the automatic time tracking feature, you don’t have to stress about starting the time tracker every time you begin working. It’ll automatically keep tracking time but run silently in the background. 

3. Reports and reviews

Time Doctor streamlines reporting for you by generating automated reports and analytics based on projects as well as task tracking. 

Here are some of the reports you can view:

  • Projects and tasks report : This shows how much time an employee spends on individual projects and tasks.
  • Attendance reports : Reports if an employee is present, absent, or late in real-time.
  • Activity summary report : This shows the employees’ active time, idle minutes, and mobile login time.
  • Web and app usage report : Reports each employee’s time spent on different websites and apps.

4. Chrome extensions and integrations

Through Time Doctor, you can integrate with other management and accounting tools like Asana , GitHub , Zoho Projects , etc. This’ll allow you to juggle multiple projects, streamline tasks across various platforms, and save time – with one tracking software.

You can download the Time Doctor extension from the Chrome web store to enjoy seamless integration and collaboration across various platforms.

Still wondering if a task tracker is worth it?

Let’s check out some of the advantages of a good task tracker app.

3 incredible benefits of task tracking

Here are a few reasons why you should start using a task tracker today: 

1. Manage productivity

Keeping pace with multiple tasks, deadlines, and managing a team well could seem challenging –  but not with a task tracker app.

Task trackers help you jot down multiple tasks, delegate them, and deliver them right on time according to the due dates. 

Time trackers also allow you to assign tasks according to the skill-sets of employees. 

How? With a task tracker, you’ll know exactly how employees perform different tasks, and the time they take to work on each project. Using this information, you can assign them appropriate tasks with apt deadlines.

Additionally, some task management tools also leave room for individuals to improve their efficiency on their own. 

For example, productivity management tools like Time Doctor allow individuals to view their daily and weekly working hours. 

This inspires employees to work on their time management to be more productive and efficient. Besides, task trackers also encourage a smooth workflow as employees get a clear idea of their deliverables and due dates – eliminating confusion and improving focus.

As a result of it all, you’ll have a robust project management system in place.

2. Focus on priorities   

A task tracker app helps you break down projects into simpler tasks to help you identify the things you need to prioritize. It can also detect if there are important tasks that may fall behind schedule.

Moreover, with its time tracking abilities, you can quickly realize if you’re taking longer than usual for a standard task. If you’re, you can focus better on that specific task and prioritize it.    

3. Optimal use of resources

To have excellent productivity levels, you need a team that’s happy and de-stressed. 

With a task tracker, you’ll have a clear picture of who’s doing what and how much. This’ll help you delegate work to your employees accordingly. 

For example, task management software may offer useful features like a workload chart, Gantt Chart, or a Kanban Board . These features help visualize your entire project tasks so that you’ll know where your resources are employed, their task status, etc.

This way, you’ll be able to use your resources better without overburdening your employees.

If you’re still unsure about investing in a task tracker, you can use free task management software to test the waters – before taking the plunge.

Wrapping up

A task tracker helps you track multiple projects, giving you a clear idea of your progress, work duration, deadlines, and more. 

This way, task trackers allow you to create a more productive and efficient work environment. 

If that’s your end goal too, stop stacking away to-do lists today. Instead, sign up for a time tracking and productivity management tool like Time Doctor to track your tasks with ease!

Time Doctor - start a free trial

Vaishali Badgujar is a Content and SEO specialist at Time Doctor, an employee-friendly time-tracking system that boosts productivity.

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Microsoft teams vs zoom: the 8 key differences, related posts, sustainable practices to boost operational efficiency, 70% of leaders relate performance issues in businesses to employee skills gap, navigating the data dilemma with workforce analytics, cultivating a culture of efficiency: strategies for management , generational conflicts impacting workplace productivity in the uk and us, work smarter, not harder: how automation can drive workforce efficiency.

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The way we think about work is changing — again. 

The tumultuous years that have followed the COVID pandemic led companies to rethink their use of office space, their remote work policies, their employee experience, and even their business goals. 

Flexibility has become one of the most sought-after values in a company , and employees know they can find workplaces that help them meet their professional goals while improving their work-life balance. Why should an employee waste hours of their days, five days a week, commuting to an office that doesn’t offer a better environment than they have at home? 

Why should hybrid workers spend an average of $19.11 more each day working onsite compared to working at home? Letting employees come in when they want to, whether it’s to connect with teammates, work on a major collaborative project, or even get some heads-down work done, is becoming a popular approach.

At the beginning of COVID, leadership teams felt nervous about whether or not employees would be able to be as effective and productive working from home. But over the course of the past 2+ years, we’ve now seen that employees are most productive when they’re given the autonomy to choose to work how they work best. In fact, 62% of employees report being more productive at home than in the office.

work task is

This has cemented hybrid and remote work as the way of the future. But can we go even further and experiment with an even more radical change to how we work? 

This is where task-based work comes in. As opposed to time-based work, task-based work is a new concept companies all over the world are exploring to boost productivity, job satisfaction, and employee retention.

What is task-based work?

Task-based work involves structuring job expectations around specific tasks that need to get done and decoupling them from outdated expectations of working between 9am and 5pm in an office environment or working the traditional five-day work week.

It may seem like too big a change after nearly three years of constant changes, but if an employee can get all their tasks done between the hours of 10am and 3pm from their couch, why shouldn’t they? If employees can get all their required tasks, and even a few extra ones, done in four days instead of five, why shouldn’t they?

Thanks to the past few years of mostly hybrid and remote work, teams have built the skills and learned the tools needed to collaborate with teammates from LA to Australia, across many time zones, and in many locations. It might now be time to allow employees to put these skills to work when collaborating with teams who can work whenever they want to — no matter if they’re in the same city or across the world.

And task-based work goes hand in hand with experiments like the four-day work week. In the UK, 73 companies are in the process of participating in a six-month-long four-day work week trial , paying their employees their full salaries for four days of work instead of five. Of the companies who have responded to the three-month check-in survey, 86% plan to keep the policy in place after the trial ends, citing similar or even better levels of productivity and improved employee well-being. 

The benefits of task-based work

This drastic change isn’t without its challenges, as it overhauls the vast majority of the social and cultural workplace expectations that have been cemented over the past nearly 100 years . But task-based work can lead to radical improvements in your employees’ work-life balance, the equity of your hiring and retention efforts, and the productivity and engagement of your workers.

Work-life balance and equity

As the world shifted under our feet over and over again in the past few years, both employees and executives alike have begun to seek out better work-life balance. Task-based work , which lets employees work how they want when they want, and where they want, creates an environment that lets a wider range of people thrive in the workplace.

With task-based work, working parents can do some work while their baby is sleeping, spend much of the day tending to their needs, and finish up after the baby is asleep for the night. People taking care of sick or elderly family members have the flexibility to accompany them to every doctor’s appointment. And people with chronic illness, disabilities, or sleep challenges can get their work done at the time of day that best suits them on any given day.

Innovative task-based work policies can help companies attract the best talent, regardless of the life circumstances that might make a formal, in-person 9-5 job untenable.

Increased productivity

As mentioned above, the vast majority of companies experimenting with a task-based four-day work week saw that their productivity remained the same or even increased. It can seem counterintuitive on the surface that fewer hours of work can lead to more productivity, but the fact remains that deadlines — like end of day Thursday instead of end of day Friday — and increased work-life balance can help employees stay on task and do their best work.

Knowing exactly what needs to get done and by which day or time is really all that teams need to work asynchronously and harmoniously — more on that below. 

Employee well-being and engagement

It has become clear that employees will seek out employment arrangements that suit their new working styles. Two-thirds (66%) of workers say they would immediately start looking for a job that offered flexibility if their current job got rid of the ability to work from home. And 39% of workers would just quit.

We also know that employees who are empowered with the flexibility to work from wherever they like are more likely to be engaged and happy in their jobs. That means lower turnover . 

By taking this flexibility even further, we can only stand to reason that employees would continue to feel more trusted by their employers and more engaged in their work, as they’ll be doing their work in a way that fits into the rest of their life — not the other way around. 

Meetings and task-based work

The first logical objection to taking a task-based work approach is about meetings. If everyone is working at different times of the day, how can they be expected to attend important meetings outside of their specific work hours? How can teammates lean on each other and support one another if everyone isn’t always online or in the office at the same time?

The answer: with a culture of open communication and crystal-clear expectations. 

When starting to approach the shift towards task-based work, be transparent about what it means to your company. 

Maybe your approach will be to let employees work where they want and when they want, but you create a daily meetings period from 10am to 2pm where all employees need to be ready to join meetings as needed.

Maybe you’ll teach employees to better gauge the urgency of their requests: does the matter at hand really need to be resolved in a meeting immediately? Or can it be resolved through an email, responded to within the next working day?

No matter how you choose to approach this shift, proactive scheduling and transparency will be the cornerstone of every successful week of work.

The importance of asynchronous collaboration 

Task-based work requires more communication and more advanced planning than time-based work. It requires employees and employers alike to lean into the idea of asynchronous collaboration and put in the work of active communication to reap the rewards of greater work-life balance. 

What is asynchronous collaboration?

Asynchronous collaboration involves working collectively on a project while various teammates are working from different locations and at different times. It’s the polar opposite of having all teammates sitting in a room together and working on a project, but it can yield results that are just as good, if not better.

The key to successful asynchronous collaboration is organization, communication, and the right technology and platforms. All employees must be extremely clear on what’s expected from them, by what date and time, and they must be sufficiently accountable to get it all done.

Project management

Asynchronous collaboration necessitates excellent project management. Whether a team has a dedicated project manager or just a project management tool like Asana or Trello , teammates must all be kept in the loop about what needs to be done and by which deadline. 

If every teammate submits their deliverables to the group in time, the project is able to proceed at the predetermined pace, even with employees working on different schedules. 

The right collaborative technology 

Asynchronous collaboration doesn’t mean collaboration without meetings. It does mean being intentional about what meetings and check-ins are necessary and which aren’t, and it involves scheduling these meetings at a time when the majority of the group can make it. 

And to ensure everyone, from office-based employees to remote employees across the world, can be seen, heard, and understood, it’s important for companies to invest in leveling up their videoconferencing technology. Since there will be fewer opportunities for spontaneous run-ins in the office, every hybrid meeting needs to be inclusive and seamless to encourage the best collaboration possible.

Collaborative platforms

Platforms like Google Workspace , Canva , and Figma all allow users to work on the same file together and reflect changes and comments in real-time, no matter where they are in the world. By working primarily with these types of collaborative tools, teams can see what changed since they were last online, what needs to be done today, and how they can contribute their best ideas to the project.

Task-based work and management

Emma Brudner, head of HR at Process Unity, shared that one of the biggest areas of improvement that hybrid and remote-friendly companies can address today is to train managers to manage their teams remotely . 

