Why You Should Have A To-Do List

to-do list

Do you have 10 minutes a day to add $4000 to your monthly income? 

This is the average income difference between people who write down their goals and people who don’t.

That’s one of many reasons why having a to-do list can improve your work and personal life. To-do lists have never been as important for the modern knowledge worker.

You can use one to reduce the stress in your life and get more done in less time. It also lets you become more reliable for other people and save time for the best things in life. In this post, we’ll look at interesting ways in which a to-do list can help you. But first, we’ll see what are the common reasons why people don’t use a to-do list.

What’s wrong with to-do lists

We can argue about how great to-do lists are but none of it will do good if you have a strong reason why you don’t use one. This is why we’ll look at the three most common problems people have with to-do lists.

1) To-do lists reduce flexibility
Having a to-do list seems like living your life according to a rigid system that turns you into a half-robot. If you’re the sort of person who can’t stand having an unfinished item on your to-do list, this could put you off.

In reality, to-do lists give you more flexibility. Consider this: Is freedom not the capacity to choose your own actions? The ability to spend your time doing what you want to be doing? To-do lists help you do that. On the other hand, by leaving things to chance, you risk living your life according to other people’s agendas. 

2) You don’t need a list because you can remember what you need to-do
Having the mental capacity to remember all that’s on your plate is a great talent. If you’re in any sort of role where you have 10+ things you need to-do for a given day, remembering all this is a feat in itself. But when you have to manage many projects with dozens of tasks, you might have a more difficult time.

In reality, remembering is a tiny fraction of what to-do lists are useful for. If you think a to-do list is only meant to help you remember to buy milk on the way home, you’re missing the point. But more on this later.

3) You never stick to your list
Alas, only about 60% of to-do list items actually get completed. This could be very disappointing to people who don’t want to leave any loose ends. It could amount to stress and make you feel overwhelmed by work.

This is a very legitimate reason to never start using a to-do list at first glance. The problem lies in a simple observation:

People often overestimate what they can do in a day and underestimate what they can achieve in a year.

Effective prioritization will help you solve this problem. You don’t have to complete everything on your list, only the most valuable items on it. Setting a high goal and doing half of the items on your list will still be much better than not doing anything at all.

Also, you can reduce the number of tasks for a day and spread them out over a longer period. Don’t make things difficult for yourself. Author Tim Ferriss, for example, works on only one thing every day.

What’s great about a to-do list

Now that we’ve covered some of the most common reasons why people don’t use a to-do list, let’s look at why you should have one.

It will help you feel good
Writing things down helps reduce stress and makes you feel more relaxed. You get a feeling of being in control of your life and actions.

Also, crossing items off your to-do list gives you a sense of accomplishment and progress. This helps you motivate yourself and keep going when things get tough.

It will help you achieve big goals
It’s tough to achieve big goals when they seem to overwhelm you. As a consequence, it’s easy to procrastinate on them. One of the best ways to solve this problem is by breaking down a large goal into smaller parts. This is where a to-do list becomes significant. It lets you make large and overwhelming projects manageable.

Also, you get more done by focusing on high-value activities. Once you have a list of things you need to-do, it’s much easier to prioritize the tasks on it. This will ensure you’re always working on the right things. Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into a circle of doing what seems easiest or most urgent. Doing this may result skipping important things that don’t require your immediate attention.

Another great way to use your to-do list is for analyzing your behavior later. You can see which activities produced the best results and double down on them. This makes it easy to identify opportunities to focus on and things to drop off your schedule.

To-do lists also help you uncover what you don’t see at first glance. When you write things down, it forces your brain to think in depth about the task at hand. You may see things that you missed at first, growing your capacity to achieve good results.

Also, mentally manipulating a task makes it much more likely to achieve. The more you think about it, the more it becomes prominent and important to-do in your mind.

Staying focused is difficult with the number of distractions in the modern workplace. Therefore, it’s easy to get off track but a to-do list can help you get back on it. Seeing a clear outline of what you should be doing can make a huge difference to your productivity.

Last but not least, creating a to-do list is in its core a planning process. Planning, in turn, allows for turning abstract goals into concrete steps of action. You remove anxiety by breaking down goals and know what you should be doing at any given time. It’s a fine way to maximize your potential to achieve big goals.

