What task management tools do you all use? Many of you probably jump between various tools, or find that the tool you're using isn't quite right.
Today, as a Notion Ambassador, I'd like to introduce my original Notion task management page, which I've refined over two years of trial and error!
The template is now available for purchase, so please check it out if you're interested 👇️
This task management page is also introduced in a video! If you'd like to check it out in video format, please watch this as well.
🎬 Director: Rei
✍🏻 Writer: Minorumi
1. I want to recreate GTD task management in Notion!
There are many task management methods, such as the Eisenhower Matrix and calendar blocking, and I've tried several of them.
However, with most methods, the goal is to finish tasks, but often too much time is spent on organizing, and in the end, the tasks don't progress. That was a common pattern.
Also, the more tasks piled up, the more I wanted to get them done quickly, but spending too much time organizing them just didn't feel right. Something was always off.
Eventually, I arrived at the "GTD (Getting Things Done)" method.
GTD is a method that clears your mind by filtering through a large number of tasks, allowing you to proceed with them efficiently. You can declutter tasks, or defer things that don't need to be done now until later, making it easier to decide what to do next. The advantage is that you can focus on important tasks, making them easier to complete.
I wanted to create a page that would allow GTD to be easily implemented in Notion, so I spent about a year testing and refining it.
And the task management page I'm introducing today is the result.
2. Page Overview
The main part of this task management page is the "Today" page, which displays today's tasks. The page is broadly divided into three areas.
Yellow: Task List Area
This area is for adding and managing tasks.
Tasks are organized here based on GTD.
Blue: Page/Folder Area
You can access pages to view tasks for the week, all tasks, or tasks categorized by folder.
Green: Button Area
・Button to set the date of past tasks to today
・Button to open Notion Calendar
・Button to open documents (notes)
・Button to add habits in bulk
and other useful buttons are set here.
3. Basic Usage
The template is designed to easily implement GTD by following the steps below.
📥 Add tasks
Add tasks from the "📥Inbox" folder. This is a box for simply putting anything that comes to mind.
Put in thoughts that come to mind, things that need to be done, and things you want to do, and try to empty your mind as much as possible.
🗑️ Delete what doesn't need to be done
First, determine if items in the "📥Inbox" are tasks. Anything that isn't a task or doesn't need to be done is deleted at this point.
💭 Move "Someday maybe" tasks to "WishList"
If a task in the "📥Inbox" is something you'd like to do someday, move it to the "💭WishList" folder.
You can move tasks to a folder by grabbing the "⋮⋮" (block handle) to the left of the added task.
🏁 Big tasks go to "Project"
Among the remaining tasks in the "📥Inbox", those that require long-term commitment or are large task units are moved to "🏁Project." (e.g., Starting a YouTube channel).
Tasks in "🏁Project" are not specific To-Dos as they are, so when necessary, I add more granular, broken-down tasks to the "📥Inbox." (e.g., Create a YouTube account, decide on a concept, etc.)
💬 Things I won't do myself go to "Waiting"
For tasks remaining in the "📥Inbox" that you cannot do by yourself or are waiting on someone else for, move them to "💬Waiting." (e.g., items awaiting confirmation, unreturned emails, etc.)
Moving tasks here allows you to temporarily step away from them until it's your turn to act.
With GTD, the focus is on reducing the number of tasks remaining in the "📥 Inbox" as much as possible up to this point.
⏰ For tasks that can only be done at a specific time, use "Remind"
For remaining tasks that have a fixed time to be done or can only be done at a specific time, move them to "⏰Remind" and set the date.
This way, the task won't be displayed until the set date, allowing you to temporarily forget about it.
The template allows you to open Notion Calendar from the page, and you can even set the time within Notion.
⌛️ If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.
Finally, among the tasks remaining in the "📥Inbox", immediately perform any that can be done in under 2 minutes. Once the task is completed, checking it will move it to the "☑️Completed" folder.
🔥 Move remaining tasks to "NextAction" and execute them in order
Tasks that cannot be completed within 2 minutes are moved to "🔥NextAction." Only the tasks remaining here are the ones you need to address next.
In this way, this task management page makes it easy to manage tasks with GTD by simply moving them through the folders from top to bottom.
4. Useful Features
The template offers many useful features for task management.
🏷️ Organize tasks with tags
We've provided tags for genre and priority, allowing you to organize your tasks. These tags can also be used for sorting and filtering.
💫 Supports recurring tasks
Automations and database templates are pre-set to support recurring tasks. Tasks that are performed monthly or weekly can be set to be added automatically.
📱 Accessible from smartphones and tablets
We have created a smartphone-specific page, focusing on a design that is easy to use on any device. In addition to PCs, it can be used on various devices such as smartphones and tablets.
5. Get the template here!
The "Todotion" task management template is highly recommended for those who want to manage tasks comfortably with Notion and practice GTD.
As a purchase bonus, you'll receive a detailed guide page on how to use it, so you can start using it with confidence.
Please check it out here!
If you want to know more about the template, please check out the video!
The 2-hour "Notion Master Course" is now available, allowing you to learn Notion from scratch through video!
The book "Notion Lifehacks", which introduces 36 ways to use Notion, is also on sale!
