Ahhh I hate being negative on things, but given the attention this is getting in the NYT (in an article from last week), I want to urge you NOT to spend a ton of time organizing your to-do’s in Apple Reminders or Google Tasks.
Why?
To get clarity/peace of mind around how you’ll get stuff done, you need to know:
▻ When are you going to do the thing?
▻ How long is it going to take?
▻ Does it fit with everything else you have going on that day?
Apple Reminders and Google Tasks/Reminders help with the first question, but neither addresses the second or third. Without knowing how long each tasks takes and how (if) you can get it done with everything else you have going on that day, you won’t get the clarity of peace of mind you’re craving when it comes to getting it all done. You’ll still feel stressed because you’re not sure IF you can.
A digital calendar, on the other hand, DOES help you account for all three questions if you leverage it in the right way. Hence, my love for digital calendars, so long as they’re managed intentionally and in a non-overwhelming way.
Don’t get me wrong. Apple Reminders are awesome if you’re on the go or your arms are full of a toddler searching for a snack in the fridge and you remember something you’ll forget in 30 seconds. I use it often to say “remind me 10 minutes to…” or “remind me when I get home to…,” but it’s not a complete time management solution. Don’t spend a ton of time organizing yours thinking it’ll help you get it all done with more clarity because it just can’t.
Okay, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk 😉
Instead of using tasks / reminders to help us manage it all, I teach a comprehensive solution using a digital calendar. You can learn more about it by clicking here!