It will let you save time
Another benefit of having a to-do list is the amount of time you save. Often planning for 15 minutes can save you an hour or more of execution. It’s like building a house – you start with a blueprint, or you could make a mistake and start over again. A task list makes it easy to see the foundations of your projects and work to a predefined blueprint.

Also, when you don’t have a list, you can waste time thinking about your next steps instead of taking them.

It will help you be more reliable
One of the preeminent uses of a to-do list is remembering things and sticking to your deadlines. While a small part of the benefits, it’s still very important. Staying on top of your projects makes you a reliable team member, manager, and friend. It also opens many doors for career progression.

In addition, a task list will help you manage your workload better and learn to say “no”. At any given time you know how much you need to-do so you can plan accordingly. It’s easier to manage what you have on your plate when you have an overview of all your tasks and projects. When you control your workload this way, people will respect you more for it and they will value your time.

All in all, human brains are great at making complex associations but not as good at remembering. Writing a to-do list makes your memory’s job much easier. This leaves more time for creative work and allows you to keep track of your activities. This is valuable for any organization and will help you make a bigger impact.

Conclusion

Succeeding in today’s work environment is tough. There are too many projects and tasks to manage. With new things popping up and your personal commitments, things can get overwhelming. Add the huge amount of distractions and you’re in for a difficult climb up the ladder of success.

Having a to-do list can make things much easier. Whether you’re looking to achieve more of your goals or controlling your time better, a to-do list will help you. You can get a positive boost to your career by becoming the person who is always on top of things and feel good every day.

Ready to try it out? Jump back into Sendtask.

productivity - 05/30/2017

How To Use The Magic Bar – A Brief Guide

Magic-bar-screenshot

The Magic bar lets you search for, create and assign tasks. The cool part is it can recognize dates using natural language, project names, and email contacts. It also triggers when you type anywhere on the screen. This means you can create, search and assign tasks with due dates in seconds, without even touching the mouse. In this brief guide, you’ll find tips for using the Magic bar.

How to trigger the Magic bar

Animated GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Click on the Magic bar or start typing anywhere on the screen (unless it’s another input field). This will trigger the Magic bar view which shows you task search results and lets you create new tasks.

How to search for a task

magic-bar-search

If you want to search for a task, start typing its title or any part of it and it will appear in the search results. Note that you must have access to the task either as a follower, assignee or through a project you’re part of.

How to create a task

magic-bar-create-task

If you want to create a task, simply type its title and press “Enter”. You will be the default assignee unless you delete your name from the beginning of the task.

How to add a due date to a task

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You can set a due date by entering words like “tomorrow” or “next week”. Of course, you can still use normal dates if you prefer such as 14/05/2017 or May 14. See a list of available commands here.

How to add a task to a project

add-task-to-project-magic-bar

If you want to add a project to a task, use a hashtag (#) in front of the project name. If the project does not exist, you will see an option to create it.

How to add an assignee or follower to a task

Animated GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Adding assignees or followers is easy. Simply type “@” before the person’s name (if they’re on your contact list) or email address. You will also be able to choose from your list of existing contacts. Note that the first person you mention will be the assignee and everyone after will be a follower.

These are the basics of getting started with the Magic bar. We hope you’ll find your own way of using it and save more time in your day. 

How-to / Sendtask - 05/21/2017

9 Ways to Make Your Day More Productive

9-ways-to-make-your-day-more-productive

You can make your day more productive using simple techniques.

They relate to effective prioritization, self-motivation and the ability to focus.

These are transferable skills that are simple to learn but difficult to master. In a workplace filled with distractions, they’ve never been more important. In this post, I’ll provide you with the daily “drills” you need to master them. If applied, you’ll get an almost immediate boost in productivity. The good news is the following techniques will help sustain it too.

1. Follow the 80/20 rule
The 80/20 rule means that most of your results will come from a relatively small part of your efforts. This rule is wide reaching and applicable in many situations. For example, most of a company’s profits often come from a few of its biggest deals.

How is this principle applicable in your life? Reflect on your accomplishments and notice the key drivers behind them. Then double down on these drivers. The best part? You can now use the 80/20 rule again and further drill down to find the best ways to spend your time.