Managers working in a hybrid or remote environment, whether or not it’s also asynchronous, will need to use a different set of skills to ensure their teams are successful. There’s no walking by a desk and saying hello, and there’s no debriefing after a meeting while walking back to your seats. Proactive online check-ins, and short weekly meetings, can help bridge that gap, but the most important jobs as a manager are goal-setting and transparent expectations. 

Ensuring that all managers have clear goals and expectations for each employee helps keep track of progress and ensure company-wide success, no matter if employees are working from the same room or across the world and at different times.

Will you test into task-based work?

Three years ago, no one could have predicted how commonplace and widespread remote and hybrid work would become by 2022. It has changed the way people work forever and has encouraged employees to find the way that they can do their best work — and let them do it.

Task-based work may be the next trend to take off worldwide. If this new way of working has the potential to be great for employees and great for companies, why not give it a try?

To learn more about the current state of hybrid and remote work, read the Owl Labs State of Remote Work 2022 Report .

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What Is a Work Plan? How to Make a Work Plan In 7 Steps

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Before you can accomplish your project goals, you need to plan how to reach them. A work plan creates a clear path project teams can follow to reach their desired goals and objectives. Along that path will be resources, constraints and other work management elements that need to be described in your work plan.

What Is a Work Plan?

As its name suggests, a work plan is an action plan that helps project teams achieve their goals. Work plans factor in key project planning elements such as tasks, milestones, deliverables, resources, budgetary requirements and a timeline to weave it all together.

The work plan won’t be written and initiated by a single person and it should be submitted to board members and stakeholders for approval. Once approved, you can continue building out the rest of your work plan.

work task is

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Work Plan Template

Use this free Work Plan Template for Word to manage your projects better.

Why Do You Need a Work Plan?

As we mentioned, your work plan acts as your roadmap for the entire project execution. Not only will it keep you and your team organized, but it’ll ensure that you get buy-in from key stakeholders, related departments, relevant accountability/risk leaders and more.

Additionally, it helps manage expectations on both the stakeholder level as well as on the managerial and team member level—everyone that starts off on the right foot has a better chance of landing on the right foot, too.

Work plans guide project teams in a similar way project plans do. However, there’s a big difference between these two important project management documents .

Work Plan vs. Project Plan

Work plans are not as comprehensive as project plans , which have a wider scope and involve more components. The main difference between them is that project plans are created from a high-level view and address every aspect of project management. On the other hand, work plans focus on helping project teams achieve smaller objectives.

If you build your work plan in project management software like ProjectManager , then it’s easy to continue to iterate on your plan and make improvements over time. You can use robust project planning tools such as Gantt charts, kanban boards, project dashboards and much more. Get started today for free.

screenshot of a work plan on a Gantt chart

How to Make a Work Plan in 7 Steps

While work plans might take many forms, here are some simple work planning steps you can follow to make one.

1. Set Goals & Objectives

Before anything, it’s important to write down the goals and objectives that’ll be achieved through your work plan. These will describe the purpose of your plan. It’s important to use SMART goals : create goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-related. This should help you start your plan off on the right foot.

Your goals might sound like your purpose, but they’re more specific in that they’re more long-term oriented — i.e., your team learned more about the process of launching a bug fix or how to respond more directly to customer or market feedback.

Similarly, your project objectives should be measurable. For example, the objective of this project after launch is to create an increase of xx% of active monthly subscribers, or a certain dollar amount in revenue generated.

2. Define the Scope of Your Work Plan

Once you’ve identified your work plan goals, you should use a work breakdown structure (WBS) to identify all the tasks that must be executed to achieve them, which is your project scope. By breaking down your project scope, you can start assembling a team, estimating costs, creating a budget and drafting a project schedule.

3. Estimate What Resources Are Needed

When you break down your project scope using a WBS, you can better estimate what resources are needed for each task in your work plan. Make sure to include different types of project resources, such as human resources, raw materials, machinery, subcontractors or anything else that you might need for the execution of your work plan.

4. Assign Roles & Responsibilities

Now, assemble a project team and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each member. Communicate with them and make sure they understand what their job is and how they can collaborate with each other.

5. Estimate Costs & Create a Budget

Once you have a clear idea of what resources are needed for your work plan, it’s time to estimate their costs and create a budget . To do so, simply establish a measurement unit for your labor, materials and other resources to then assign a price to them.

6. Create a Project Schedule

There are different tools and techniques you can use to create a project schedule for your work plan. In fact, most project managers use Gantt charts, project calendars, kanban boards

7. List Any Risks, Constraints and Assumptions

Remember that your work plan is the action plan that’ll guide your project, so the more details you have about constraints and potential risks, the better your team will perform their tasks to produce deliverables and achieve the goals and objectives.

Maybe some of your team members take a few sick days during this period of time; maybe unexpected tasks have to be executed; maybe some of your tools crash that requires more money pulled from the budget. Whatever your project constraints may be, factor in anything that might feel like a risk that can lead to a full-blown constraint, which may affect the completion of deliverables or even the goals and objectives of your project.

Free Work Plan Template

Our work plan template can help you document the steps explained above. Be sure to constantly monitor your template and update it as changes occur in your planning process. Or, if you’re looking for more dynamic project planning tools, you can use Gantt charts.

Free work plan template in ProjectManager

A work plan template can help you organize your thoughts, but in order to create your action plan and execute it, you’ll need dynamic project management software to help you throughout the planning, execution and monitoring phases.

Work Plan Example

Here’s a basic example to better illustrate how a work plan works. Let’s imagine you’re a business owner who wants to increase your production output by 25 percent by acquiring new machinery and hiring more production employees. While this project doesn’t involve producing tangible deliverables , you’ll still need a work plan.

Goals & Objectives It’s important to define one primary goal and then some smaller, more specific objectives needed for the completion of that goal.

Main Work Plan Goal Increase production output by 25 percent.

Work Plan Objectives

  • Improve the company’s production capacity by acquiring new machinery
  • Fill skill gaps in the production planning team
  • Make sure machinery is well-maintained

Scope of the Work Plan Now, you should list individual activities that must be completed in order to achieve your goal and objectives. Here’s a simple breakdown of activities.

  • Inspect the production line
  • Perform preventive maintenance
  • Optimize plant layout
  • Acquire new machinery
  • Assess the current team
  • Hire new personnel

Resources/Roles & Responsibilities In this case, you’ll need a production manager, HR manager and maintenance team. They’re responsible for executing the tasks listed above.

Work Plan Budget Your budget should cover both the labor costs as well as the cost of the new equipment. Your labor costs will be the salaries of the production manager, HR manager and maintenance team. Make sure you estimate your project costs accurately before creating a budget.

Work Plan Schedule Define a timeframe for the analysis of your production line, the procurement of new machinery, preventive maintenance and hiring.

Risk, Assumptions & Constraints Think about any risks, assumptions or constraints that might affect your work plan. The best place to start is the triple constraint of time, budget and resources.

Creating a Work Plan With Project Management Software

To learn more about how project management tools such as Gantt charts , kanban boards and project dashboards can help you make the perfect work plan, watch the short video below. We’ll quickly show you all the ways that project planning software can improve your planning, execution and reporting—so you can make that work plan with confidence.

Project management training video (kkuo0lgcxf)

ProjectManager Can Help You With Your Work Plan

Getting every detail of a work plan sorted is no easy task—from managing your team to managing your stakeholders. It requires a delicate balance of understanding your project timeline, the tasks that make up the project scope, potential risks , balancing a budget and allocating resources. Not to mention, you’ll have to do this while keeping the customers’ ultimate needs and the project goals and objectives in mind.

With ProjectManager , our online Gantt charts let you schedule your entire project timeline, assign tasks, create dependencies and oversee tracking. Additionally, we have team collaboration features that allow your staff and managers to comment on tasks, attach necessary files, and interact with each other no matter where they’re located.

ProjectManager's team management features

ProjectManager also features resource management tools that let you balance the hours worked across your team. This helps ensure that your time, tools and resources are balanced no matter what.

Related Work Management Content

  • What Is Work Management? Creating a Work Management System
  • Best Work Management Software of 2024 for Remote Teams
  • What is a Statement of Work? Definition & Examples
  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Creating a work plan and don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. With ProjectManager , you’ll get access to online software that helps you to better track your work plan from milestone to milestone. Start your free 30-day trial with ProjectManager  today.

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Tracking tasks using a task tracker for more productivity

work task is

Are you still scribbling your to-do list on a piece of scrap paper? Perhaps you’ve dabbled with various digital to-do lists, only to let them fall by the wayside.

Enter a task tracker, a single place where you and your team can organize and prioritize task that needs to get done. Many task trackers can do even more, with features like time tracking or task management.

Read on to learn how task trackers like monday work management can help increase productivity and ensure that you actually get to all the tasks on your list.

What is a task tracker?

In the simplest terms, a task tracker is a smart to-do list, but in actual fact, it’s much more. A task tracker helps make sure no tasks slip through the cracks. You can use it to manage your team members’ tasks, too. That said, you’ll find that most task trackers let you do a lot more than just check off activities. Many task trackers come as a part of a larger task management software that also includes time tracking, reporting capabilities, and automations too will help you stay on top of recurring tasks.

How can I make task tracking more efficient?

At first, a to-do list might seem as simple as adding tasks to a list and checking them off as they’re completed. However, if it were that easy, there wouldn’t be tons of different tools and methods to help you actually complete your list. Before we get into why your to-do list often goes uncompleted, let’s look at some ways to make tracking tasks more efficient.

  • Work in chunks: Break tasks down into easily digestible chunks that can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. This will help you stay motivated and on track.
  • Prioritize: Make sure you prioritize tasks to ensure that you focus on the most important ones first.
  • Track progress: Set small goals for what you want to accomplish in a day or week and track your progress accordingly to see what still needs to be done.
  • Automate reminders: Use automations to send yourself reminders via text, emails, or push notifications for when tasks are due.
  • Streamline communication: Set up a communication system with your team to keep everyone informed and on tasks, priorities, and progress.
  • Delegate: Don’t be shy about sending tasks to other team members who can do a better job in a shorter amount of time.
  • Use the right tools: Leverage different tools digital to-do lists or task tracking software to help you stay organized.

Why tasks on your list aren’t getting completed

At work, “task list zero” is even more elusive than “inbox zero.” There always seems to be a couple of items left on the list. More often than not, these tasks are stuck on your list for a reason. Here’s why tasks might not get completed.

1. Your list has too many items

A fundamental problem is that you have just too many items on your list.

