How to Work With Tasks in Gmail to Be More Productive

Like many small business owners, a great deal of your work
probably comes to you through your inbox. Following up on your email tasks in Gmail means staying on top of your workload. Even more importantly, it could
mean the difference between getting business or losing business.

On any given workday, a business owner may receive email messages from:

• potential new clients


• existing clients with questions


• vendors or colleagues with questions

As a business owner, somehow you need to stay caught up with all
the tasks generated through your Gmail messages. Wouldn't it be great if you
could just dump your to do list into your inbox?

With Gmail, you can integrate your messages with a task list
and improve your Gmail productivity. In this tutorial, I'll explain why a task list is important. I'll show you how to
create and edit tasks using Gmail's task list. I'll also show you how to use
the Gmail Task List on Google Calendar.

Why a Task List Is Important

Keeping a task list can make a big difference in your
productivity. A task list helps you stay on track. Here are some concrete
benefits to using a task list:

• Keeps you from forgetting to do something


• Helps you organize your work day


• Allows you to see remaining work at a glance


• Lets you see what you've already accomplished

People who use task lists tend to spend more time working
towards their goals and waste less time. In general, they are more productive. Learn more about effective productivity techniques—to help you keep on top of your to-do list: 

• 
  Productivity
  
  
  How to Stay in Control of Your To-Do List
  
  
  David Masters

Gmail has the perfect tool to help you create and maintain a
to do list, which is the Gmail Task Lists tool. 

If you want to use Gmail to manage your tasks, the Gmail
task list tool is for you. Here is step-by-step guide on how to get the most from
tasks in Gmail, (beginning with a quick video overview, before jumping into the written tutorial).

1.  Create and Edit Tasks Using
Gmail's Task List Tool

To start using the Gmail task list, you need to be able to create and edit tasks.

Step 1 How to Create a New Gmail Task

Start from the main Gmail Screen.

Click the red arrow next to the word Gmail. A Drop-down menu
displays.

Click Tasks to
open your Gmail task list. Your task list appears in the lower right hand
corner of the Gmail screen.

To create your task, type the name of the task next to the first check box. You've just created your first task.

Type the name of the task next to the check box.

To add another task, click below the first task. Another
check box appears. You can add a task to the second check box by typing the name
of the task. (You could also use the plus symbol at the bottom of the Gmail
task list.)

Repeat the process as often as you need to complete your
email task list.

Step 2. How to Add Details to a Task

Now that you've created a task, you may wish to
add notes or other details to it. To display the Details dialog box, click the arrow
to the right of the task.The Details dialog box appears.

From the Details
dialog box you can:

• Assign a due date to your task


• Input notes about your task


• Move tasks to different task lists

I'll explain how to perform the first two tasks in this
step. We'll discuss how to move a task in a later step.

1. Assign a Due Date

Let's start by assigning a due date. Click in the Due date field. A calendar displays.

To assign a due date, click on the date in the calendar.

2. Add a Note

To add a note to the task, click in the Notes field and type your note text.

You've just added a due date and a note to a Gmail task. The
information you added displays below the task on your checklist. 

Now let's review the process to edit Gmail tasks.

Step 3. How to Edit a Gmail Task

Once you've created a few tasks, you may wish to edit the
task and its details. Fortunately, the editing process is simple. With the task
list open, open the Details
dialog box. There are two methods to open the Details dialog box:

1. Click the task you wish to edit. Click the
   arrow to the right of the task to open the Details
   dialog box.


2. Click Actions
   in the lower left of the task list to open a drop-down menu. Click Edit details to open the Details dialog box.

Once in the Details
dialog box opens you can choose another due date from the calendar or type over the task
name and notes.

Step 4. How to Remove a Gmail Task

After you complete your Gmail task list, you may decide to
remove a task. Perhaps the task is no longer necessary or maybe it wound up on
the task list by mistake. Whatever the case, it's not difficult to remove a
task.