2. Capture notes
Richard Branson carries a notebook everywhere he goes. Why? So he can write down ideas and insights when and where they come. The human brain is great at making complex connections but terrible at remembering. It’s easy to miss a great opportunity when you rely on memory alone. This is why the habit of capturing notes is so important.

Nowadays smartphones can do everything a notebook can (and then some) so it’s easy to take notes on the go with tools like Sendtask. The key is actually coming back to your notes and planning your next steps accordingly. This way you never have to regret forgetting an important idea or task you needed to complete.

3. Start the night before for a productive day
The most productive people start their day the night before. In a few minutes, you can write down a simple to-do list or lay out the next day in a calendar. This has two main benefits:

1) You know what to do immediately after you wake up. This means you don’t have to waste time or mental energy in the morning.
2) It reduces stress and helps you fall asleep. Export random things that need to get done out of your mind so you can relax in the evening and have a good rest.

4. Manage your energy right
High achievement requires a strong base – your mix of exercise, nutrition, and rest. Productive people understand that good food is the best fuel you can get. They exercise to feel good and perform on a higher mental and physical level. They take effective breaks to recharge and achieve even more.

5. Establish a morning routine
A morning routine can make or break your day. For example, many of the world’s top performers meditate first thing after they wake up. Other good ways to spend your morning include reading, writing and exercising.

Of course, your routine may include a strong cup of coffee or a conversation with a close friend. You can experiment with different ways to begin your day and find the ones that energize you the most. The important thing is to get a series of early wins that give you the momentum to make your day a success.

6. Deal with things only once
Have you ever read an email and decided to deal with it later, even though it’s something you can solve in 2 minutes? Little things we avoid over and over again can become huge productivity killers. They stay on the back of our minds and create stress which affects all areas of our lives.

Taking care of little things immediately after they come up is easy to do with David Allen’s 2-minute rule. It states that if something takes less than 2 minutes to complete, you should do it there and then. The little wins add up and push you to achieve more in bigger areas as well. Try using the rule for a day and see how it makes you feel.

7. Focus on one thing
Multitasking doesn’t exist. You actually move your attention from one thing to another in a short timeframe. This has a negative impact on your capacity to stay focused and prevents you from doing great work.

On the other hand, focusing on one thing at a time for a longer period leads to more speed. In turn, speed leads to more done in less time. This applies to both daily tasks and long-term commitments like starting a business.

But how do you get more focused? The easiest way is by removing distractions. This could mean turning off your phone or even moving to another city when you look at the bigger picture. While this may seem like it’s too much, the price you pay when you don’t focus could be to never realize your dreams.

8. Use the Pomodoro technique
If you struggle with getting focused, you can try the Pomodoro Technique. Developed in the 80s, it’s one of the most effective and popular productivity methods. Its name comes from the original tomato-shaped timer used by creator Francesco Cirillo.

The Pomodoro Technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals or “pomodoros”. Separated by short 3-5 minute breaks, the intervals are usually 25 minutes long but this can vary. If you prefer working for 40 minutes at a time, that’s fine too. Every time you complete four “pomodoros”, you should take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. It’s a simple technique that can make a big impact on your work.

9. Use “email blocks”
Checking email lots of times a day is something many people can relate to. There will often be a new task lying in your inbox which harms your capacity to do deep, meaningful work. Also, it’s not uncommon to use these little tasks as a way to procrastinate on what really needs to get done.

One solution is to deal with email in specific blocks. This way, it won’t impact the rest of your work. It’s good to have at least 2-3 hours of time between blocks but you can adjust this based on your work situation. To help implement this solution, you may consider using email automation software so you can afford more time away from your inbox. This is especially helpful if you work in a field where email is heavily used, such as marketing or sales. 

The techniques above don’t need a big time commitment and you can put them in place today. See what works for you and what doesn’t. If focusing is your problem, try methods like the Pomodoro technique. If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, manage your energy better. And if you don’t have enough hours in a day, narrow down and work on the right things.

productivity - 05/18/2017

How To Use Sendtask With The GTD Methodology

sendtask-gtd
I used to put off things until the very last minute until I came across David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD). This book started a powerful movement among busy executives. It has been bringing structure to an otherwise chaotic world since it’s original launch in 2001.