Even President Dwight Eisenhower struggled with this and developed a method for prioritization focusing on 2 criteria: importance and urgency. We’ve even got a handy Eisenhower Matrix template to help you embrace this method.

eisenhower matrix monday board

The key here is to take things off your immediate to-do list to reduce the clutter and help you focus on essential tasks or goals that are more urgent or important. Tasks that aren’t as urgent can be delegated, postponed until you have time to come back to them, or sometimes even removed if they’re not critical to your ultimate goals.

2. The tasks aren’t specific enough

“Create a new website” isn’t a task. It’s not something that you can simply do and cross off your task list, but rather a goal that’s made up of many different tasks that span a long period of time.

Break down deliverables into clear-cut tasks that show exactly what you or your team should be working on at any given time.

For example, break the website design into a concept, wireframe, mockup, and other smaller deliverables. Based on this, you can create individual tasks, like drafting the wireframe or reviewing and editing the wireframe, and then share them with your team.

3. Your to-do list isn’t organized properly

When your to-do list is disorganized, it can put you off from even tackling tasks in the first place. Best case scenario, you start working on a task but find you don’t have the right resources or information to complete it, relegating it to stay forever on your list.

An organized task list includes more than just the name of a task. You need to know who owns the tasks, if other team members need to be involved, when it’s due, how urgent it is, and have access to any documents that could be helpful in completing your task.

Organizing your to-do list will not only help you complete more tasks but also help you come to your list every morning with peace of mind.

What benefits does a task tracker provide?

When used correctly, a task tracker comes with several advantages. And when you use intuitive and customizable tracking software like monday work management , it doesn’t have to be a lot of work either.

Here are a few concrete ways a work task tracker tool helps you work smarter.

  • Get a centralized view of your workload. Sure, a paper to-do list is handy, but it’s harder to view the entire state of your work in one glance and move things around if necessary.
  • Work is easier to delegate. When you know every single task you need to complete, it’s a breeze to figure out who else on your team can help.
  • All your information will be accessible online. Since many task trackers are online or in the cloud, you can keep track of your tasks no matter where you are. No more forgetting that stack of sticky notes at home.
  • You’ll work faster. Instead of spending valuable time figuring out what work you need to do, you can focus entirely on the actual task. That means more work gets done in less time.
  • Track where you’re spending your time. Time tracking is another key benefit of most task trackers. The average employee is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes a day, but when you track time by task, you’ll see exactly where you can improve your team’s efficiency and productivity.
  • Better measure progress: With a task tracker, teams can see what task is being done, who’s doing it, and when it needs to be done by. This helps keep track of the progress of each task and overall project.

How do I find the right task tracking software for my team?

With so many task tracking software solutions on the market, knowing which one is right for your team is a task in and of itself. Before looking at specific solutions, identify your needs as an organization so that you can get a better idea of the features you’ll need. Try to answer the following questions:

  • Are you managing a project?
  • Are you managing tasks for your entire organization?
  • Do you want to handle personal to-dos?
  • Which features are most important to help you complete your company’s specific tasks?
  • What’s your budget for a task tracking tool?
  • Would your team be ok with a solution that requires more technical expertise?

For personal to-dos, most apps will do, as long as they have native versions for your devices.

But if you’re managing a team of multiple people, projects, and complex workflows, a basic app won’t be robust enough to handle all your tasks. For professional teams, you want to make sure the solution you choose has some specific features.

What features should task tracking software have?

When shopping around for a task tracking tool or digital to-do list for your team, you don’t necessarily need a solution with the most features, but you do need to make sure it has all the essential features. Let’s take a look at some must-have task tracking features.

Task ownership and assigning

If you can’t assign tasks to specific members or to a team, things can easily become chaotic. The last thing you want is multiple members working on the same thing or tasks falling through the cracks.

Collaboration and communication features

Team members should be able to collaborate on tasks and communicate when they’re stuck, need help, or have updates on an item. Look for features that allow you to add files, comments on each task, or have an internal messaging system.

Assign task owners, set clear deadlines, keep stakeholders informed, and track project scope, schedule, milestones, dependencies, and essential metrics at any level.

Prioritization and categorization

Adding a clear status of each task’s priority and category will help your team focus on the most important ones without getting sidetracked by lower-priority tasks.

Automated reminders

Since your to-do list is only efficient if you actually work towards completing it, a task tracker with automated reminders will help you stay focused and nudge you when a task is almost due.

Save valuable time and get new projects started faster by automating crucial elements of your work, like creating templated project boards or sending approval notifications and reminders.

Visualization tools

With visualization tools like color-coded task statuses and multiple project views like Gantt, Kanban, or timeline views, managers and teams can get a much better overview of a project’s status and what work is left to be done.

Kanban board

How does monday work management help with tracking tasks?

If you want to get more tasks done as a team, there’s no better task tracking software than monday work management. That may seem like a bold statement, but we’ve helped so many teams become more productive that we’ve stopped being shy about it. monday work management is a total solution that encompasses task tracking and a lot more. As a task management solution, monday work management offers all the features you need for personal or team use.

A screenshot showing a picture of a to-do list in monday work management.

Here’s a quick look at some of the features you’ll get with monday work management that will help your team stay efficient and productive:

  • Easily create, prioritize, and assign tasks with a visual drag-and-drop interface
  • Monitor task status with clear, color-coded boxes
  • Implement WBS , Kanban, or other techniques with pre-made templates and custom views and timelines
  • Expand every list item with as many subtasks as you need
  • Break tasks down visually and edit deadlines on an interactive timeline
  • Track time directly in the platform to see how long is spent on each task
  • Visualize team progress and project status with report dashboards and graphs
  • Collaborate directly on tasks with threaded comments, mentions, and file attachments
  • Get reminders on task deadlines and cut down on manual work with custom automations
  • Create smoother workflows with 70+ integrations and 200+ apps with the work tools you already use like Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, Zapier, Google apps, and more
  • Complete tasks on the go with native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac desktop

monday work management: a solution that’s up to the task

Get a handle on your ever-growing to-do list with monday work management. While it can be used for multiple purposes, as a task tracker, it gives you everything you need to organize, prioritize, and complete all the tasks on your list. Ditch the pen and paper and the dozens of other digital to-do lists you’ve tried and organize everything in one place with monday work management.

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25 Best Task Management Software Tools for Work in 2024

Erica Chappell

Managing Editor

March 6, 2024

Is your team’s workload getting too heavy for you to handle?

If you need to find the best task management software for you and your team, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll go over the 25 best task management solutions available today. You can use these tools to manage tasks, to-do lists , and projects to get the best out of your team and your business.

By the end of the article, you’ll have all the information you need to pick a task management tool that’s right for you!

What Is Task Management Software?

2. proofhub, 6. hubspot task management, 11. proprofs project, 15. clockify, 17. infinity, 19. taskworld, 21. basecamp, 22. monday.com, 24. taskade, understand your needs, consider your team’s size and complexity, evaluate user-friendliness, consider integrations, determine your budget, task management software faqs.

Avatar of person using AI

Task management is more than just a task manager checking off items on a to-do list!

It’s an organized system for identifying, monitoring, and managing the work you and your team. Task management involves:

  • Tracking task progress
  • Delegating work to team members
  • Setting deadlines
  • Adjusting work schedules
  • And so much more!

Effective task management helps individuals or groups achieve goals, and it also takes into consideration task planning, task priorities, task automations, as well as dependencies and budgeting. Task management is usually one of the essential features of good project management software .

25 Best Task Management Software in 2024

Here are the 25 best task management tools for organizing individual and team tasks efficiently:

Manage your workload in ClickUp

If you need a platform to scale both task management and project management, ClickUp delivers what teams need within reach to manage personal to-do lists, complex projects, and everything in between. Its extensive customization options and integration capabilities contribute to its versatility and widespread adoption among professionals across various industries.

ClickUp includes over 15 ways to view your work. Whether you’re a manager overseeing a team or an individual contributor trying to stay organized, views let you flex your workspace to fit your needs. Here’s a closer look at some of the features and functionalities of this free task management software:

A) Templates and Recurring Tasks

Why waste time creating project plans and new tasks or task lists every time you start a new project? With ClickUp, you can save any task list as a Template to instantly add it to future projects. 

You can even set up Recurring Tasks for your projects. You can also edit the time interval between each Recurring Task to customize how often they appear.

B) Priorities

Priorities help you prioritize tasks when completing projects. With a simple color-coded system, your team will have no difficulty identifying which tasks to prioritize and which to de-emphasize. 

Check out these prioritization tools !

C) Reminders

Our project management software comes with powerful Reminders to help you always keep track of your deliverables . You can customize where and when you receive these reminders for added ease. Whether it’s your email inbox, your desktop, or mobile, ClickUp will inform you of everything at the right time.

D) Notifications

ClickUp has tons of notifications to keep you updated on your task developments. You can also customize how often you receive them and on what platforms they appear. 

E) ClickUp AI

ClickUp AI is a revolutionary tool that helps prioritize tasks and make sure you’re never overwhelmed. Use ClickUp AI to summarize tasks, and generate action items from Docs and Tasks.

Instead of adapting to a tool’s interface, let the management tool adapt to you! 

ClickUp gives you Multiple views for managing tasks the way you’d like to: 

  • Board view : view your tasks in a handy Kanban board
  • List view : view your tasks in a GTD-style list app
  • Box view : check what everyone’s working on and delegate tasks
  • Calendar view : quickly manage your task schedules
  • Table view : create flexible spreadsheets 
  • Timeline view : visualize and organize your work over time
  • Whiteboard view : ideate new tasks and visualize workflows flexibly

G) Assigned Comments

Sure, your typical project management software allows you to add comments to tasks.

But ClickUp does way more!

ClickUp lets you instantly convert comments into individual tasks for quick task management. All it takes is a couple of clicks to assign a comment to someone and have it pop up in their Task Tray. Once they finish the task, they can even mark it as resolved!

H) Targets and Goals

A task manager can use ClickUp to set Goals to track what they’re working towards. You can even break down your goals into smaller Targets to make them more achievable.

I) Dashboards

Manage your business, resources, and develop Sprints, all from Dashboards. You can also choose what Widgets to include in your Dashboards, such as a Burn Up, Burndown Velocity chart, etc.

Note down important tasks and ideas, create checklists, and even convert your notes into tasks with our Notepad.

K) Integrations

ClickUp integrates with 1,000+ cool apps and collaboration tools, including Slack, Gmail, Zoom, Outlook, Google Drive, HubSpot, and more. This integration ecosystem streamlines workflows, eliminating the need for constant switching between tools and ensuring all relevant information is easily accessible within ClickUp.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. ClickUp also offers you a built-in Gantt Chart , Task Dependencies , Permissions , Native Time Tracking , Mind Maps , and much more! 

Need a full picture of our project management tool? Take a look at the ClickUp Features page.