To remove a task, simply delete it. Or, you can move
the task to another task list. I'll show you both methods. Let's start by
deleting a task.

1. Deleting a Gmail Task

With your task list open, click the task you wish to remove.
Click the trash icon in the lower right of your task list.

The task is deleted.

2. Moving a Gmail Task

Suppose the task was on the wrong list. You can remove a
task from your list by assigning it to another list.

Click the task you wish to remove and click the arrow to
right of the task. The Details
dialog box appears.

Click the Move to
list button towards the bottom of
the dialog box to see a drop-down menu with your current Gmail task lists.

Click the task list where you want to move the task. In
this case, the Groceries list. If the list you select is not currently active,
you'll get the following message: "The list "Groceries" is not
visible now, so this task will no longer be shown."

2. How to Organize Gmail Task Lists

There are several methods you can use to improve the
organization of your Gmail task lists. In this section, I'll discuss:

• How to move a task within a task list


• How to create a sub-task


• How to sort your task list


• How to Print or Email a task list

Step 1. How to Move a Task in Gmail

You can change the order of the tasks in your list. Start with
your open Gmail task list. Click the task you want to move. Click the Actions option at the bottom left of
the task list. The drop-down menu displays.

To move the task up in your list, click the Move up option. To move the task down
in your list, click the Move down
option. The selected task moves up or down one item in your task list.

Repeat the process to continue moving the task.

Step 2. How to Create a Sub-task

You can also use indents to create sub-tasks on your Gmail
task list. Start with an open task list. Click the task you want to turn into a
sub-task.

Click the Actions
option at the bottom left of the task list. The drop-down menu displays.

To indent the task in your Gmail task list, click the Indent option. The selected task is
indented under the previous task in your task list. In this case, the Run spell
check task.

To unindent the task, select the task and click Actions. Then click the Un-indent option from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. How to Sort Gmail Tasks

Sorting tasks on your Gmail task list is a great way to stay
organized. Gmail lets you automatically sort your tasks three ways:

1. 
   Your
   order. The order you created the tasks in. Or, the order you changed your
   task list to using the Move up or Move down options.


2. 
   Completed
   tasks. This order shows only tasks that you have already completed. This
   can be especially helpful if you need to turn in a status report.


3. 
   Due date.
   This order sorts the tasks by their assigned due date. Tasks without due dates
   appear at the bottom of the list.

Let's start by sorting the tasks by due date.

1. Sort by Due Date

Start in the main Gmail window with the task list open.

Click Actions in
the lower left of the task list to bring up the drop-down menu.

Click Sort by due
date to organize the tasks on the list by the date they are due. The due
dates appear from the earliest date to the latest date. Tasks without due dates
appear at the end of the list.

To change the sort order to the latest due date to the
earliest due date, return to the Actions
drop-down menu. Click the Reverse sort
order option.

2. Sort by Completed Tasks

Start in the main Gmail window with the task
list open. The first thing we need to do is mark some tasks as completed. To mark a task as completed, click in the check box to the left of the task.

A check mark appears next to each completed task. The
completed task is crossed off, but still visible.

Next, click Actions
in the lower left of the task list to bring up the drop-down menu.

Click View completed
tasks. Only the completed tasks are shown.

3. Return to Your Sort Order

After resorting your Gmail task list in various ways, you may
wish to return to your original sort order. To do this, click the Actions option to display the drop-down
menu. From the drop-down menu, click View
in my order.

The task list is resorted in your original sort order.

Note: Any tasks
that you marked as completed earlier still appear as completed.

Step 4. How to Print or Email a Task List

You can share your Gmail task list by printing
it out or by emailing it to others.

1. Print Your Gmail Task List

To print your task list, start from the main
Gmail screen with your task list open. Click the Actions option to display the Actions
drop-down menu.

Click
the Print task list option. The task
list appears in a separate window along with the Print dialog box.