The simple formula of capturing everything into an “inbox” and organizing it with a set of rules can do wonders for your work and personal life. Once you clear your mind by exporting your thoughts elsewhere, you’re free to enjoy the present without stress or worry.

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably familiar with the GTD methodology. If you’re not familiar with it, you will find the basics here but I would encourage you to go and check out the book anyway.

This article will show you how I complement the GTD method with Sendtask. I believe the right tools can amplify your results. Therefore, I will present my approach but you should experiment with your own system too. Here’s the step-by-step process you can use to manage tasks in Sendtask as it relates to the GTD method:

Step 1) Capture
Sendtask-integrations

Capture any actionable information when and where it arrives. Sendtask is available on web and mobile and syncs with any email client, including Evernote’s email feature. Set up Sendtask for Slack so you can manage tasks without switching between software.

Step 2) Clarify

Review your tasks in Sendtask or Slack to clarify everything you’ve collected. Early mornings or evenings are good as there are likely to be fewer distractions at that time. If a task shouldn’t be done by you, you can assign it to anyone – even if they don’t have a Sendtask account – by using their email address or Slack username. Execute the task in front of you if it requires less that two minutes.

Step 3) Organize
List-view

Use projects to create order – you can add team members and use them as shared folders or lists.

Now, it’s time to organize everything by project name, section or due date. Differentiate between tasks in a visual way so key info is available at a glance.

Step 4) Reflect

Review your task lists on a regular basis, such as weekly or daily. This will ensure you’re always working on the right things as circumstances change. You may have to move a due date, reassign a task or switch it to a new project.

Step 5) Engage

Now you can go through your work with confidence. I hope this system will help you get on top of your projects and achieve better results with the same or less effort.

The GTD method outlined in this article is the property of David Allen – the original work’s author. The content aims to show how Sendtask can help execute the GTD method.

Uncategorized - 05/10/2017

Getting Started With Sendtask

List-view

This guide will provide you with a description of how Sendtask works. By the time you finish reading, you will know how to use all the basic features from creating a task to assigning it to a team member or anyone else.

How do you create tasks

There are four different ways to create a task:
1) Click the “+” signs at the beginning of each section
2) Type in the empty fields at the end of each section
3) Press “Enter” when you’ve selected a task
4) Use the Magic bar

See below for more details on how to do this.

1) Click the “+” signs at the beginning of each section

Create a task with +

You can create a new task by clicking on the “+” buttons in the upper left corners of your due date sections. You will see these buttons in other sorting views as well, such as project view and assignee view.

Note: The “+” buttons are not available when sorting your tasks manually.

2) Type in the empty fields at the end of each section

3 - Create a task with Add a task

3) Press “Enter” when you’ve selected a task

4- Create a task by pressing Enter

4) Use the Magic bar

5 - Create or search for a task with the Magic bar

The Magic bar is used to search for and create tasks. It can recognize dates, projects, and email contacts. You can type anywhere on the screen (other than the designated fields for writing) and the Magic bar will populate.

How do you search for tasks

6 - Magic bar in action

You can use the Magic bar to search for tasks. Again, the Magic bar will recognize various properties such as dates, projects, and even your email contacts. You can type anywhere on the screen (other than the designated fields for writing) and the Magic bar will populate.

How do you set a task due date

7 - Set a due date 1

Set a due date for your task by clicking on the “Calendar” icon in the top right of the task description box. Choose a date and the assignee (this could be you or someone else) will be automatically reminded on the morning when the task’s due.

8 - Set a due date 2

If you want to specify a particular time for your deadline, simply type it in after the date you choose. For example, add “2 pm” after the deadline in the Due Date field.

How do you add a comment

9 - Add a comment

You can add a comment to describe your task in more detail or communicate with your followers. Simply click the chat box, add your comment, and press the “Add Comment” button.

Note: Followers are collaborators who participate or need to know about the task, but they are not the direct assignee. All followers will be automatically notified when there’s a new comment.

How do you attach a file

10 - Attach a file

You can attach a file by clicking on the paperclip icon below at the beginning of the chat box. Your file will be uploaded and all task followers will be notified by email.

How do you create projects

11 - Add a project 1

Project names help you organize tasks and work as labels for filtering. You can add a project name by clicking on the “+” button and typing in its name or choosing an existing project.

