Today you plan to be productive. But your work is scattered everywhere — a to-do on a Post-It note, a reminder on a scrap of paper, a task taped to your refrigerator, a scribbled… something… on the back of your hand.
You find yourself feeling overwhelmed. You don’t know what to tackle next or even where to begin to start.
This is where a task planner comes in — software that lets you manage and organize your work in one place.
There’s no more digging around for that scrap of paper you misplaced or trying to decode your own handwriting. A task planner helps you prioritize your work and ensures that nothing gets lost.
But with so many options on the market, which one is right for you? And what features should you look for?
In this article, we’ll look at what a task planner is, why you should use one, and what to look for when shopping around. We’ll also give you a template you can use right away.
What is a task planner?
A task planner is a piece of software that lets you capture and organize your tasks in one digital workspace. It offers more capabilities and features than a traditional planner.
A task management tool helps with the following:
- Prioritization: not all tasks carry equal weight. A task planner lets you add tasks and set priorities, so you know what to focus on first.
- Scheduling: tasks typically have clear start and end dates. A task planner lets you schedule and view your tasks in a project timeline or Kanban board.
- Delegation: it makes sense to delegate certain tasks. Using a platform like monday.com enables you to add and delegate tasks to others.
- Communication: communication is key to getting work done. Task planners allow you to see what your team is working on and communicate updates.
With a task planner like monday.com, you can assign tasks, set due dates, and create project schedules. You can also attach files and collaborate in real-time with your team.
Here’s an example of how a task list looks in monday.com:
Now let’s look at why you should use a task planner if you aren’t already.
Why should you use a task planner?
The traditional pen and paper approach comes with a number of frustrating limitations that make it hard to get work done.
You can’t assign tasks, track your time, view progress, or collaborate in real-time.
All of that is alleviated when you’re using a task planner.
Here are just a few reasons why you should look into implementing a task planner into your professional life…
1. You become more productive.
A task planner increases productivity by making it easy for you to add and manage your tasks in one place. This helps you decide what you should prioritize and what you should delegate.
Here’s an example of how teams use monday.com to set priorities for individual tasks:
With monday.com’s task planner app, you can access and manage your work, even when you’re on the go.
2. It keeps you focused.
Staying focused on one task is the key to achieving your best results. Multiple studies have shown that multitasking just doesn’t work.
A task planner helps you stay focused on your work through time blocking — a productivity method where you dedicate “blocks” of time to specific tasks. It keeps distractions to a minimum and prevents you from multitasking.3. It helps you measure progress.
One downside to using paper-based task planners is you can’t “see” progress. It then becomes easy to feel like you’re barely getting anything done.
A task planner lets you break down a project into smaller steps and measure your progress in real time.
The project tracking column in monday.com, for example, displays a percentage based on tasks you’ve already completed.
Here’s an example of a board in monday.com with a project tracking column:
Seeing those percentages slowly reach 100% can motivate you to keep going.
4. It facilitates collaboration.
53% of organizations that have shifted toward team collaboration have seen a significant improvement in overall performance.
A task planner like monday.com facilitates such collaboration. You can manage team tasks and collaborate within the board itself.
Here’s an example of how teams use monday.com to collaborate in real-time:
Now that you have a better idea of how a task planner can boost productivity, let’s examine the top features to look for when choosing a task management tool.
10 features to look for in a task planner
No 2 task planners are alike, making it all the more difficult to choose the right one. So, how do you make sure you’re investing in the right software?
Look for task planners with these must-have features:
- Ease of use
- Customizable templates for different use cases
- Task scheduling to plan your work
- Multiple project views to visualize your data
- Smart notifications and reminders
- Time tracking for individual tasks
- File attachments
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile app to manage tasks on the go
- Reporting for key insights
Let’s take an in-depth look at each of these.
1. Ease of use
Software with a steep learning curve just isn’t practical — you’ll end up spending more time learning how the software works than actually using it.
Any software you choose should make it effortless to capture and organize your tasks. It should also have a simple and intuitive interface.
Here’s a look at how easy it is to create a task list in monday.com:
Project boards let you manage your tasks in a visual way, so you can see where things stand at a glance.
2. Customizable templates for different use cases
A good task planner should include customizable templates. This lets you quickly set up new projects and get straight to work.
With over 200 templates available, monday.com has something for virtually every industry. Each template is fully customizable, so you can adapt it to fit any workflow.
Below, you’ll find a team task management template from monday.com that gives a clear view of what your team is working on:
The color-coded labels indicate which items are high priority.
3. Task scheduling to plan your work
A typical project consists of dozens or even hundreds of tasks. Choosing a task planner with scheduling features is a must to deliver projects on time.