  • Free Forever
  • Unlimited:  $7/month per user
  • Business:  $12/month per user
  • Enterprise:  Contact for pricing
  • ClickUp AI : Available on all paid plans for $5/Workspace member/month

What people think about task management with ClickUp

“I honestly wouldn’t last two minutes in my job without ClickUp holding all my tasks and being the brain that remembers what I need to work on, when my deadlines are, where to reference information, all the little details individual to each area of work and a thousand other things.” — G2Crowd

“I liked that every one of us (we were a 10-men dev team featuring 2x QA, SCM, PO and DEVS) was able to create as many customized views and lists and what-not. Aggregation worked amazing – especially when grouping things together for exports and reporting subtasks – we used that a lot for “task-scoping” (basically task breakdown) and on the business plan it also allowed us to assign hour estimates.” — GetApp

Ready to try ClickUp?   Get it for free here.

ProofHub Task Management

ProofHub is an all-in-one project management app and collaborative work management tool. It comes with all the features you require to stay in ultimate control of your teams, tasks, projects, and communications.

There are powerful team collaboration features to keep your distributed team members connected. You can share company-wide announcements with ease. ProofHub also integrates with third-party apps like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box to give you a central place to access all your files and data.

However, it may not suit larger teams, and you may be bothered by a ton of notifications since they lack custom notifications.

ProofHub Key Features

  • To-do lists
  • Custom workflows and kanban boards
  • Gantt charts
  • Online proofing tool
  • In-built chat app
  • Dedicated space for real-time collaboration
  • Timer and timesheets
  • Custom reports
  • File sharing
  • Mobile app (both iOS and Android)

Price : $89 per month (unlimited users)

creating tasks in todoist

Todoist, as a task management solution, is a breeze for many. 

Like the Swift to-do list app , it has a simple, no-frills interface built around a classic design. This task-tracking software is great for individuals, though they’ve recently expanded into teams and adapted to small business needs.

However, they still fall short when it comes to team management , as you can’t assign multiple people to a single task. 

Guess they want you to-do things all on your own!

Check out the best Todoist alternatives .

Todoist Key Features

  • Recurring due dates
  • Mobile apps available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices
  • Task labels and reminders
  • Email notifications
  • Automatic backups
  • Collaborate on tasks via email

Pricing : Free to $5/month per user.

creating tasks in anydo

This is an interesting to-do list app and task management app. Any.do labels items as today, tomorrow, and upcoming, giving you a quick overview of the tasks that you need to complete. 

Unlike other task or project management software, Any.do also has an intuitive calendar to help you see how your events and tasks fit together. This task management solution can also organize tasks and filter your workflow by due date or category.

There is one drawback, though:

Looking for a powerful free version?

We’re sorry, but Any.do’s going to have to respond with a: no-can-do !

Any.do Key Features

  • Time tracking add-ons
  • To-do list reminders
  • Daily planner to organize and prioritize to-dos
  • Android and iOS mobile apps
  • Unlimited attachments
  • Location-based reminders
  • Task color-coding to organize your work 
  • Customized recurring tasks

Price : Free to $2.99/month per user.

Chanty for Task Management

Chanty is a team collaboration platform employing a chat-first model to create an effective task management system. With chat organization, users get to convert any message into an assignment, allocate it to the appropriate person, and set due dates for it.

Moreover, switching to a Kanban board can also help you improve your workflow by providing an easy way to manage all of your tasks in one location from a bird eye view.

You can also use Chanty to do more than just communicate by integrating several apps and eliminating the inconvenience of navigating between all of them.

Chanty Key Features

  • Individual and group audio or video calls
  • Built-in task management
  • Screen sharing
  • Community support
  • Unlimited searchable chat history
  • Roles and permissions
  • A dedicated support line
  • Unlimited members on the team
  • Unlimited individual and group audio or video calls

Price: Free up to 10 users after which it is $3/user/month.

HubSpot task management software helps teams

HubSpot took task management and decided to up the game for everyone. The software is included in its customer relationship management (CRM) suite, and it’s aimed at helping you move along the sales funnel. 

You can create workflows to automatically schedule new tasks after you complete ongoing tasks. Set up reminders, compare your performance to past data, and keep track of everything in one place.

HubSpot has a strong focus on integrations, so if there’s an app you love, chances are HubSpot works with it.

Check out ClickUp’s integration with HubSpot .

HubSpot is a comprehensive tool, and even at the free level, it can be a lot. While they offer different ways to learn the software, it has more of a learning curve than some other options on this list.

HubSpot Key Features

  • Automatically synced data 
  • Integrations with hundreds of apps
  • Easy task creation
  • Progress tracking
  • Task queues

Price: HubSpot starts free, with premium CRM plans starting from $45/month.

managing tasks in taskqueue

Taskque is one of the best task managers that’s a step up over a regular to-do list app. It’s a great tool for resource management and can assign tasks to the next available team member. 

It works well for teams that are working on the same functions, with similar skills. Instead of being a broad management tool with no focus, Taskque can quickly assign tasks to zero down on your work.

Unfortunately, it’s going to be a tough tasque working with its limited integrations and no time tracking.

Taskque Key Features

  • Automatic task assignment
  • Discussions
  • A powerful to-do list app
  • Workflow management
  • Exclusive permissions
  • Expanded workspaces

Price : Free to $5/user per month.

work task is

If you’re a project manager who likes using a Gantt chart, Flow could be the best task tracking software for you. Most of the projects are color-coded to help you quickly navigate between individual tasks and projects in your workflow. 

Additionally, templates and repeat projects help users when they need to do a project repeatedly or stage another event. 

The one drawback of this management app? 

Don’t use it if you’re looking for a free task management tool. There’s no free plan!

Flow Key Features

  • A list of tasks with card views
  • Drag and drop timeline
  • Workflow management features
  • Public and private projects

Price : $4.79/user/month and up

hitask

Tasks and projects are front and center in this management solution. The central dashboard features all of your tasks and can be arranged by the due date, project, or team. 

Your teammates are listed on the right side, and you can automatically drag tasks from the central task area to your team members. Once this is done, each teammate is assigned the task, and it becomes part of their workflow.

Speaking of your workflow, any good task management software should be able to offer you easy task planning and scheduling features to streamlines your workflow.

Does Hitask offer them?

They have no Gantt chart . 

No Kanban board.

So no workflows. Ugh.

Hitask Key Features

  • Task management
  • File storage
  • Time tracking
  • Email task creation
  • Mobile apps for iOS and Android
  • Selective permissions on tasks
  • Calendar sync
  • Unlimited storage

Pricing : Free to $20/user per month

board view in trello app

Trello is one of the largest Kanban task management tools. It’s no surprise that their Kanban boards are their main calling card. This customizable Kanban interface allows users to set up cards for different projects like they were post-it notes.

To make Trello efficient for complex projects, you’ll have to upgrade for features like project timeline templates or priorities. 

Why do that when there are tools that offer that in their free plans?

Take a look at the best Trello alternatives , and don’t forget to compare Trello with ClickUp !

Trello Key Features

  • Attachments
  • Unlimited integrations
  • Collections for teams
  • Public/private boards
  • More onboarding support

Price : Free to $17.50/user per month

ProProfs Help Desk

ProProfs Project is a feature-rich task management solution. It’s built to handle multiple projects across cross-functional teams on a single platform.

Create a project schedule and streamline your processes to deliver your projects on time and within budget. Also, you can prioritize tasks and track them using multiple project views such as Gantt charts, Kanban board, and more.

One of the best things about ProProfs Project is its customizable dashboard. It lets you schedule tasks with a simple drag and drop and provides all your project information at a glance.

What’s missing? A user-friendly mobile application that allows seamless team collaboration anywhere, anytime.

ProProfs Key Features

  • Centralized dashboard
  • Real-time alerts & notifications
  • Instant messaging, task comments, & file sharing
  • Customizable workflows
  • Gantt charts, Kanban board, Calendar view
  • Task prioritization
  • AI-powered reports
  • Automatic invoicing
  • Task dependencies

Price : $2/user per month and up

managing tasks in quire

Quire breaks down online task management into its smallest components, giving you the most critical tasks to focus on first. Unlike other management tools, the way it does this is with “nesting” and Kanban boards.

Quire nests tasks within cards in a Kanban board to unfurl your next steps within each card. 

This online task management software also has powerful filtering options to help you pick out the tasks that need to be completed first.

As perfect as it sounds, it has a-Quire-d its share of flaws. The most striking one is its lack of a built-in chat feature!

Quire Key Features

  • Tasks and subtasks
  • Progress reports
  • Recurring tasks
  • Apps for iOS and Android
  • Kanban boards

Price : Free

managing tasks in asana

This management software aims to help you meet your task deadlines quickly. You can even integrate it with time-management software to add time tracking to your tasks. 

Asana is a good option for online task management in that smaller teams can use it effectively. But it may not scale as well across the whole organization.

Don’t forget to check out the best Asana alternatives and our Asana and ClickUp comparison !

Asana Key Features

  • Basic dashboard
  • Basic search

Price : Free to $24.99/user/month and up

managing tasks in things

The Things app is another great task management software.

The key differentiator for this task-tracking software is that you can select a core focus for each day. Things lay on a small layer of project management that has sections on comments, tasks, and subtasks.

Do remember, every web-based task management feature is premium because there’s no free task plan for your desktop, iPhone, and iPad.

Any other concerns about this task management system ?

Things is only available on Mac and iOS.

Things Key Features

  • Calendar events
  • Morning, afternoon, evening slots
  • Section headings
  • Mac OS shortcuts

Price : One-time charge of $49.99

Clockify Schedule feature for projects

Although widely known for its time tracking capabilities, Clockify can be a solution to your task management problems, too.

You can use Clockify to manage all your tasks, to-dos, and projects. Additionally, it’s suitable for individuals, such as freelancers and independent consultants, and companies and teams of all sizes. 

The app offers a free task timer that you can use to track the hours you and your team spend working on tasks — and then uses that data to calculate billable hours.

The only drawback is that Clockify covers a wide range of time tracking and invoicing features which can be overwhelming if your idea is to use it solely as a task management app. 

Clockify Key Features

  • Categorize your time entries into specific tasks. 
  • Assign tasks to people and set time estimates for each task. 
  • Manage your tasks — edit them, mark them as done, or delete them. 
  • Visually track all your tasks and time logs in a Calendar view. 
  • Integrate the app with 80+ other project management and productivity tools. 

Premium: 

  • Define hourly rates for each task and decide which ones are billable.
  • Visualize all your projects, see who’s available for their next task, and make schedules accordingly. 
  • Ensure maximum security and privacy of your tasks by hosting Clockify on your own servers. 
  • Automate your projects by setting up Project templates and using them for every new project, if applicable. 

