Introduction

I've previously written articles on task management, but as we step into the new year, I'm revisiting my approach to make it more productive and comfortable. While it's not set in stone yet, at this moment, I'm considering refining my task management using Notion's task lists. Specifically, the plan involves creating a Task List database in Notion to schedule and manage my to-dos effectively.

In this short article, I'll be discussing this aspect of task management.

Categorizing Tasks into Five Groups

In my case, tasks can be categorized into the following five types:

Project Tasks

Tasks that resemble projects, requiring multiple actions to complete. For instance, delivering a Landing Page to a client involves actions like Meeting, Design, Coding, and Delivery. The "Project Tasks" category represents the overarching goal, such as "Create and deliver a Landing Page to the client", serving as the task title.

Sub Tasks

Sub Tasks consist of the child tasks that make up the above-mentioned "Project Tasks". Notion has its own function called Sub-item, which can also be used to organise them.

Single Tasks

Single Tasks are standalone actions that do not fall under mid to long-term projects. Examples include "Go grocery shopping", "Do laundry", or "Attend a class reunion", etc.

Learning

This category is reserved for tasks related to learning. Whether it's a short-term study session or a long-term learning plan, the execution and management methods align with regular tasks. While you can consolidate learning tasks under Single Tasks, I've opted for a separate category to emphasize the non-urgent nature of learning and the potential differentiation from daily tasks.

Routine

This includes tasks like weekly meetings or routine household chores.

With Notion's recent implementation of the Repeat function on database, managing recurring tasks has become more convenient.

---

By templating these five categories in the Task List database and utilizing the Select property in db for each, you can distinguish and efficiently register tasks in the database.

View

How tasks are visualized is crucial, and Notion offers a feature called View to customize the appearance of your database. I'll be utilizing this feature to create a Task List that suits my preferences. Below are the views I've come up with:

Daily List

Set as a Table View with a filter to display tasks with the scheduled date set to "Today". This view allows me to see a list of tasks for the current day.

Weekly List

Also in Table View, with a filter showing tasks scheduled for "This Week". This view is handy for an overview of tasks for the week.

Weekly and Monthly Cal

In Calendar View, displaying tasks scheduled for either a weekly or monthly range.

Project Timeline

Using the Timeline View and filtering to show only "Project Tasks". This view provides an overview of the mid to long-term projects I'm working on.

All Tasks

Set as a Table View without any filters, displaying all tasks in the list.

Conclusion

While still in the trial-and-error phase, I've summarized the current operational approach for task management. I'm considering adopting this strategy for task management throughout the year.

Previously, I wrote an article about daily lists in Logseq, but I'm contemplating a different usage approach. If the opportunity arises, I'll be sure to introduce it in a blog post.

Thank you for reading!