The past month has taken a toll. Between snow days, an extended conference (snow related of course), an ill-timed but much needed vacation, and illness, keeping on top of everything has been a struggle. Enter Wunderlist. Wunderlist is a cloud-based list-making application and I found it especially helpful last month to stay on track despite all the disruptions.
Features
- Create many different lists – as many or as few that work for you. Here are some ideas (more entertainment than anything), or read below for how I use Wunderlist.
- Add due-dates and sort by date. You can also schedule reminders for each task. Who can’t use a reminder?
- For each item, create sub-lists, add notes, documents, even audio notes!
- Install Wunderlist on your phone, tablet, or access your lists by logging in to the website from any browser. In a meeting and leave with a few to-do tasks? Simply open up the app and add them to a list before you even leave the room! Once in your office open up Wunderlist in your browser and start crossing off tasks.
- The syncing really works. At first I had some trouble syncing my tasks between devices and computers. This bug has been fixed and my lists sync up beautifully when I need them… even when stuck in Chicago during an historic snowstorm.
- Share to-do lists with others. Know someone else who uses Wunderlist? Share one of your lists with them and they can also check items off.
- When you click in the box to record that you completed a task, you hear a very gratifying “ding.” A small feature, but one that I really enjoy!
How I use Wunderlist
A colleague suggested a brilliant idea (thanks, Curtis!) to create a list for every day of the week and assign tasks to each day (ie Monday, Tuesday…). If I don’t accomplish a task, I simply drag and drop it to another day. If I’ve dragged the task around too much, I consider whether it is something that really must be done or if I should break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. I usually spend some time on Friday loading up tasks for the following week so when I’m back at work on Monday I am ready to get to work. I also have a few other lists that I use to help me keep track of larger projects or ideas: Summer Projects, Spring Break, Blog Post Ideas, etc.
Need more ideas for using Wunderlist? Just Google Wunderlist and you will find many, many different strategies to use it for enhanced productivity.