Double-check that your printer settings are correct. Click OK to print your task list.

2. Email Your Gmail Task List

To email your task list, start from the main Gmail screen
with your task list open. Click the Actions
option to display the Actions
drop-down menu.

Click Email task list.
A new message window opens beside the task list.

Type the email address of person you want to send your email
task list to at the top of the new message. Click the Send button in the lower left hand corner of the new message
window.

3. How to Work With More than One Task List

While you can do quite a bit with the Gmail task list, one
list is probably not enough. You may wish to create separate task lists for
various reasons, for example you may want a separate task list for each
project. You may want a personal task list.

Fortunately, in Gmail you can create more than one task
list. We've already explained how to move a task to a different task list. In
this step I'll show you how to:

• Create a new task list


• Switch between task lists


• How to delete a task list

Step 1. How to Create a New Gmail Task List

Start in the main Gmail window with the task list open.

Click the List icon in the lower right corner of the
email task list. A popup menu displays.

Click the New list
option. The New List dialog box
appears.

Type the name of your new list in the Create a new list named field. Click the OK button. A new task list is created. Your new list is now the
active email list. Your other Gmail list is not visible.

Step 2. How to Switch Between Task Lists

If you have more than one Gmail task list set up, you need
to know how to switch between them.

Start with your task list open in the main Gmail window.
Click the list icon in the lower right of the task list. A popup menu displays.

At the bottom of the popup menu you'll see a list of any
email task lists. In this case, L Spencer's list and Personal Tasks.

To view one of the task lists, click on it. The Gmail task
list you selected becomes the active list. You will see it in the task list.
The inactive list (the list you did not select) is not visible.

Step 3. How to Delete a Gmail Task List

Occasionally a task list may outlive its usefulness. When
that happens, you need to delete it.

To delete a Gmail task list, start with the task list you
want to delete open in the main Gmail window. Click the list icon in the lower
right of the task list. A popup menu displays.

Click the Delete list
option on the popup menu. A system prompt appears asking you to confirm that
you want to permanently delete the active Gmail task list. Click OK. The active list is deleted.

Note: Your
default list (the first list that appears when you open the Gmail task tool)
cannot be deleted. However, you can delete all other task lists.

4. How to Use Gmail Tasks with Google Calendar

The Gmail task list tool is also built into your Google
calendar tool.

Step 1. Use Your Gmail Task List with Google Calendar

Open Google Calendar using the same Google
account as the account you used to create your Gmail task list. The main Google
Calendar window appears.

On the left of the Google Calendar, towards the middle,
you'll find My calendars. The last
calendar listed under My calendars
is Reminders. This is where you'll
find your Gmail task list.

Click Reminders and
click the arrow the right to open a popup window.

Click the Switch to
Tasks option to open the active Gmail task list on the right in your Google
Calendar window. You'll also notice that task check boxes appear at the top of
your Google Calendar events list.

Once your email task list is visible in Google calendar, you
can work with it the same way you would in Gmail. You can also use the
check boxes at the top of your calendar to mark a task as complete.

When you return to Gmail, any changes you made to your task
list in Google Calendar will appear in your task list in Gmail.

To learn more about working with Gmail's features, explore
our Gmail learning guide, the Ultimate Beginner Guide to Using Gmail. It includes tutorials
on how to work with Gmail search, passwords, customizing
the interface, and more. Or begin learning more with this Gmail keyboard shortcuts tutorial: 

• 
  Gmail
  
  
  How to Use Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts to Save More Time
  
  
  Laura Spencer

Conclusion

Gmail tasks can help you to work more productively with
those important emails. Create a Gmail task lists based on tasks that arrive in
your inbox.

You'll be able to stay on top of your workload. Best of all,
you'll answer messages from clients and potential clients quickly. Improving
your email productivity is not hard, once you know how to use Gmail tasks
effectively.

Do you want to learn more about productivity? Review our series on Essential Productivity Principles.