Task Manager Guide: 7 Microsoft To-Do Tips
You may have heard about Wunderlist — it used to be a top-rated app that helped people get stuff done. It was a management tool that had a sleek and frictionless design. Why “was?” Microsoft had purchased it a few years ago and had slightly altered it to their liking, so now it’s called Microsoft To-Do.
Two years into the app’s acquisition, it’s safe to say that To-Do is an incredibly valuable management tool and a popular one too. But just like with any product out there, there are a few simple hacks, tricks, and useful recommendations that can help improve your interaction with the app. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Image resource: https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-to-do-list-app
Did you know about their shortcuts?
Just like any well-designed application, To-Do has a short but handy set of shortcuts that will considerably increase the speed at which you can use it.
- Ctrl + N: Use this shortcut for creating new tasks
- Ctrl + L: This one is for creating new lists
- Ctrl + T: This shortcut moves a task to your current day
- Ctrl + D: This marks a task as complete
- Ctrl + F: Use this to search for a task
- Ctrl + R: This is used for syncing
- Ctrl + 1: This shortcut will open the sidebar
Emojis are silly? Think again!
Humans are inherently visual creatures. We process visual data at much, much higher rates than text, both spoken and written. So, in order to use To-Do even quicker, add an emoji to the beginning of your tasks’ names. This will allow you to navigate even faster through your errands and access your subtasks, without having to spend extra time on navigating through your tasks.
Access your tasks from the Start Menu
Depending on the Operating System (OS) you’re running on your computer, you’ll be able to view your lists and tasks from the Start Menu. Unfortunately, this feature is currently available only for Windows 10 users.
However, it’s safe to say this feature will be integrated into other iterations of the OS because apps typically tend to eliminate such discrimination from their design.
So given that you’re running Windows 10 on your machine, you can pin a specific list, so that you can see it whenever you access the Start Menu. To do that, you have to right-click the list that you’re looking to pin and click on Pin to Start.
Include your teammates
While To-Do is an excellent tool for getting things done, it’s also advantageous when multiple people can interact with it. This function allows you to be on point with how certain team projects are evolved and how fast certain tasks are executed.
Having sub-tasks also helps. Smaller sections of a root project or task can act as a roadmap. This gives you a better understanding of the greater picture, and your teammates can quickly report on the job done.
Annexing media files
Another essential feature that helps give more context to tasks, especially if you’re working with a team. The only significant issue is that To-Do offers only 25 MB worth of space per uploaded file. Chances are, the app would become even more popular with creatives and team in general.
However, this doesn’t seem like a big problem with the vast majority of the app’s users.
Sort your tasks
While To-Do doesn’t support sorting entire lists, you can, however, sort your tasks within a list. In order to sort the components of a list, open it, and tap on Sort. What you’ll then see is a list of principles according to which you can sort the components of the list.
Here are the principles that you can sort your tasks according to:
- Alphabetical order
- Due date
- Importance (the tasks that you’ve starred have priority)
- The ones that were added to your day
- Completed and uncompleted tasks
- The date the task was created on
Switching between accounts
While this is a fairly new addition to the app’s functionality, its introduction has been greatly appreciated by the community, especially since users have been inquiring for it for quite a while.
Now, you can easily transfer between your personal and corporate accounts in To-Do, which allows you not involved in “personal and business” matters.
Account switching is available on Windows and Android devices. To set it up, you’ll have to click on Manage Accounts and then push on Add Account. If you’re using an Android device, you’ll have to access your settings and tap on Add Account.
Our friend at TrustMyPaper, Jenna McCoy, told us that this new feature has considerably improved the app’s workflow, as “you don’t ‘misplace’ tasks when in a hurry.”
Conclusion
By implementing these tips into your interaction with the app, you’ll be able to considerably increase its efficiency and expand its functionality.
Author Bio
This article is contributed by Marie Fincher.
Marie Fincher is a content writer at TrustMyPaper company with a background inmarketing, technology and business intelligence. She frequently writes about datascience, BI, new marketing trends and branding strategies. Marie gradually changed her focus from working in marketing to writing about it.