I’ve been a fan of Google’s Calendar feature for a few years, as well as a user of Gmail for all of my email needs since before it came out of beta testing. Google recently answered one of my personal productivity “wish list” items with its launch of a new “Tasks” management system.
The Tasks, available from Google Labs, enables you to add items to a virtual “to do” list, assign due dates, and document details in notes. The feature even gives “type A” personalities like me the satisfaction of checking a box when you’ve completed a task and seeing it crossed off your list.
I have been using Google Tasks with both my Google Calendar and with Gmail. A wonderful feature of the application is the ability to quickly and easily create a task from an email in just a few clicks using keyboard shortcuts. I tend to keep my email inbox stocked up with items that need my attention, so this new Task feature enables me to confidently add them to my “to do” list and then move them out of the inbox and into files without fearing that I will forget to complete the necessary action item if it’s not sitting in my inbox.
If you are already using Gmail, you will need to go to the “Settings”, click on the “Labs” tab, find “Tasks”, select “enable” and then scroll to the bottom of the page and save your changes. Once you’ve done this, you can add a task either by keyboard shortcut or by selecting “Add to Tasks” from the “More Actions” menu directly above the email you are reading.
Because the task list resides online, you can access it anywhere you have internet access simply by signing into your Gmail account. If you are fortunate enough to own an iPhone, you can easily access your Google Tasks from your phone.
For a complete overview of the Tasks feature, complete with images and easy to follow directions, visit the Official Gmail Blog. To integrate Google Tasks with your Google Calendar, visit this post. The simple integration of these powerful tools and their ready access continues to please this Geek Gal. I love having access to my data and to do list at any time. It turns waiting situations into opportunities to cross tasks off of my list, which is always a good thing in my book!
This post is courtesy of the Productivity @ Home Blog.