Price: 

You can use most of Clockify’s features for free; the cheapest paid plan starts at $3.99 user/month

Plutio task management software

Plutio is an all-in-one business management app designed for freelancers, small businesses, and large enterprises alike. It comes with everything you need to efficiently manage tasks and projects for teams and individuals.

Plutio comes with tons of great collaborative features that give you a cutting-edge, like time-tracking, team chat, dynamic proposals, contracts and e-signing, appointments and bookings, and more.

It’s a fantastic solution for anyone looking to streamline and automate their processes while cutting their monthly software costs.

The downside? Because Plutio comes with so many features, it can take a while to learn them all. However, they have excellent customer support to help get their users up to speed.

Plutio Key Features

  • Timeline/Gantt view, Kanban view, list view, and calendar view
  • Dashboards, projects, and knowledge-base
  • Team Chat, time-tracking and timesheets, built-in documents
  • Proposals, contracts, and invoicing

Pricing : 7-Day Free Trial, Pricing Starts at $19/month.

work task is

Infinity is a flexible and fully customizable task management software that features a colorful and engaging interface. This software can be used by both freelancers juggling multiple clients and tasks, as well as corporations with thousands of employees around the world.

Built to help you organize yourself easier and take the stress out of your workdays, Infinity gives you endless ways to customize your workflows. The key to this is in Infinity’s great structure, advanced productivity and automations features, and unmatched versatility.

Using Infinity, you’ll be able to put all of your tasks straight, eliminate clutter, collaborate with teams and stakeholders, spot and resolve bottlenecks, and get tasks done with less effort and in less time.

Infinity Key Features

  • 6 different views to display data: Kanban, List, Gantt, Calendar, Form, and Table
  • 20+ attributes, including labels, dates, formulas, and progress bar, to name a few
  • Over 50 templates for various use cases
  • API & automations to help you complete projects faster
  • Multiple integrations, including ones with Google Drive, iCalendar, and Zapier
  • Dedicated desktop and mobile apps

Price: Infinity is currently running one-time payment deals that give users access to all Infinity features.

project management in accelo

This management software has a task board that will automatically show you overdue tasks for today, tomorrow, and beyond. 

Another great feature of this management app is the number of integrations. These include Google Drive, Office 365, Outlook, internet safety software; you name it. Accelo also helps you monitor estimates, invoicing, scheduling, and billing more so than any other task management app.

Accelo is capable of so much, but it accel-erates your company at a cost.

It doesn’t have a free plan. And $39 per user per month, you’ll be spending a small fortune each month!

Accelo Key Features

  • Team scheduling templates
  • Time tracking templates
  • Automated timesheet

Price : $39 to $79/user per month

task management in taskworld

To be quick and to the point, this management app looks a lot like Trello (or maybe Trello looks a lot like Taskworld?)

The point is…if you enjoy the layout of Trello but need a few more features, then Taskworld is probably worth a look. Their reporting, task points, and activity log look stronger than Trello’s for sure.

Sounds great until you realize their list of integrations is so small you could note it down on one of their virtual post-its and still have space left on it! 

Taskworld Key Features

  • Task points
  • Task assignments delivered by email
  • Activity log
  • Repeating tasks
  • Direct messaging

Price : $10/user per month to $22/user per month

managing tasks in wimi

If you’re a jack-of-all-trades, then Wimi may be the task management app for you. It has online task management in one pane, docs in another, and even a messaging system for your work as well. 

Like other management apps, you can use Wimi to track task project statuses and add deadlines where needed. It also has a great project timeline feature to manage task dependencies and key performance indicators.

On the downside, Wimi’s pricing can go through the roof for larger teams!

Wimi Key Features

  • Gantt chart timeline for lean visual management
  • Task assignments organized as post-it notes
  • Critical path calculations
  • Task filters
  • Task history
  • Unlimited projects
  • Up to 500GB of storage
  • User training and onboarding

Price : Free plan + paid plans up to $18/per user/month

basecamp product example

Basecamp is a quality task management software who’s core really focuses on efficient team collaboration and communication.  

What isn’t core to the software is making itself feel like it’s made for you. For example, you can’t customize each specific task status.

What’s been approved? What’s in progress? Guess you’ll never know!

Check out these 7 Basecamp alternatives and our comprehensive Basecamp review .

Basecamp Key Features

  • Real-time communication (campfires & pings)
  • Simple task management
  • Auto check-in questions
  • Project progress tracking (Hillcharts)

Pricing : Free to $99/month

monday platform example

Monday.com is another great and simple task management software to consider. It has multiple task management features that let you create task assignments and assign them with ease.

And while we’re not saying that it’s as disappointing as most Mondays, there’s no free plan.

Check out how ClickUp compares to Monday.com & how Monday compares to Asana !

Monday.com Key Features

  • Calendar view
  • Automations
  • Unlimited boards

Pricing : $8/seat per month to $16/seat per month

Compare Monday Vs ClickUp !

Wrike Spreadsheet Example

Last on this list of project management software is Wrike. It’s a popular free task manager and project management system with built-in time tracking features.

Whether you’re a small team or an enterprise-level user , Wrike will serve you well.

However, if you’re a creative thinker, you’re going to feel stifled.

They don’t have mind maps or a notepad to jot down ideas. 

Not sure about Wrike anymore? 

Take a look at these Wrike alternatives or Compare ClickUp vs. Wrike for a clear idea.

Wrike Key Features

  • Task tool for progress tracking
  • Workflow statuses

Pricing : Free to $24.80/user per month

Taskade

Taskade straddles the line between a personal task management app and a team project management app—with features that fall somewhere between the two. 🤸‍♂️

It’s a good choice for individual super users or for small teams. But big teams might find that the features aren’t quite robust enough.

If you’re someone who mostly consults your task list from your mobile device, then you’ll love Taskade’s native app design. It runs quickly and has options for widgets that can help you visualize your to-dos and project progress.

The mobile app is available for iOS or Android. There are also desktop apps for Mac, Windows, and Linux, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

Taskade Key Features

  • Both your professional and personal to-dos in one app with separate areas for each part of your life
  • Collaboration features that include not only the ability to assign tasks to teammates but also an in-app video call feature that allows you to have a face-to-face chat
  • Strong note-taking features for brainstorming and documentation
  • Outlining capabilities to manage tasks
  • Starter: $4 per month
  • Plus: $8 per month
  • Pro: $19 per month
  • Business: $49 per month
  • Ultimate: $99 per month

Workflow management in Pipefy

Pipefy is a task management tool that simplifies the process of creating, assigning, and organizing tasks. With its automation features, Pipefy helps save time and minimize errors in task management. It offers a comprehensive platform where users can easily connect and integrate with other existing software, such as ERP , HRIS, and CRM systems.

Pipefy Key Features

  • Process templates
  • Secure company database for actions
  • Conditional logic
  • Native Integrations with Slack, GitHub, BitBucket, and Google Hangouts

Pipefy pricing  

Pipefy offers a free plan for individual users and small teams, with paid plans starting at $30/user per month.

Why Do You Need Task Management Software?

1. task management software helps you organize work.

We know you and your team work on multiple tasks every day!

Project tasks, HR activities , social media posts, invoicing, the list goes on.

Now try and imagine handling all of that with a pen and paper, or even an Excel sheet .

Unfortunately, this is all too common.

According to a recent study by ClickUp , 42% of employed Americans feel that they do not have all the technology and tools, such as task management apps, to succeed at work! Nearly half (45%) would give up 10% of their salary for an easier work life.

There’s no way you can keep track of every project task, meet your deadlines, track progress, and manage your team without a dedicated tool . 

Luckily, task management tools are designed for this, acting as a safeguard against going crazy! 

It’s a dedicated space to monitor your task progress, assign tasks, and manage schedules. It ensures that you’re able to efficiently track tasks and subtasks so that you meet your deadlines.

2. Task management software helps your team collaborate effectively

Your task management tool will improve not only your in-office and/or virtual team’s tasks but also your team collaboration capabilities.

As each task has a dedicated space, it’s easier for your team to consolidate information and work on things together. Also, as every assignee has access to this task space, nobody will be left out of the loop. 

Your team can easily share files, ideas, and feedback to collaborate over tasks and get things done quickly.  

3. Task management software helps you prioritize tasks

All tasks were not created equal.

While every task needs to be addressed, some are more important than others. 

So what do you do?

You start prioritizing tasks.

For example, finishing a client’s project is probably more important than deciding what your office party’s theme is, right?

Your task management tool will help you prioritize tasks to work on what’s most important immediately.

How to Choose the Best Task Management Software

Choosing the best task management tool for your organization can be a daunting task, especially with the plethora of options available in the market. By considering a few key factors, you can narrow down your choices and find the perfect fit for your team or company.

Before diving into any specific task management software, it’s important to understand what your team or company needs from a task management tool. Make a list of the features and functionalities that are essential for your team’s workflow. Do you need a simple to-do list? Or do you require advanced project tracking and collaboration capabilities?

Knowing your needs will help you eliminate options that do not meet your requirements.

Task management software can vary greatly in terms of complexity and scalability. If you have a smaller team with simpler tasks, a basic task management tool may suffice. However, if you have a larger team with more complex projects, you may need a more robust solution with features such as time tracking, resource allocation, and reporting.

The last thing you want is for your team to struggle with using the task management software. To avoid this, look for intuitive interfaces, simple navigation, and easy-to-use features. You may also want to check if the software offers training or customer support to help your team get up to speed quickly.

Having all your tools integrated can improve efficiency and streamline your workflow. Look for options that offer integrations with your existing tools or have an open API that allows for easy integration.

Task management software can range from free to expensive, so it is important to determine your budget before starting your search. Keep in mind that some software may offer a free trial or have a freemium model with limited features. Consider the long-term costs as well, including any additional fees for extra users or advanced features.

Bonus: Learn how to implement a work management system !

1. What Are The 8 Managerial Tasks?

The eight managerial tasks, often referred to as the functions of management, were first proposed by Henri Fayol, a French management theorist. The 8 managerial tasks are, planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, budgeting, and controlling.

2. What are the Benefits of Task Management Software for Teams?

Task management software improves task organization, prioritization, project management, collaboration , real-time tracking, improved communication, enhanced productivity, automated reminders, and streamlined workflow for effective task management.

Which Task Management Software is Best for Your Team?

You don’t need us to tell you that there are lots of task management tools available. That’s apparent from any Google search or a glance at the productivity section of the app store. 