12 - Add a project 2

Pro Tip: Click on the project name to view all tasks in that project and assign different colors for a quick overview.

How do you add/ remove a task follower

13 - Add a follower 1

If you want to share a task with team members or anyone else, you need to add a task follower. You can do this by clicking the “Add Follower” button and typing in their name or email address. You can remove followers from the same field.

14 - Add a follower 2

How do you assign a task to someone

15 - Assign a task 1

You can assign the task by clicking the profile icon in the top of the task description box. If you’re logged in with your Google account, you will see your contacts. Otherwise, type in the email address of the assignee. Then simply choose the assignee and the task will automatically disappear from your list and go to theirs.

16 - Assign a task 2

How do you add a task section

17 - Add a section

Sections help you organize your tasks and projects. To create a section, just add a colon (:) at the end of a task title. Sections are especially helpful when you sort a project by manual order (choose “Sort By> Manual”) and then drag tasks into the right sections.

Pro tip: You can also add #, ## or ### at the beginning of a section to create further structure.

How do you delete a task

18 - Delete task

You can delete a task by clicking the “More options” button in the top right of the task description box and selecting “Delete”. You will then get an option to Undo deleting a task in case you did it by mistake.

How-to / Sendtask - 04/29/2017

Getting Started With Sendtask For Slack

sendtask-for-slack

This article will guide you through the most important features of the Sendtask integration for Slack. You will find out how to bring powerful task management features to your Slack team and control everything in one place.

Install the Sendtask integration for Slack

How to see your to-do list

You can see your list of tasks that are due today, tomorrow or are overdue by typing in “/sendtasks” in any Slack channel in your team.
how-to-see-to-do-list-two

Note: There is a limit of 100 tasks to be shown in Slack, ordered by due date.

How to see all your incomplete tasks

incomplete-tasks

If you want to see all of your incomplete tasks (not just due today, tomorrow or overdue), you must type in “/sendtasks incomplete”. The tasks will be arranged by due date.

Note: There is a limit of 100 tasks to be shown in Slack, ordered by due date.

How to see tasks that you’ve completed

complete-tasks

You can see all the tasks you’ve completed by typing in “/sendtasks complete”. You will get a list of all tasks you’ve completed arranged by due date.

Note: There is a limit of 100 tasks to be shown in Slack, ordered by due date.

How to see all your tasks – both complete and incomplete

all-tasks
You can see all your tasks – both complete and incomplete – when you type in “/sendtasks all”. This will bring a list of every task that was assigned to you in Sendtask, even if it was completed. The list will be arranged by due date.

Note: There is a limit of 100 tasks to be shown in Slack, ordered by due date.

How to create tasks for yourself

create-task

You can create a task for yourself by typing in “/sendtask” followed by the task name.

For Example:
/sendtask Buy milk on the way home

This will create a task titled “Buy milk on the way home” which will appear in your to-do list when you view it in the Sendtask app or in Slack. The task will automatically be assigned to you.

How to set a task due date

set-a-due-date

You can set a task due date by adding the due date anywhere after the “/sendtask” command.

For example:
/sendtask Buy milk on the way home tomorrow
OR
/sendtask Tomorrow buy milk on the way home
OR
/sendtask Buy milk tomorrow on the way home

All of these examples will create a task titled “Buy milk on the way home tomorrow” (or one of the other two variations) with the due date set to the next day.

How to assign a task to someone else

assign-a-task

You can assign a task to someone else by adding their @name (if they’re on your Slack team) or email address anywhere after the “/sendtask” command.

For example:
/sendtask Buy milk on the way home tomorrow @jason
OR
/sendtask @jason buy milk on the way home tomorrow
OR
/sendtask Buy milk on the way home jason@emailprovider.com

All of these examples will create a task titled “Buy milk on the way home tomorrow” that is assigned to Jason and has a due date set to the next day.

How to add followers to a task

add-follower

You can add a task follower by including their @name (if they’re on your Slack team) or email address anywhere after the assignee’s name.

