What do you use at work to keep on top of your to do list?

[ThisJustMauveMember]

I have started a new job and it's very much juggling a lot of plates at once. It's manageable but Im used to just taking inbound calls or having short tasks.

I'm writing notes on pieces of paper but I need something more structured.

Is there anything online that would help me to write down tasks, what actions I need to do etc?

I like online stuff for most things but I'm afraid for my to-do list I stick to a notebook. I've used A4 hardbacks in the past but I move around a lot in my current job and I like B5 wire bound notebooks. EVERYTHING goes on my list, with a tick box next to it, and I categorise items AA, A, B, or C (AA urgent, A important, B need to do, C nice to do) plus I add another code for the type of action it is. I tick off as I go, and every few days I write a fresh list includi g anything undone from the old one, and cross through the page. There will be lots of other pages with meeting notes etc, and dates on most pages.

I'm extremely disorganised, but over years I have found that either I do this and survive, or I don't and disaster follows.

Microsoft To Do

I have a Filofax A5. One place only for all notes and tick when completed . No wee bits of paper or post it. Adopt one place only approach with a tick list✔️when completed. Retain list until complete. If a task can be done in 10 min or less do it same day

I learned the hard way when I had post it norms and wee bits of paper all over the shop. Inevitably I mislaid and lost the crucial bot of paper list
Take a photo of the page I’m working on

Lots of colleagues use things like Trello Boards now.

Like a PP, I manage my to do's in notebooks. I like A5 moleskins and I have two on the go. 1 as to do plus notes on tasks, one as notes of key convo's/feedback.

I like your approach

Outlook tasks which is really useful and i categorise these by colour and title.i would like to use one note but i need some help to get my head around that

Write down 3 must-dos. 3 should dos and 3 be good to get them done. Every day. Helps you prioritise

I find a physical notebook very helpful. My work provides one which has a bunch of configurations but literally an A4 notebook works just as well.

It stays open in front of me all day as a reminder of what to do. This is easier than opening online Trello boards or Excel spreadsheets etc. I can also add to the list quickly if I think of something or someone comes to me with a request.

Anything super urgent is highlighted.

I used to use Trello but now MS Planner as I can integrate it with Teams.

Much prefer Trello though.

Also... on my to do list I divide into columns (which is why I prefer B5 to A5) - left hand column is day to day work, middle column is longer term work project or personal development stuff, right hand column is personal. I keep the right hand column a bit less clear to read and coded so people aren't able to see my list of 'cat food, wax appointment, buy tampons, ds blood test, mum cake, call Auntie' too easily.

I love a traditional to do list on a word document although I have just transferred to to OneNote. Also a huge fan of Outlook. I use it to set reminders to do stuff so book time out in my calendar. I also pin emails that I to do something to the top of my inbox.

I like notion.so - there's a free plan you can use.

Quite intimidating at first as it's a blank page, totally customisable to your needs. But lots of templates for task lists to have a look through and adjust to your needs.

The act of physically writing and actioning the tasks help me feel in control
i also have an outlook and team Calendar . My team can see whereabouts and appts

A Trello board

Oooh that reminds me, when we were in the office full time my personal to do list was in the back of my notebook and my work tasks were in the front. My manager WFH on Fridays so I got so much personal admin done 🥲 those days are long gone.

Outlook tasks. Simple any easy. If I get an email that I need to action in the future I just drag it to tasks and if I send an email I need to follow up on I bcc myself and then also send it to my tasks. I can the delete the emails from my inbox so they’re not cluttering my inbox. Works for me.

We have a project management system plus i pit things in outlook calendar and also each project has a digital action list.
however i have a paper A4 weekly pad that i use.
each friday i write in the next weeks tasks and actions. Cross them off as they get done and add in stuff as it comes up.