With monday.com, you can schedule tasks in advance. The timeline column lets you see how much time you have remaining for individual tasks.
Here’s an example of a project board in monday.com with a timeline column:
The timeline column displays start and dates for each task, so can you plan your work accordingly.
4. Multiple project views to visualize your data
Look for a task planner that offers different project views.
For example, if you’re working through a tight deadline, you may want to use a timeline view or Gantt chart to visualize your project schedule from start to finish.
A timeline view in monday.com can be seen below:
This view is particularly helpful to view task dependencies — tasks that depend on each other for completion (e.g., Task A can’t start until Task B is finished).
If you want to visualize your work across different stages, you may find a Kanban board more useful, as seen below.
And if you want to see what items you have coming up in the days and weeks ahead, then you’ll find a calendar view invaluable.
A task planner that offers more than one way to visualize your data means you can choose the view that best suits your project.
5. Smart notifications and reminders
Keeping track of what you need to do and when is critical to staying on schedule. Choose a task planner that lets you set alerts and reminders.
With automations in monday.com, you can do more than set due date reminders — you can opt to receive notifications when certain conditions are — or aren’t — met.
Here’s an example of automations in monday.com:
You can also use these automations to set recurring tasks. This is useful for activities that you repeat on a regular basis.
6. Time tracking for individual tasks
Ever feel like there’s never enough time to do everything? It’s likely because you’re not managing your time effectively.
Office workers are productive for just 2 hours and 53 minutes out of the working day. That’s shockingly low.
You can change this by choosing a task planner with time tracking capabilities. This lets you see where your time is going, so you can manage your work days better and plug productivity leaks.
Time tracking in monday.com for individual tasks is simple and effective, as shown in the example below.
This valuable feature also lets you bill more accurately and estimate project timelines better.
7. File attachments
Another must-have feature for any task planner is being able to attach and manage files. This allows you to quickly find what you need without having to switch between different apps.
With the file column in monday.com, you can attach files to individual tasks and view them by simply clicking on them.
Here’s how file attachments look in monday.com:
You can also add files from Google Drive, Dropbox, and more.
8. Real-time collaboration
Effective collaboration is crucial, as any misunderstandings can lead to project delays.
Look for a task planner that facilitates collaboration. This helps teams stay on the same page.
Below, you’ll find an example of how teams use monday.com to collaborate:
In-context collaboration eliminates endless email chains and reduces unnecessary meetings.
9. A mobile app to manage tasks on the go
More people are now using their mobile devices to work on the go. Look for a task planner with a mobile tasks app. This will enable you to capture tasks and get a clear overview of upcoming deadlines from anywhere.
monday.com has mobile apps available for Android and iOS devices. Simply download the app to your phone and you’ll be able to manage your task list on the go.
Learn more about how to organize your tasks with our mobile app here.
10. Reporting for key insights.
Choose a task planner that makes it easy for you to create useful reports. This will help you see how things are progressing, so you can adjust your plans accordingly.
Take a look at the reporting tools in monday.com through this video:
Creating and sharing reports promotes transparency with your team. They can also be used to communicate updates to stakeholders.
If you’re looking for a task planner that includes all of these must-have features, monday.com is the best option.
Let’s take a look at how you can use our platform to organize your work.
How to use monday.com for task planning
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with how much you have to do. Follow these steps to get your work under control.
1. Choose a template.
Start by choosing the right template. If you’re planning an event, you’ll find our event schedule template useful. It acts as a complete checklist.
You can also choose from our selection of templates here.
2. Customize your board.
Use a template as is or customize it to fit your project. monday.com offers over 20 column choices that you can add easily.
Here’s an example of a numbers column for budget tracking:
You can add as many columns as you would like.
3. Add your tasks.
Add your tasks to your project board. You can also put them into “groups” — color-coded sections for categorizing your items.
Be sure to set deadlines and priorities, so you know which ones to focus on first.
4. Do the work.
Now that your tasks are added, it’s time to get to work and start turning your board green.
Don’t forget to use the updates section to keep your team in the loop.
5. Track your project.
Sometimes, a project runs into hiccups along the way. To make informed decisions about where to allocate resources, you need actionable data.
With dashboards in monday.com, you can track your project and centralize data that’s important to you in one place.
You can even share your dashboard as an email to your team to keep them updated.
Ready to get started?
Some days it feels like you have a million different things to do. It’s easy to feel stuck and not know what you should focus on next.
A task planner like monday.com lets you manage your tasks in one place, set due dates for important deadlines, and visualize your work in different views.
Get started today with our daily task tracker template.