For example:
/sendtask @jason Buy milk on the way home tomorrow bart.simpson@springfield.com
OR
/sendtask Buy milk on the way home tomorrow @jason bart.simpson@springfield.com

Both of these examples will create a task titled “Buy milk on the way home tomorrow” that is assigned to Jason and has a due date set to the next day. However, it will also include the task creator and Bart Simpson as followers in the task.

Note: If you want to assign the task to yourself and add collaborators, you have to include your @name or email address before you include any followers.

How to mark a task as complete

mark-complete

Whenever you view any task in Slack, you will see a “Complete Task” button. If you want to mark a task as done, simply click the button.

How to see more details about a task

show-deitals

Whenever you view any task in Slack, you will see a “Show Task Details” button. If you want to see more details about the task such as followers, due date, comments, and assignee, simply click the button.

How to undo completing a task

undo

Whenever you mark a task as complete, the button will change from “Complete Task” to “Undo”. Simply press “Undo” to bring the task back to your list.

Install the Sendtask integration for Slack

How-to / Sendtask - 04/28/2017

How To Take Control Of Tasks In Your Inbox

inbox-task-management

Lifehacker

Ever sent yourself a reminder email? You don’t have to.

Email is meant to help you communicate. Therefore, using it as a task management and notification tool comes with a set of limitations.

Why you should never send yourself another reminder email

Simply put, using email for task management is like washing your car with just water and old newspapers – it does a sloppy job.

Why do I feel so strongly about this? I’ve managed tasks with email for years and experienced first hand all the issues this brings such as:

  • Cluttering your inbox
  • Making you waste time searching for tasks because not all of them are in emails
  • It doesn’t allow you to track progress, making it difficult to see the big picture
  • It’s very limited in terms of categorization
  • It’s plain old inefficient

It didn’t take long before I started thinking about using something else. I’ve tried and tested dozens of software solutions, only to come back to email again for one reason – I just HAVE to use it because of other people.

 

Using email for task management is like washing your car with water and old newspapers Click To Tweet.

 

How to turn your inbox into a powerful task management hub

So now you’re facing a different problem – you have to use email but it’s just not good enough for task management.

To solve this issue, I started using Sendtask to manage all the actionable items that somehow ended up in my inbox or anywhere else. Sendtask gives you all the task management features you need for efficient work and collaboration directly in your inbox.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on you can use it to take control of tasks in your inbox immediately:

Step 1) Add [due_date]@sendtask.io as the email recipient

To send any actionable information to your Sendtask account, forward or start writing a normal email, only this time enter [due_date]@sendtask.io as the recipient.

For example, enter tomorrow9am@sendtask.io if you need to do something the next day at nine in the morning. You can see a full list of email deadline formats here.

Step 2) Add the task title in the subject line

The subject line becomes the task title in Sendtask so you should make it something actionable.

Step 3) Enter any comments in the email field (optional)

 

If the task has extra information attached to it, simply type it in as a comment in the email field. This will come up in the details box on Sendtask. Then simply send your email and the task will appear in your dashboard.

You can also forward actionable info to someone else – even if they’re not on Sendtask.

You can manage your own tasks and also assign tasks to anyone else as long as you have their email address. Simply add their email address in the recipient field along with [due_date]@sendtask.io. This will create a virtual workspace for you and the assignee even if they don’t have an account. You will be able to track the tasks you’ve assigned to yourself and others in the same dashboard.

In short, Sendtask gives you the opportunity to capture all actionable info and track progress in one place. You can use email, mobile, and the web app to create and manage tasks, with a Slack integration also coming soon.

Ready to try it out? Jump back into Sendtask.

 

How-to / productivity / Sendtask - 04/10/2017

How To Use Sendtask With Email

how-to-use-sendtask-with-email

In this guide, you will find out how to use Sendtask with email. We’ll go through the process one step at a time, using our friend Bob’s workflow as an example.

Bob is a busy guy. He runs several personal and work projects at any given time. In order to organize and keep track of everything, he uses sendtask.io.

Bob starts a normal day by opening his email account. He sees a number of things he needs to do or delegate to his team. Instead of transferring everything into another software and losing time, he starts clearing off tasks as new emails come in. Here’s how you can do the same:

Step 1: Start creating an email and enter your recipient’s address in the recipient field

Sending tasks with sendtask.io is almost the same as sending a normal email. You begin by entering the recipient’s email address. Of course, you can enter multiple email addresses but only the first one you enter will be the direct assignee. If you include any other people, they will be added as followers who have access to the task, its comments, and attachments. Neither you nor your recipients need a sendtask.io account in order to gain access and use most of the tool’s features.