I use an A4 notebook as well, and it comes with me to all my meetings so I can take notes, I then asterisk any notes that require my action. I then have my to do list (sometimes I use a double page - on one side I have longer term items that I need to keep in the back of my head, and the opposite side is the faster tasks that I need to do imminently. I then use a different coloured pen to note priority, or day I'll allocate to the task, and another colour again if I need to update (eg task - [another colour] followed up by email to xx on date). My to do list is rarely less than a page long, and although I've tried to use Outlook tasks (quite useful for the longer term things), I didn't find it helpful for the faster tasks or those arising from meetings.

I receive a lot of emails and, although I know I am not supposed to, I use my Outlook email inbox as a todo list

If an email requires an action from me that I cannot respond right away, I flag it. If I send an email and have assigned a task to someone else I need a reply from, I assign a category (colour). All the people who report to me have different colours (they don't know that!), so I can quickly see how much each person owes me by going down my email inbox to spot their colours. Once that person gets back to me, I file the email away and flag it, if it requires an action from me or categorise it if I assign the task to someone else.

If I don't expect a reply from someone until more than a week away, instead of categorising it, I file that email away, so it does not clutter my inbox. I put an all day reminder in outlook to myself to check in 2 weeks' time whether that person has replied, attaching the email to my calendar invite. If they did not, I go off the back of the attached email to chase.

Other than the above, there are bigger projects like writing reports, or hiring new staff or giving training. For these, I just have pieces of paper (about half of A5), which I keep next to my computer and cancel out the tasks once I finish or create a new list if it gets too untidy. I currently have 4 such lists. They usually shake out to when the tasks are due. I have a long term list (probably will never get round to them until I retire), medium term (next month or so), short term (within the week) and immediate (for tomorrow).

I put outlook reminders in my calendar to myself. For example, if I have to present at a meeting on 15 Jan, I put a 2 week reminder to that meeting reminding myself to do the slides. I keep snoozing that reminder until I have done the slides.

When I attend a meeting, I take meeting notes which will have actions. Once the meeting is over, I may send emails (categorise) or put reminders to myself or put it on a list.

Cannot believe I wrote all that. I juggle a lot of tasks in my professional and personal life and manage the home diary. My Outlook calendar is the comprehensive calendar of both my work and personal life. It is pretty busy looking!

The above is somewhat primitive, but seems to work for me. I get things done and things don't unintentionally slip the net. If I drop balls, it is because it had to be de-prioritised.

I started a new job recently and there was so much to learn and remember to start with that I had to abandon my usual notebook in favour of OneNote. Different section for each topic and then a new page as needed. Now I've settled in I've gone back to pen and paper more as I remember things more easily if I've hand written them.

Post it note for things that need urgent action.
A Google doc for longer term stuff. Just brief notes.
Anything date specific gets added to Google calendar using subject from email.

Email gets marked as unread if it's vaguely urgent and colour starred.

Microsoft To do for all the tasks that can be scheduled, categorised, reminders, dependencies etc to tie in with a calender and One Note for all the jotter type stuff for general notetaking on project work.

I think I tried Planner but it didn't work on my computer, needed a licence or something. I've used Planner before

I just write mine down on a a4 lined pad with a 2 line gap between each one. Highlight if urgent. Cross out when done. . Just write odd words for each one as most of my work is on email instructions so just refer to in box from my list. I flag the work on my inbox. Every couple of days I re write the list i obviously add to it throughout the day when work comes in. . If I am in the office which I am about 2 days a week I will type my list put in big font and print out any complex emails. I dont like working on double screens but think I need to. I refer to my inbox on my phone if I need to really study an email if wfh. Probably a bit old fashioned but works for me. Somethings I don't add things that I can get rid off quick. I also as post above put reminders in my diary and also put reminders of the email on delay send to remind myself to do things as a back up .

Word document, bullet pointed list. Urgent items red font, things waiting on others in green.

Long projects get their own spreadsheet to track actions and budget. I refer to the project by one line in Word document so I don't forget it exists.

In morning hand write a short list of items for that day, in A5 notebook.

Emails filed when actioned. In inbox until I have replied.

I'm a PA, I have to be super organised, the above is enough for me.