So here are some suggestions for deciding which task management software is right for you :

  • Try a free plan before you buy it . You shouldn’t have to lay down your hard-earned cash on task management apps before knowing how they work. Test out some of the best free task management software to help you decide what you like and don’t like. Some online project and task management tools offer free trials. Be wary of those tools because you know a sales pitch will be coming at the end!
  • Read the reviews of task management apps . Unless you love trying out new software as a hobby, you’ll probably want to see how others have used them. They may even show you a new way of using the software. You’ll also learn of any problems in that online task management software too.
  • Check out the roadmap . Just because an online task management software doesn’t have the features you want doesn’t mean it won’t be there tomorrow. The best software companies are constantly iterating and releasing new features regularly.

First on the list? Get ClickUp for free today to discover how to manage task assignments, streamline your workflow, and boost everything else in your Workspace!

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work task is

Part of the total operational work defined by the work organisation that comprises all tasks assigned to an employee. Defined as “a worker’s/user’s activity or number of activities necessary for the completion of a predicted work result” according to DIN EN ISO 6385:2004. Work tasks explicitly relate to tasks that are to be performed by humans.

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Cambridge Dictionary

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Meaning of task in English

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task noun ( WORK )

  • act as something
  • all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
  • be at work idiom
  • hot-desking
  • housekeeping
  • in the line of duty idiom
  • short-handed
  • short-staffed
  • undertaking

task noun ( SPEAK ANGRILY )

  • all-points bulletin
  • boss someone around
  • put something on
  • self-ordained
  • shove someone around
  • stick out for something

task | Intermediate English

Task | business english, examples of task, collocations with task.

These are words often used in combination with task .

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the number of years that someone lives or can expect to live in reasonably good health

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work task is

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  • task (WORK)
  • task (SPEAK ANGRILY)
  • take someone to task
  • Intermediate    Noun
  • take sb/sth to task (over sth)
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What Makes Work Meaningful?

  • Evgenia I. Lysova,
  • Luke Fletcher,
  • Sabrine El Baroudi

work task is

Research shows that being more aware of yourself and your surroundings is key.

How do you make your work more meaningful? Prior studies have focused on understanding the factors that contribute to making work meaningful overall, such as having more autonomy or being able to job craft. But these are individual actions that don’t easily translate into how we experience meaningfulness every day. It can also be difficult for early career professionals as you can’t just decide to drop every uninspiring task from your to-do list in an attempt to experience more meaning in your role.

  • Research shows that being in a state of awareness can help. In a state of awareness (of yourself and your wider work environment), people are more willing and able to be creative in how they think and deal with challenges and other work-related problems. Awareness also helps you come up with better solutions, interpret signals from others around you, and adapt to changing circumstances. This, in turn, can facilitate a sense of meaning because it enables you to think and behave in ways that help you see the value, worth, and impact within everyday work tasks and interactions.
  • To become more aware, start by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness helps us learn to recognize and acknowledge what’s going on in the mind, moment by moment, increases awareness, and decreases rumination. It also promotes cognitive flexibility, all of which lead to greater meaning-making.
  • Journaling is a great way to build awareness into your everyday work life. Before you end the day, ask yourself, “What did I find meaningful today,” and write it down. You can do this not only for yourself but also for your colleagues. Consider weaving awareness into group discussions and conversations at work.
  • Investing more in one’s relationships is important to feel happy and fulfilled at work, as our findings suggest. As an individual, you can respectfully engage with others at work through active listening and showing appreciation. These behaviors could then also enable greater psychological safety in the work environment as they help promote a sense of belonging at work that prior research shows is critical for meaningfulness

We all search for meaning in our lives, and many of us find it through our work . In fact, research shows that meaningfulness is more important to us than any other aspect of our jobs — including pay and rewards, opportunities for promotion, and working conditions. When we experience our work as meaningful, we’re more engaged, committed, and satisfied. When we don’t, we’re more willing to quit , and this is especially true for younger workers .

work task is

  • Evgenia I. Lysova an Associate Professor in Organizational Behavior at the Management and Organization department of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her main research interests concern the topic of meaningful work, work as a calling, careers, and Corporate Social Responsibility. She is on a mission to enable and sustain greater experiences of meaningfulness in individuals’ work and careers with the help of organizations.
  • LF Luke Fletcher is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management at the University of Bath’s School of Management, UK. His research interests span both organizational psychology and strategic human resource management, and include topics such as meaningful work, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, and LGBT+ workers.
  • SB Sabrine El Baroudi is an Assistant Professor in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at the Department of Management and Organization, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She is also a director of the VU Knowledge Hub for Feedback Culture. Her main research interests are proactive work and career behaviors, feedback, meaningful work, and other (green) HRM-related topics. She is particularly interested in examining how these topics influence performance and work behaviors at different organizational levels; that is, individual, team, and organizational levels.

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Synonyms of task

  • as in purpose
  • as in to entrust
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Thesaurus Definition of task

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • responsibility
  • undertaking
  • participation
  • involvement

Thesaurus Definition of task  (Entry 2 of 2)

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun task contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of task are assignment , chore , duty , job , and stint . While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

When can assignment be used instead of task ?

The words assignment and task can be used in similar contexts, but assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

When might chore be a better fit than task ?

While in some cases nearly identical to task , chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

When would duty be a good substitute for task ?

The meanings of duty and task largely overlap; however, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

Where would job be a reasonable alternative to task ?

The synonyms job and task are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

In what contexts can stint take the place of task ?

While the synonyms stint and task are close in meaning, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

Phrases Containing task

  • take to task

Articles Related to task

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Taking a usage peeve to task

Thesaurus Entries Near task

Cite this entry.

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/task. Accessed 7 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on task

Nglish: Translation of task for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of task for Arabic Speakers

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5 ways to delegate work more effectively - business leaders share best practices

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Giving tasks to other people on your team isn't just a case of giving up responsibility. Assigning work to team members is a crucial element of successful management . 

Also: 5 ways to negotiate a pay raise, according to business leaders

Five business leaders share their best practice tips for delegating work successfully.

1. Help your staff to grow

Nic Granger, director of corporate and chief financial officer at North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), says managers must be careful to ensure delegation isn't just a way of palming off responsibility.

"I think of that management process as less about delegating and more about making sure people have the responsibility to do something and the accountability to act." She says to ZDNET that if people feel something important is their responsibility, they're more likely to deliver great results. "I think it's more about giving people the being the ability to grow and being there as a bit of a safety net for them."

Also: 5 ways to manage your time more effectively at work

Granger gives an example from her own business, when the GIS team at NSTA was given the opportunity to design products for an open data site. One of NSTA's most popular apps is something called Energy Integration, which brings together a range of regulatory data by APIs into one consolidated map -- and the effort behind that feature was all the work of the GIS team.

"They created the app themselves because they saw a need for it. It's the one that our leadership team talks about the most, it's the app our colleagues use the most -- and that's because it's useful," she says. "I didn't sit there and say, 'We need this, go and design it.' Instead, they came to me and said, 'Oh, we've got a prototype. Do you think it's useful?' And the answer was, 'Absolutely.'"

2. Don't be selfish

Craig Donald, CIO at The Football Association, says the best way to delegate work is to ensure people know you're not just delegating work but that you're also giving them credit.

"Whenever I'm talking to the senior management team or doing a presentation, I make sure it's recognized that this work is not just about me," he says. "I let other executives know the effort they see from me is about all these other people within my team who have helped put that presentation together and added their expertise."

Also: 5 ways to be a better manager: Best practices every leader should know

Donald says to ZDNET that the key to bringing people with you as you assign work is simple -- don't be selfish and give other people a moment in the spotlight. Get that approach right and your staff will come looking for more tasks and responsibilities.

"When you're delegating the work, make sure you can demonstrate that your people are getting the recognition for that effort as well," he says. "When that process happens successfully, people actually come to you looking for the work to be delegated, rather than waiting for it to be handed out."

3. Wear other people's shoes

Nigel Richardson, SVP & CIO Europe at PepsiCo, says no one likes to be micromanaged, so he does everything he can to ensure his people feel empowered.

"Micromanagement is just a nightmare for everyone -- it's just a road to nowhere," he says. "Put yourself in someone else's shoes, whether it's your business partner, a supplier, or one of your team, and think, 'Treat people as you'd like to be treated.'"

Also: 5 practical ways to separate work from the rest of your life

Richardson says to ZDNET that coaching is the key to bringing the best out of people. "I've got a fantastic team. I don't need to micromanage anyone. I see my role very much as a coach -- as someone who's trying to help make sure we get organizational alignment with the business' priorities." 

His leadership strategy is focused on supporting his staff and helping them to excel in all areas of work. "Make sure the purpose of the business is clear, the alignment is clear, that your people are focused on becoming great at their job, and then give them the maximum authority within that framework," he says.

4. Get out of the way

Dan Eddie, director of customer service at UK health solutions provide Simplyhealth, says clarity around purpose, vision, objectives, and results is the essence of successful delegation -- and these four elements must be widely understood.

He gives the example of his own service team, where people at all levels of the organization recognize the four priority areas. "Within that construct, you're then able to say to people, 'Go and deliver, because you understand what the objective is and the key results that are expected.'" 

Also: Everything you need to work from home

Eddie says to ZDNET that it's also important to recognize the route to success can involve many potential pathways. "I'm not saying to our people, 'You need to solve the problem this way,'" he says. "I'm saying, 'Go and solve a problem, go and deliver the result. But find a way that you think provides the best solution for our customers.'"

With that clear structure in place, Eddie says successful delegation is then all about getting out of the way and allowing your staff to do their work.

"I'm there to support, guide, mentor, or coach those people to be the most successful they can be. But clarity around what we're trying to do at every level is the key to delegating because then people have a clear line of sight to what they're trying to deliver," Eddie says to ZDNET. 

5. Give clear objectives

Hakan Yaren, CIO at APL Logistics, says good managers learn new techniques for delegating work along the way. As someone with 20-plus years of IT leadership experience, he says professionals should delegate decision-making responsibilities to people with deep subject-matter knowledge.

"It's not enough to just have surface knowledge -- you need to have really deep expertise in what you do," he says to ZDNET. Yaren feels more comfortable delegating decision-making processes on the most important areas to the people he considers to be experts.

Also: 5 ways to boost your skills and increase your career opportunities

Getting to that point of delegation is far from a hands-off process. Hakan always ensures the people he trusts are part of a wider ecosystem. And he makes sure people in his organization focus on the five key business objectives the senior management team identifies each year.

"I tell everyone, 'Everything you do has to tie back to one of these five things that we all collectively agreed. If it's not, talk to me,'" he says. "I think by using that approach, you're creating togetherness -- and you're working towards helping the business achieve its objectives."

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  • Project management |
  • The work breakdown structure (WBS) for ...

The work breakdown structure (WBS) for project management: What it is and how to use it

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A work breakdown structure (WBS) visually organizes project deliverables into different levels based on dependencies. It’s essentially your project plan in a visual form, with your project objective at the top, then dependencies and sub-dependencies below. In this article, we describe the different parts of a work breakdown structure and how to create one for your next project—along with a detailed example to get you started.