Pro Tip: You can include yourself as the email recipient or follower and manage your own task list directly from email.

Step 2: Add [due_date]@sendtask.io as an additional recipient (cc)

This is the only difference from sending a normal email. You need to include [due_date]@sendtask.io as an additional recipient in order for the tool to recognize your task. For example, this could be “tomorrow@sendtask.io” or “monday@sendtask.io”. A full list of all available deadline formats can found here.

Pro tip: If you don’t want to set a due date, use “task@sendtask.io” as the additional recipient. 

Step 3: Type in the task title in the subject line

The subject line will become the task title. This should be something actionable such as “Buy milk” or “Call Andy about new landing page”.

Step 4: Write your comments/ task description in the actual email

The email field is where you add your comments or task description. This will be useful for the assignee in case there is further clarification needed.

Step 5: Send

Now that you have an assignee, task title, due date and description, it’s time to send the email.

Step 6: Repeat process for all projects and tasks

You can repeat the same process for all tasks you have on your mind – both personal and work related. You can include your team, friends or family as assignees in case you need them to do something and you can build your own task list.

Step 7: Go to your Sendtask dashboard

how-to-use-sendtask-with-email-assigned-tasks

After you’re finished, you can sign in to your Sendtask dashboard and everything will be there. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up and take advantage of all of the tool’s features.

 

How-to / Sendtask - 03/31/2017

A Guide To Sendtask Due Dates

Due-date-formats

This post will guide you through the different due dates you can use in Sendtask. They apply to email, Slack and in-app due date settings. We’ll use email for our example illustrations, but the formats are available in all Sendtask integrations and apps. Here’s a list of the due dates you can use::

Scenario 1: You want to set the due date as today or tomorrow

Then add as additional recipient:

today@sendtask.io
or
tomorrow@sendtask.io

Note: By default, the timing is set at 12 am midnight when using this format.

You can also include a specific time:

Example:
today1pm@sendtask.io – this will set the due date for today at 1 pm
or
tomorrow2pm@sendtask.io – this will set the due date for tomorrow at 2 pm

…and so on.

Scenario 2: You want to set the due date as a specific day of the week

Then add as additional recipient one of the following:

monday@sendtask.io
tuesday@sendtask.io
wednesday@sendtask.io
thursday@sendtask.io
friday@sendtask.io
saturday@sendtask.io
sunday@sendtask.io

Note: By default, the timing is set at 11 pm when using this format.

You can also include a specific time:

Example:
monday1pm@sendtask.io – this will set the due date for 1 pm on the first Monday coming after today’s date
tuesday4am@sendtask.io – this will set the due date for 4 am on the first Tuesday coming after today’s date
friday11am@sendtask.io – this will set the due date for 11 am on the first Friday coming after today’s date

…and so on.

Scenario 3: You want to set the due date as a specific date

Then add as additional recipient:

YYYY-MM-DD@sendtask.io
or
YYYY/MM/DD@sendtask.io

Example:
2017-03-27@sendtask.io – this will set the due date for 27th March 2017.

2017/03/27@sendtask.io – this will also set the due date for 27th March 2017.

Note: By default, the timing is set at 11 pm when using this format.

Scenario 4: You don’t want to set any due dates

no-due-date

Then add as additional recipient:

task@sendtask.io

How-to / Sendtask - 03/31/2017

A Simple Guide To Decluttering Your Digital Workspace

Declutter your digital workspace example photo imac desk

Online content has exploded in recent years. We’re all bombarded with news, messages, push notifications and all sorts of information on a daily basis.

On top of that, over time we accumulate various data on our phones and computers such as photos, videos, software, and the occasional virus.

How much of all this data do you suppose is important?

It’s quite natural for digital clutter to add up and this is not as harmless as it seems.

Research suggests our working memory can only handle a limited amount of information at any given time. This means that every extra bit you add can be at the expense of something that’s really important.

In addition, the extra pressure on our mind creates unnecessary stress and impacts our ability to make decisions.

