I want to read to you a question I received from Jeremy.

Thank you for sharing these insightful time management tips! I’ve been implementing your suggestion of assigning dates to tasks, and it has been a game-changer.

I’m curious, how would you recommend approaching tasks related to discussions with direct reports or my boss? Should I schedule each of them individually, or is it more effective to batch them together? I’ve noticed that when added individually, my task list can become quite long. Looking forward to your perspective on this. Thanks again!

My reply…

Great question! I keep in mind I want input to be quick and retrieval to be instant. The simplest thing would be when something new comes up, create a new task and put the person’s name in that task. That would allow you to add a task quickly from your phone and not have to type a thing.

If I am out on the go, I pull out my phone and tap the mic icon on the home screen widget. I say, “Call Jim about the XYZ report.” It’s done, and I don’t have to think about it!

At my desk

If I am at my desk, I hit a keyboard combination and a window pops up for me to enter the task. This window appears regarding what application I happen to be in at the moment. If you have a default due date set (“Today” for me) in your settings, the due date is handled for you.  

Clean it up later

Later in the day when you examine everything in the task manager’s inbox, you could amend the due date if needed and add any tags. For example, I use #ETR for “expect to receive”…anything where someone else holds the responsibility for the action and I want to be able to check up on what I am expecting to see from other people or organizations.

You could also have a tag for each direct report. Quickly add the tag for their name to any task you have delegated.  When you want to see everything related to that person, search for their name (or click on their tag). Everything related to that person appears.

“Smart List” in Remember The Milk

A search for a word, phrase, or tag returns relevant tasks due now and also far into the future. You probably don’t want to clutter the search with tasks you cannot or do not wish to see for months.

When you conduct a search in Remember The Milk, you can turn it into a “Smart List.”

Let’s say “Sam” is a direct report and you have a #Sam tag. You could perform this search in Remember The Milk:

tag:sam AND dueBefore:”7 day from now.”

Click the “Save as Smart List” button.

When Sam comes walking in the door, one click on that smart list returns anything tagged “Sam” that’s overdue, due today, or due within the next 7 days.

If your direct reports also use Remember The Milk, another possibility becomes available. Within Remember The Milk, you can “give” a task to someone who is in your Remember The Milk contacts. The task shows up on their list. It also goes into a section on your Remember The Milk in the “Given to others” section.

The most important thing…

The most important thing is to put everything into your task list. Don’t trust your memory. Don’t rely on random scraps of paper. They don’t themselves well to search.

Here are some posts on this site that will give you ideas for using Remember The Milk:

Jeremy, thank you for your question and I hope that answer helps you and many others!

If you want more on Remember The Milk, I automatically send people when they join my email list. You can do that today. Go to FrankBuck.org/subscribe

“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.”

– Benjamin Franklin

“The most effective way to do it is to do it.”

– Amelia Earhart