TechTips Vol VII Software Gqueues
Task Management and Google Integration has reached new levels of awesome in Gqueues. It is easily my application of the month.
Gqueues is simply a task manager, but simplicity in use is complex in attainment. Web Based, feature rich, and full integration with my gmail account and calendar.
Much like the last task management software I outlined, doit.im, Gqueues should be utilized and implemented the same way.
Steps to Use it
- Intake – In the inbox of Gqueues intake ALL your to do’s, literally ALL of them. Don’t organize them yet, just intake.. You can even give your task a note, website link, or any other details necessary to accomplish them.
- Organize – There are two concurrent ways to organize tasks with Gqueues. Queues or categories.
- Queues have finite start and end dates, with multiple tasks associated in order to accomplish them. Sometimes the tasks are sequential, sometimes not.
- Categories are reserved for tasks associated with recurring themes (contexts). More than one tag can be assigned to a task.
- Summary – You can create a project and assign tasks and assign one or more categories per task.
- i.e. – Christmas Gifts is a Queue. Online, mall, brother, mother, best friend, Amazon.com, itunes, etc. are all categories or contexts. Some of the tasks are “Buy gift card”, “Small Sweater”, “Music”, etc.
- Once all your tasks are noted, queues and categories created and assigned, now it’s time to associate a date.
- Date is the day the task needs to be accomplished.
- The last and final step is “Rinse, Lather, Repeat”. Once a day, once a week, once a month, review your tasks, assign, re-organize, and stay on target. At least use this system daily to see what you need to get done, do it, and check it off, or re-assign it if it didn’t get done (for whatever reason).
Keys to Success
- Be realistic with your due dates so you can accomplish the task when you want, it’s rewarding. Getting in the habit of constantly re-assigning tasks is detrimental to the system.
- Use just one system and do not over analyze it.
- Email is not a system.. Emails that contain tasks should be recorded in this system and archived or deleted.
One of my favorite features of Gqueues is the “Create Gqueues task Bookmarklet” . Using this feature with Google Mail is a perfect marriage. If I have an email I want to turn into a task I use the Bookmarklet feature and it can be done in one click, poof no more email and now a qualified task.
Gqueues also has a Google Calendar Gadget that inserts a task list next to your Google Calendar.
I’ve since fully switched from doit.im and I could be none the wiser.