The last several weeks we’ve looked at adding tasks into Remember The Milk and organizing those tasks so that you have a successful day. We also looked at putting repeating tasks on autopilot.


Today we look at how to plan that successful day.

Tomorrow Starts Today

Take some time at the end of the day to set up tomorrow’s list. Here’s how we do it. 

Empty the Remember The Milk Inbox

The Inbox is where all the tasks added to Remember The Milk appear and where they stay until being moved to another list. (Of course, they also show up for the days to which they have been assigned.) Are you satisfied with the dates and priorities assigned to each? If not put checkmarks beside them and make those changes. Remember, you can make changes in mass. Put checkmarks by several and choose a due date of next Wednesday for example and it applies the date to all of them at once.

When you’re happy with the due dates and priorities of all of them, move them from the inbox. Where do you move them to? I moved them to a list called organized. Now the inbox is empty.

Tomorrow

Next Click on the tomorrow button. Look at what’s already waiting for you. Do any of those tasks need to be postponed? Put a checkmark by any of those you want to postpone. I would leave any repeating tasks alone. Messing with the due date can mess with the repeating pattern.

Decide how far in the future you would like to postpone those tasks. Perhaps it’s one day. Perhaps it’s a week. Click at the top and choose how many days to postpone all of those tasks.

If some tasks need to be postponed one day and others need to be postponed a week, handle it in two different batches. What you’re left with are tasks that you really do want to accomplish tomorrow.

Today

Click the today button. These are the tasks you hoped to accomplish today. I’ll be honest…I never finish my list. And to me, that’s a good thing. I always like to have options on the list. If I finish work ahead of time, I have some other things that don’t have to be done but that I could work on quickly.

If I do nothing, all of these tasks will simply show up for me tomorrow. Those I had designated Priority 2 (tasks for this morning) will show up tomorrow in Priority 2 for me to handle tomorrow morning.

Suppose I want to make some changes. Handle it just like we did with the Tomorrow list. Put checkmarks beside tasks whose dates you want to postpone. You can postpone quite a few in mass.

Put a checkmark beside items you want to move around within the day. Perhaps there are some morning items you’d like to move to the afternoon or vice versa. Put checkmarks beside them and change their priority from the menu.

A handy keyboard shortcut for adjusting the priority is that the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 will change the priority. In other words, if I put a checkmark beside three items and hit the number “2” on my keyboard, all three tasks will now jump up to Priority 2.

When you’re okay with the list, you’re done. Tomorrow, when you look at the list anything, not done today will still be there for you along with the tasks already scheduled for tomorrow.

You’ll see your Fab five at the top, so get started! Below those will be your tasks for the morning, the afternoon, and the evening You’re ready to make today count! A good digital task manager makes life easier. Remember The Milk continues to be my choice.

If you found value in this post, you will probably like these others on Remember The Milk: