I’ve always liked Google Workspace because it can do almost everything I need in one place. Having said that, one area that has previously been lacking is proper task tracking.
That’s where Google Tasks comes in. It has been around a while but was stuck with an old-looking interface and hidden away. These days it’s prettier, better integrated across Workspace, and has a new homepage.
Where to see and edit tasks
- At tasks.google.com (pro tip: set this as your homepage)
- In the side bar of many apps across Workspace
- By clicking the tasks button on the top right of Calendar (which gives you the same view as the first option)
One way to use Tasks
If you love the complexity of a tool like Notion, then Tasks probably isn’t for you. However, if you prefer simplicity (or have no idea what Notion is), this could be the one!
Everyone organises tasks in their own way but here’s a run down of how to use tasks sprinkled with an idea…
In Tasks, you can add individual tasks (obviously). You can also create lists. In the main view you can even drag and drop tasks between lists.
Imagine you have a list for each project you’re working on (or each client you work with), and another list called ‘Today.’ Each day, you could drag and drop your tasks from those different projects across to the ‘Today’ list to help give you some focus.
Here’s a quick cheatsheet:
Assign tasks to others
A little annoyingly, you can only assign tasks to others (or yourself) inside Google Docs. It’s pretty easy though:
- Type the @ symbol
- Choose ‘Task’
- Add the details
The task can be marked complete inside the Google Doc. It’s also added to the assignee’s default task list, but they can drag and drop it to another list.
Bonus Tasks tips to try out
- You can star any individual task, then view all starred tasks by choosing the option on the left
- Right click on any task to quickly add subtasks, move tasks to different lists, or delete tasks
- Completed tasks are always collapsed at the bottom of a list
- You can drag and drop whole lists to move them around
- It’s possible to copy and paste lists of tasks in one go (just make sure every task is on a new line when you copy)
- If you like the Trello system, you can recreate that with lists
- Have lots of lists? Scroll right more quickly by holding shift whilst using your scroll wheel
Don’t forget, you can book me to support you 1:1 or deliver a larger workshop by completing this form.
Today’s post was slightly different to usual but I hope it was helpful! If you have any questions about Tasks just leave a comment and I’ll jump in. See you in the next one!
Dean