Task manager that's a scheduler!
October 23, 2019 12:32 PM Subscribe
You know the phrase “work expands to fill the time allotted”? Well, I think I’m order to plan my work, I need to plan how my time is filled. I’m looking for a combination of a to-do list, a calendar, and a time tracker! Any suggestions?
I’ll describe my ideal tool:
I have a calendar, and I can schedule blocks of time as tasks! So, for example, if I have to write an important email, and I think it will take me an hour, then I’ll try to find an hour-long chunk in my schedule and insert it in. This will both help me plan my week, and stop me from overworking myself, and help me set realistic work times. Tasks can be enlarged and shrunken, and will push other tasks around. Ideally I can also look at each task as part of a larger project, so I can switch to a "project view".
This will let me know things like: "oh, I actually don't have time to do this task on Thursday, I'll push it to Friday instead", etc, instead of just piling it on the to-do list and feeling like I'm always behind.
This would also integrate with my calendar (Google cal) so I can coordinate meetings and schedules.
Other dreams: being able to log estimates & actual time, so I can see how much I'm underestimating how long things take..
Do you have any ideas of platforms or tools that could work? I do web development also, so could maybe stitch this together myself, but I would prefer to use someone else's stable, reliable tool!
I’ll describe my ideal tool:
I have a calendar, and I can schedule blocks of time as tasks! So, for example, if I have to write an important email, and I think it will take me an hour, then I’ll try to find an hour-long chunk in my schedule and insert it in. This will both help me plan my week, and stop me from overworking myself, and help me set realistic work times. Tasks can be enlarged and shrunken, and will push other tasks around. Ideally I can also look at each task as part of a larger project, so I can switch to a "project view".
This will let me know things like: "oh, I actually don't have time to do this task on Thursday, I'll push it to Friday instead", etc, instead of just piling it on the to-do list and feeling like I'm always behind.
This would also integrate with my calendar (Google cal) so I can coordinate meetings and schedules.
Other dreams: being able to log estimates & actual time, so I can see how much I'm underestimating how long things take..
Do you have any ideas of platforms or tools that could work? I do web development also, so could maybe stitch this together myself, but I would prefer to use someone else's stable, reliable tool!
Maybe you're looking for a more elegant solution, but I do this in my google calendar. I have one calendar/color that is for meetings and appointments. The other is for tasks. I know the meetings and appointments are firm and can't be re-arranged willy-nilly. The other color/calendar is flexible. I try to estimate the time I think something will take me, but I also know that some tasks can be rearranged if interruptions happen or meetings get scheduled.
If you're diligent about it, you could also incorporate time tracking into this (adjust tasks after-the-fact for the time you actually spent on it). I don't do that part, but another options is a dedicated app; I've heard good things about Toggl. From a quick google, it appears toggl has a gmail extension.
I like doing it in my calendar because tasks are more likely to get done when they're scheduled versus on a list. Also, I can have the calendar pane open in gmail and add tasks/appointments directly from there as they come up in my inbox. I'm in calendar and gmail all day, so that works better for me than a separate tool. YMMV.
posted by kochenta at 12:49 PM on October 23, 2019
If you're diligent about it, you could also incorporate time tracking into this (adjust tasks after-the-fact for the time you actually spent on it). I don't do that part, but another options is a dedicated app; I've heard good things about Toggl. From a quick google, it appears toggl has a gmail extension.
I like doing it in my calendar because tasks are more likely to get done when they're scheduled versus on a list. Also, I can have the calendar pane open in gmail and add tasks/appointments directly from there as they come up in my inbox. I'm in calendar and gmail all day, so that works better for me than a separate tool. YMMV.
posted by kochenta at 12:49 PM on October 23, 2019
Best answer: Amazing Marvin! It does exactly all that and more. The only thing is Gcal integration was only released a few months ago, so they're not at automatic sync yet (but it's super easy to just click the calendar sync button at the beginning of the day, if your schedule doesn't change that quickly).
The way Amazing Marvin works is there are "strategies" you can turn on or off to make it work exactly how you want. Projects are built into the default, but for the rest, you'd turn on:
- Duration estimates
- Time tracking
- Calendar
- Calendar sync (beta)
You can then drag and drop tasks onto the calendar (or just type in the time you want to start) and they will be the correct "size" for the time estimate, and you can drag the bottle handlebar to grow or shrink it. I think the only thing is you can overlay tasks on top of each other (I do this because sometimes I'll plan to e.g. listen to audio of a textbook while doing dishes), so it may not automatically push tasks down, but it's pretty quick to click and drag things around. The developers are also super responsive and really open to suggestions, so you could bring that up as a potential setting they could add (they've added SO many settings for people who want to use a strategy in just a slightly different way).
posted by brook horse at 1:05 PM on October 23, 2019 [4 favorites]
The way Amazing Marvin works is there are "strategies" you can turn on or off to make it work exactly how you want. Projects are built into the default, but for the rest, you'd turn on:
- Duration estimates
- Time tracking
- Calendar
- Calendar sync (beta)
You can then drag and drop tasks onto the calendar (or just type in the time you want to start) and they will be the correct "size" for the time estimate, and you can drag the bottle handlebar to grow or shrink it. I think the only thing is you can overlay tasks on top of each other (I do this because sometimes I'll plan to e.g. listen to audio of a textbook while doing dishes), so it may not automatically push tasks down, but it's pretty quick to click and drag things around. The developers are also super responsive and really open to suggestions, so you could bring that up as a potential setting they could add (they've added SO many settings for people who want to use a strategy in just a slightly different way).
posted by brook horse at 1:05 PM on October 23, 2019 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks so much! I actually use Amazing Marvin already, so I'll try the calendar option; and maybe skedpal and Plan might work well. Thank you!
posted by many more sunsets at 2:39 PM on October 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by many more sunsets at 2:39 PM on October 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by joycehealy at 12:44 PM on October 23, 2019 [1 favorite]