Module 4: Effective Use of Tasks

Overview How to Use Tasks Walkthrough: Creating a Custom View Exercise: Creating and Applying Categories Dated vs. Undated Tasks Walkthrough: Creating Tasks Discussion: The Role of Tasks

How to Use Tasks Understand the difference between:  Project: a series of actions that lead to a goal  Next Action: the very next thing you need to do Avoid these common mistakes when creating and managing tasks:  Assigning a due date to every task  Creating tasks that do not support next actions  Not customizing Outlook’s Task views  Not reviewing your task lists consistently

Walkthrough 1: Creating a Custom View Your instructor will guide you through the creation of two custom views of your tasks:  The Dated Tasks view displays all tasks that have a due date assigned.  The Undated Tasks view displays all tasks yet to be assigned a due date

Exercise: Creating and Applying Categories Categories sort and organize tasks Categories can be based on context Categories can be based on projects

Dated vs. Undated Tasks Dated Tasks: tasks that must be completed or actions you have committed to completing by a certain date Undated Tasks: next actions you have identified but not yet scheduled Daily review: Review your Calendar and Dated Tasks list. Scan your Undated Tasks list to see if anything else can or should be done that day Weekly review: Use a weekly review to examine the week just past or the week ahead, assess progress on next actions, and make sure your task lists are complete

Walkthrough 2: Creating Tasks 1.Subject line 2.Due date and Start date and Reminder settings 3.Contacts 4.Free text area 5.Categories

Discussion: The Role of Tasks How Do Dated Tasks and Undated Tasks help make good decisions about next actions? Will categorizing tasks by context or project work better for you? Have you tried working from a Task List in the past? Has it been effective? How comfortable are you with the idea of assigning a due date only to tasks that you are ready to commit to a deadline?