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a visual project breakdown. Beginning with the scope of work, the WBS shows the deliverables and how they connect back to the overarching project.

We’ll walk you through how to make a work breakdown structure, what to include, and show examples for how you can apply it in your own work.

What is the work breakdown structure in project management?

A work breakdown structure is a tool that helps you organize your project by hierarchy. With a WBS, you break down deliverables into sub-deliverables to visualize projects and outline key dependencies. Every work breakdown structure is made up of a few parts: 

A project baseline or scope statement, which includes a project plan , description, and name 

Project stakeholders

An organized project schedule

Project deliverables and supporting subtasks

Project managers use work breakdown structures to help teams to break down complex project scopes , visualize projects and dependency-related deliverables , and give team members a visual project overview as opposed to a list of to-dos. 

From there, you’ll organize your structure based on the hierarchical levels of sub-deliverables. Your project might also include phases based on the work needed and the overall project timeline .  

The 2 types of WBS

Deliverable-based work breakdown structure: This is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work. If that's a mouthful, don't worry—essentially, this basically means that you’ll look at the overarching project scope and break your work down into deliverables that support it. This approach is best for shorter projects with a really clear outcome. For example, developing your annual revenue report.

Phase-based work breakdown structure: Here, you use project phases to create work packages that house groups of tasks. These task groups are then completed in stages. You’ll want to use a phase-based WBS for longer projects with less defined outcomes. For example, you want to boost retention by 20% over the next three years.

What are the 3 levels of work breakdown structure?

Levels of a work breakdown structure help separate tasks by dependencies. Since projects can differ so significantly, the levels of your work breakdown structure will too. While most projects do have some form of dependencies, it’s possible you’ll come across projects that don’t require sub-dependencies. 

Levels of a work breakdown structure

There are three main levels of dependencies, though your structure could require more or fewer than that. Each level is connected to a parent task, with the work needed to complete the parent task organized into dependencies.  

Let’s take a look at the three highest level dependencies within a work breakdown structure. 

Level 1: The parent task

The first level of a work breakdown structure is the most simplified form of the project since it contains the parent task. This is usually the same as the project objective . 

Let’s say, for instance, that your project team is working on revamping your website design. The first level of your WBS might look something like this:

Launch new website design

As you can see, it’s simple and straightforward. Level one is the basic objective and the first step of your many project management phases . The work needed to complete this objective will come later in levels two and three. 

Level 2: Dependencies and tasks

From there, your breakdown structure will get a bit more complicated depending on the scope of the project. Level two of your WBS will include subtasks, otherwise known as dependencies, of the parent task. 

For example, let’s look at what tasks might be needed to launch a new website design. 

Host a creative brainstorming session

Revamp brand guidelines

Create messaging framework

Redesign your logo

Add new photography 

While slightly more granular than level one, level two is still a high-level overview of the dependencies needed to complete the project objective. 

Level 3: Subtasks

In the third level of the WBS, break these dependencies down even further into more manageable components called sub-dependencies. At this stage—the lowest level of the project lifecycle—you’re defining the most detailed tasks. These actionable tasks will simplify the path to completing all your required deliverables.

Continuing the above example, here are the level three tasks you could use for a new site design: 

Choose brand colors

Build a brand mood board

Assign UX designers

Build a mockup design

Review and approve mockups

Schedule a brand photoshoot

Resize and edit pictures

As you can see, the work needed to complete the project objective is becoming much more clear. You may even choose to add additional levels to your WBS, depending on how specific you want your visual to be. 

What’s included in a work breakdown structure?

A work breakdown structure is essentially a condensed project plan organized in a visual hierarchy. That means it contains everything that a successful project charter has, which includes WBS elements such as objectives, deliverables, timelines, and key stakeholders. 

What's included in a work breakdown structure

To create your own breakdown structure, you first need to know what to put in one. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at some of the key pieces to include in your work breakdown structure.

WBS dictionary

A work breakdown structure dictionary is a great place to start when building a new project structure. Because the visual nature of a good WBS doesn’t allow room for detailed explanations, the WBS dictionary describes each task in more detail. Creating a dictionary is an instrumental part of helping project team members more easily find necessary details of your tasks.

While created by you, it may be beneficial to enlist the help of team members from various departments. This will ensure the dictionary is as useful as possible and all items are explained correctly.

Some fields you should include in your dictionary are:

Task names: Keep this clear and simple, a few words at most.

Descriptions: Go into a little more detail but no more than a sentence or two.

Deliverables : Again, specificity is your friend here. Be clear about what, exactly, you’re expecting the team to complete.

Budget : your projected expenses, including how much you’ll spend, for what, and by when.

Milestones : Significant moments on the project timeline where a batch of tasks are completed.

Approvals: What tasks—if any—need approvals.

While there are multiple fields you can include, the main thing to consider is creating a resource where project team members can find information on the project work needed to complete various tasks.  

Task description

The task descriptions include both a task name and a brief description of the objectives. Since your WBS won’t have space for a full description, you can include additional details in your WBS dictionary.

The objective of the task description is for team members to easily recognize what the task is in the shortest way possible. So don’t get too caught up in the level of detail needed just yet.  

The assigned task owner is an important piece to include both for accountability reasons and for communication. The easier it is to find answers, the quicker the tasks will be finished. While project managers are often task owners, department heads, and managers may also be owners depending on the type of task.

There’s nothing worse than wasting time looking for project information. Assigning task owners can improve team productivity as project stakeholders will be able to quickly direct questions to the appropriate person.   

Task budget

While not always needed, projects that require large budgets should be tracked carefully. It’s helpful to assign specific task budget caps in order to easily track how close you are to your allocated budget. 

Not tracking your budget could result in spending more than anticipated, which can dig into your profit margin. So be sure to not only track your total budget but individual task costs as well. 

Completion date 

It shouldn’t be a shock to hear that tracking your target completion date is a rather important detail. That said, it’s important to be prepared for changes to your completion date. 

While it can be difficult to manage multiple projects that go over their allotted timeline, sometimes it’s inevitable. In order to properly track progress, you should break down each task in a timeline or other project management tool . This way you can catch timeline delays in real time and work to prevent deadline issues from stacking up and causing you to miss your original completion date. 

Task status

Along with timeline tracking, documenting task status is important for quick progress checks. This can be logged in a few different ways, but many teams use terms such as open, in progress, and complete. 

This will not only help track progress but give a high-level overview of team productivity. For example, if there’s a pattern of select teams unable to complete tasks there may be an underlying issue. That way you can work to solve team workload or communication issues before they become huge problems.  

How to create a work breakdown structure

Now comes the fun part. Since a work breakdown structure is in the form of a visual hierarchy, there are a number of ways to create yours. The best part is that you get to pick which method is right for you and your team. 

How to create a work breakdown structure

Common visual methods that teams use include timelines, Kanban boards , and calendars. Depending on the software you use, some features may look slightly different in each. Let’s dive into these three methods in order to provide a deeper understanding of how you can create a work breakdown structure in each. 

Timelines (or Gantt charts)

Timelines are great tools to visualize work in a fun and colorful way. They’re also great at providing the necessary functionality for a WBS. Here are some of the functions you get using a timeline, also known as a flowchart or Gantt chart :

Import traditional spreadsheets

Track progress

Adjust tasks

Connect tasks by dependencies

Adjust deadline shifts

Assign task owners

Store unscheduled tasks

Adjust color tracking

Section by levels

Filter and sort tasks

You can start your WBS in a number of ways, including by importing an existing spreadsheet or building it directly in timeline software . Timelines are different from Kanban boards and calendars due to the visual layout and adjustable functionality. It’s really up to your preference to determine which visual is right for your team. 

[Product ui] Gantt chart project, organized timeline view in Asana with dependencies and due dates (Timeline)

Kanban boards 

Kanban boards are similar to timelines but differ in the way they’re visually organized. Instead of being organized in a horizontal line, they’re designed to look like boards. Kanban software can help with the following to keep your projects on track:

Plot workflows

Communicate in one place

Plan product roadmaps

A Kanban board is another great option for building out your WBS, and it’s one of the most frequently used tools for day-to-day resource management needs. One of the best things about this tool is that you can see task details up front. This makes it a great option if you’re unable to create a WBS dictionary.

The best way to get started with this method is to start building your hierarchy within your Kanban board. 

The third option for creating a WBS of your own is by using team calendar software . While not as commonly used for breakdown structures as the previous options, they’re a great tool to visualize projects. They’re also especially helpful for switching between day, week, and month views for large projects.

Calendars are great tools for creating a WBS and they give you a different visual experience from the options above. To start your structure using a calendar, you can import an existing spreadsheet or start building a new project within your calendar software. 

Work breakdown structure example

Now that you know what goes into a WBS and how to build one using a variety of software tools, let’s look at a tangible WBS example. While your template will look slightly different depending on the method you use to create it, your WBS should include similar task hierarchies and levels. 

Here is an example work breakdown structure to get you started on your own.

Work breakdown structure example

Here is an example work breakdown structure from the above details to get you started on your own.

WBS name : Website design

Description : Revamp our old website design based on the new branding. 

Completion date : 9/15/21

Budget : $50,000

Revamp website design 

Revamp brand guidelines (Complete)

Create messaging framework (Complete)

Redesign logo (In progress)

Add new photography (Open)

1. Revamp brand guidelines 

Brand colors—Kat Mooney

Brand mood board—Kat Mooney

Design UX—Ray Brooks

2. Create messaging framework

Headline—Daniela Vargas

Mission statement—Daniela Vargas

Language guidelines—Daniela Vargas

3. Redesign logo

Sketch—Kabir Madan

Mockups—Kat Mooney

Final designs—Kat Mooney

4. Add new photography

Photoshoot—Kabir Madan

Photo edits —Kat Mooney

Final selections—Kabir Madan

Remember that your WBS will look different based on the size of the project, its complexity, the timeline, and your chosen software. Each of these details will shape the dependencies and visual hierarchy of your project. 

Make your work breakdown structure work for you

When it comes down to it, a work breakdown structure isn’t so hard to create. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you and your team can only benefit from adding a visual hierarchy or project tasks. Whether you’re a visual or verbal learner, there’s a work management tool out there for everyone. 

With Asana, you can easily switch between lists, timelines, boards, and calendars without missing a beat. Less time spent on work about work ? Yes, please. 

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StarTribune

Start work now on ambulance plight.

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

Seconds and minutes matter when there's a medical emergency. It's imperative that lawmakers take the same time-is-of-the-essence approach when it comes to resuscitating the state's ailing emergency medical response system.