This is why people like Steve Jobs and Barrack Obama keep wearing the same type of clothes and simplify their life – they know that even the smallest decisions take mental energy so they use it carefully.

This simple guide to decluttering your digital workspace will show you how to create some empty space in your mind so you too can enjoy more creativity and mental freedom.

Here are five steps you can take to quickly declutter your digital workspace:

Step 1: Take advantage of free cloud storage

Cleaning up your desktop and uploading some of your hard drive files online can make a huge difference to the amount of unneeded information that gets to your mind.

While you’re at it, make sure you also organize whatever is currently online.

Services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and pCloud will give you free storage that should be more than enough for stuff like old photos and videos.

You may have some extra free space as part of any recent technology you’ve purchased – for example, HP and Asus offer free cloud storage when you buy some of their products.

Keeping everything online and regularly uploading your data will ensure your desktop does not get cluttered and that you can access your files wherever you are.

Step 2: Use a single password (without sacrificing security)

After reading the above, you may be thinking – what about all the passwords I need for online storage? Well, you don’t really need more than one password to keep your security.

Services like 1Password or LastPass will provide you with a free online “vault” and store your usernames and passwords as you register and log in to various websites.

You can choose if you want to add the particular account to your vault or if you want to keep it out for now.

They also have mobile and desktop versions, so you can keep in sync wherever you are and never have to deal with multiple passwords again.

This way, you don’t have to keep spreadsheets with passwords and usernames and you don’t have to compromise security in case you use only one password for everything.

Step 3: Reach inbox zero every day

Reaching inbox zero is, without exaggeration, one of the best feelings you can get. There is a lot to say about email so we’ll cover this in a bit more detail.

Email is where we spend most of our time when working so it’s crucial that we keep our inbox tidy and distraction-free.

Following are a few tips which you can use to reach Inbox Zero every day:

  • Unsubscribe

The first step you need to take is to gradually unsubscribe from all unneeded newsletters and email lists.

This may require you to invest some time upfront, but the returns you get on it are more than worth the investment once you take into account how many emails you have to delete down the road.

  • Forward emails to one account

You don’t really need more than one or two email addresses in most situations. If you have more than this, you can forward your work email addresses to a single account and control everything from there.

This way you don’t have to open each separate inbox.

  • Set up filters

Most email providers will allow you to set up filters which automatically label your incoming mail into individual folders.

For example, if you’re working on several projects at the same time, you can create an individual filter for each of them and your incoming mail will be allocated to the respective folder.

This will keep your inbox well organized and you don’t have to worry about important emails getting lost among everything else.

Step 4: Remove push notifications

Notifications on your phone and browser are some of the biggest sources of distraction nowadays.

Every time your mind gets pulled away from the task at hand, it could take up to 20 minutes to get back to the same level of concentration as you were prior to the distraction.

If you want a productive day at work, it’s best if you turn off notifications at least for a while and leave out some space to deal with them later.

It’s a good practice to work in 90-minute increments with 20 minutes of rest.

However, beware of checking your notifications during these 20 minutes as they could easily turn into hours, especially if you don’t have someone supervising you all the time.

Step 5: Set up auto-backup for important data on your phone

You can set up auto-backup for the contacts, photos, and videos on your phone. These are normally the irretrievable pieces of information that we miss the most if we lose them.

The auto-backup means you can always reset your device to factory settings if you feel like there’s too much on it or in case you just want to make a fresh start.

Google Drive gives you unlimited storage for standard quality photos and videos but keeps in mind that you will need an internet connection if you want to access them later.

Conclusion

Digital decluttering may seem intimidating at first, but most of the time you will be surprised by how fast you can do everything.

Once done, you will appreciate the feeling of lightness and a job well done.

In addition, you will experience all the benefits like reduced stress, better decision making, and optimal energy levels.

Keep in mind, however, that in order to stay organized long-term, it’s always best if you regularly tidy up your digital workspace instead of waiting for a mountain of data to add up. Better yet, you should control the amount of clutter in the first place.

Tools such as Sendtask.io can help you stay on top of things while collaborating online, keeping everything organized and easily accessible. This way you can be sure to always find what you need and keep your digital workspace distraction-free.

Collaboration / How-to / productivity - 03/11/2017

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