Having trained responders and an ambulance show up swiftly after calling 911 should not depend on where Minnesotans live or happen to be at the time. Yet rural communities in particular are struggling to provide this core public service as populations dwindle and the costs of providing this care continue to exceed reimbursements for it. A historic workforce shortage in Minnesota and elsewhere has compounded the problem.

"The issue is so acute in my district and in northern Minnesota that it's almost harder to find communities that aren't dealing with challenges than it is to find ones that are," said Sen. Grant Hauschild , DFL-Hermantown. "It's nearly everybody once you get north of Cotton." Cotton is a small St. Louis County community about 36 miles north of Duluth.

The challenges aren't limited to northern Minnesota.

"This is something that health care providers, law enforcement and county commissioners are talking with me about on regular basis," said Sen. Jordan Rasmusson , R-Fergus Falls. "We would have situations where it could take 45 minutes for an ambulances to arrive in a rural community. To me, that is just not an acceptable level of care and misses the expectation that my constituents have."

These struggles are not new. A sharply critical 2022 report from the respected Office of the Legislative Auditor spotlighted the dire situation, noting not only "persistent staffing and funding challenges across the state," but also a system that has lacked "meaningful oversight."

The report concluded that the state's Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board (EMSRB) has been "largely ineffective in its regulation" and that its board composition at the time and responsibilities created "risks for conflicts of interest." Since then, there have been changes at the EMSRB, with administrative and performance measurement fixes outlined in an update a year ago that is now posted online alongside the auditor's report.

These improvements are welcome, but the ongoing challenges with ambulance care sounded in Hauschild's and Rasmusson's districts underscore that there's much more work to do. While lawmakers are charting a less ambitious course this session after the sweeping agenda enacted in 2023, that's not an excuse for inaction in 2024 on this critical issue.

Fortunately, the Legislature's Emergency Medical Services Task Force understands this. Its members, who include Rasmusson and Hauschild, are commendably pushing hard to pass sensible reforms this year. Its membership roster illustrates an advantage of having a citizen Legislature. Several of its other members bring deep expertise to the issue because they are current or former emergency medical professionals, including Sen. Judy Seeberger , DFL-Afton, Rep. John Huot , DFL-Rosemount, and Rep. Jeff Backer , R-Browns Valley.

The task force conducted field hearings around the state, with its last scheduled meeting occurring in mid-February and a report of recommendations expected later this year. Often, legislative action occurs after the report's release, but "there are things we can start on now that address immediate needs while we work on longer-term solutions," Seeberger told an editorial writer.

Among the short-term reforms that merit consideration:

· Redesigning the EMSRB. One promising proposal involves having the board report directly to the governor's office. That hopefully would improve accountability and give a higher profile to this part of the health care system in the competition for additional public resources.

⋅ Establishing "innovation zones" across the state to evaluate new models for providing emergency medical responses.

⋅ Easing the process for Minnesotans who have let their emergency medical response licenses lapse but want to renew them.

⋅ One-time funding for communities where the emergency response crisis is especially acute.

The bipartisan work by the EMS task force members is an excellent example of political teamwork at the Capitol. Their colleagues in the House and Senate ought to heed their grim assessment of the system's vital signs and begin the work now on its recovery.

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work task is

© 2024 StarTribune. All rights reserved.

IMAGES

  1. How To Conduct An Effective Job Task Analysis In 8 Steps

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  2. A Guide To Task Management

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  3. Taking multi-tasking to task

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  4. Office Work and Working Task Vector Illustration Stock Vector

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  5. Prioritize Your To-Do’s With Task List

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  6. Assigning Tasks

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COMMENTS

  1. 114 Examples of Work Tasks

    Work tasks are efforts that can be assigned, monitored and completed. Tasks are the lowest level of work tracked in an organization whereby it is common to break a project or action item into a task list. Repeated tasks may also be included in job descriptions, processes and procedures. The following are common examples of work tasks.

  2. Your To Do List and Beyond: 8 Powerful Ways to Manage Your Tasks

    The Kanban Method. The Kanban method keeps your tasks and progress in plain sight. Take pen-and-paper to do management a step further with Kanban productivity. This method, in its purest form, takes Post-It notes, a cork board, and labels, and organizes tasks by progression.

  3. Prioritize Tasks in 4 Steps to Get Work Done [2023] • Asana

    Without a process for prioritizing tasks at work, it always feels like we're playing catch-up. However, there are four steps you can take to increase your productivity, meet your deadlines, and better manage your time: Create a task list. Choose a prioritization method to organize your tasks. Schedule your tasks in a calendar.

  4. Todoist

    Organize your work and life, finally. Become focused, organized, and calm with Todoist. The world's #1 task manager and to-do list app. Start for free. 42+ million people and teams trust their sanity and productivity to Todoist. Clear your mind.

  5. What is a task? and how to get more of them done

    In project management, a task is a work item or activity with a specific purpose related to the larger goal. It's a necessary step on the road towards project completion. For example, it could be something as complex as a mobile app bug fix. Or it could be something as simple as photocopying the latest brochure for distribution.

  6. I Tried 4 To-Do List Methods. Here's What Worked

    I tracked my overall productivity and stress levels to see which worked best. Monday: Get rid of your to-do list and instead schedule out your tasks in your digital calendar. This method is good ...

  7. To-do lists: 15 tips to make an effective to-do list

    4. Make it actionable. Your to-do list is not the place to store thoughts or goals. Those details are important to capture, but if you keep everything in one to-do list, your important work might get lost or buried. Instead, aim to capture those items in a project management tool or goal management system.

  8. How To Work Effectively: What It Means and What To Do

    Here are tips you can use to learn how to work effectively: 1. Keep yourself organized. Using organizational tools to manage your day is one of the best ways to work effectively. This can include using to-do lists, schedules, calendars, planners and apps that help you plan your time. It might take time to discover the right combination of ...

  9. Features

    From tech start-ups to construction crews, over 50,000 teams use Todoist to simplify and organize work, together. A shared workspace lets your team organize work together - alongside but separate from everyone's personal tasks and projects. Make team projects accessible to all members for easy sharing.

  10. How to Use Todoist Effectively

    Tasks in your #Work project that are due today. Tasks due this week that are Priority 1. See every task without a due date by using the filter, "No date". Once you know which tasks you want to see, create a filter so you can easily come back to the same view later. Start by clicking the + symbol next to Filters in the menu. Type out your ...

  11. 9 Tips On How To Prioritize Tasks Effectively At Work

    Do the task now. Defer the task to a later time. Delegate the task to someone else. Delete the task from your list. The "Do, Defer, Delegate, Delete" framework is also called the 4Ds of time management . You can do a few tasks on your task list quickly. They take less than a minute or two.

  12. How to work smart with a task tracker (benefits, best tools)

    1. Project and task tracking. Time Doctor is a project and task management software that allows you to allocate work, track tasks, and assist in team management. With Time Doctor, you can create a main project and break it down into simple tasks. You can then assign these tasks to your team members.

  13. Workload Management: Guide to Managing Workload Effectively [2024] • Asana

    Integrating tools for managing workloads, along with practical strategies, makes for a supportive and productive workplace. Prioritize and set realistic deadlines: Use workload management software to categorize your team's tasks and subtasks by urgency and importance. This ensures alignment with team capacity and project milestones.

  14. What is task-based work?

    Task-based work is the newest approach to improving employee engagement. The way we think about work is changing — again. The tumultuous years that have followed the COVID pandemic led companies to rethink their use of office space, their remote work policies, their employee experience, and even their business goals.

  15. What Is a Work Plan? How to Make a Work Plan In 7 Steps

    1. Set Goals & Objectives. Before anything, it's important to write down the goals and objectives that'll be achieved through your work plan. These will describe the purpose of your plan. It's important to use SMART goals: create goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-related.

  16. Task Tracker: Tracking Tasks More Efficiently

    At work, "task list zero" is even more elusive than "inbox zero." There always seems to be a couple of items left on the list. More often than not, these tasks are stuck on your list for a reason. Here's why tasks might not get completed. 1. Your list has too many items.

  17. 25 Best Task Management Software Tools for Work in 2024

    5. Chanty. Via Chanty. Chanty is a team collaboration platform employing a chat-first model to create an effective task management system. With chat organization, users get to convert any message into an assignment, allocate it to the appropriate person, and set due dates for it.

  18. Task vs Work: When To Use Each One In Writing

    However, "work" is a more general term that refers to the overall effort put into a project. It can include multiple tasks and actions. To avoid this mistake, use the word "task" when referring to a specific action within the project, and use the word "work" when referring to the overall effort put into the project.

  19. Work Task definition

    Definition. Part of the total operational work defined by the work organisation that comprises all tasks assigned to an employee. Defined as "a worker's/user's activity or number of activities necessary for the completion of a predicted work result" according to DIN EN ISO 6385:2004. Work tasks explicitly relate to tasks that are to be ...

  20. TASK

    TASK meaning: 1. a piece of work to be done, especially one done regularly, unwillingly, or with difficulty: 2…. Learn more.

  21. What Makes Work Meaningful?

    In fact, research shows that meaningfulness is more important to us than any other aspect of our jobs — including pay and rewards, opportunities for promotion, and working conditions. When we ...

  22. TASK Synonyms: 66 Similar Words

    Synonyms for TASK: job, duty, assignment, project, chore, mission, function, responsibility, endeavor, errand. Games & Quizzes; Games & Quizzes; Word of the Day ... While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

  23. 5 ways to delegate work more effectively

    Giving tasks to other people on your team isn't just a case of giving up responsibility. Assigning work to team members is a crucial element of successful management . Also: 5 ways to negotiate a ...

  24. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): What Is It? [2024] • Asana

    A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a visual project breakdown. Beginning with the scope of work, the WBS shows the deliverables and how they connect back to the overarching project. Since a work breakdown structure is displayed visually, it can be created using a combination of workflow management software and project management frameworks.

  25. Simplify your work with Table rules in Microsoft Loop

    Microsoft Loop is a powerful productivity tool that enables collaborative work and flexible information organization. It provides teams with a shared workspace where they can create and collaborate on content such as notes, tasks, and files. Loop integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Power Automate, allowing users to automate repetitive tasks.

  26. JPMorgan's AI-Aided Cashflow Model Can Cut Manual Work by 90%

    JPMorgan Chase & Co. helped some of its corporate customers slash manual work by almost 90% with its cashflow management tool that runs on artificial intelligence, bringing the largest US bank one ...

  27. Apple Is Playing an Expensive Game of AI Catch-Up

    Killing its ambitious car project will free up some R&D budget, but Apple still lags behind big tech peers on network scale and relative investment.

  28. Start work now on ambulance plight

    The bipartisan work by the EMS task force members is an excellent example of political teamwork at the Capitol. Their colleagues in the House and Senate ought to heed their grim assessment of the ...