Meeting Deadlines with To-do Lists
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
We students have the magical power of multitasking. Be it managing academics, internships, interview prep, or side-projects; we like to do it all simultaneously. The urge to do everything results in completing none with perfection. In early 2021, I, too, was stuck in the endless loop of sticky notes, Excel Sheet Time Tables and Youtube videos to manage time. Eventually, I came across Todoist, a digital task manager, and began seriously using it. (Of course, the motivation came after facing rejections xD) After getting the hang of it, I tried to modify the templates according to my requirements. This day, after using Todoist for nearly six months, my life seems a lot less messy than the start of 2021.
Therefore, I curated some of my insights on managing time with Todoist. (Well, it can be applied to other digital task managers too) I hope this helps you as well.
Projects >>> Long Lists
Like modular codes, it is always a good idea to divide your daily tasks into significant projects.
The project duration can range from a few days to a complete semester!
Are you planning to create a new android application? Create a project to brainstorm ideas, schedule major code deployments, or keep track of daily commits. Did a new semester start? Keep track of all the classes | assignments | tests in one place. (I even keep the contact details of the faculty for quick reference)
Planning a project's schema can be a crucial point to build consistency. Thanks to Todoist, the interface is built with minimal complications. Divide your Project into various sections. (Did I mention Classes, Assignments and Tests?) Make sure you don't come up with dozens of sections. 4–5 units are good to start with. Next, create recurring and current tasks. If required, add subtasks as well. A clutter-free project provides the constant motivation to check off the job from the checklist.
Make friends with Integrations
Todoist comes with plenty of Integrations. And since it has a public API, you can create your own! These are some of my favourites:
1. Google Calendar: Which student doesn't use the Google Calendar? With Todoist, all your calendar meetings can be synced to Projects. And the sync is two-way, which implies your scheduled Todoist tasks will also be synced to the calendar. This integration is a must if you want to receive notifications before deadlines.
2. Automate.io: If you are an open-source code maintainer, how cool is it to receive all PR as tasks for code review directly to your to-do list? Connect your Todoist account with automation tools (Automate.io is my pick) and receive such updates right into projects.
3. Toggl Track: I discovered this integration lately, and it is just wow! Super easy to integrate, toggl track helps you keep track of the time required to finish a task right from the Todoist dashboard. It helps me analyze my day as in how much time I invested in each of the tasks.
These three were the ones I used the most. You can check out a whole lot of other integrations here.
To-do lists != Checklist
Do not treat your projects as a mere checklist. Add a description to each of the tasks. It can be the meet link, meeting pointers or even contact details. You can even create a shopping list at Todoist. It is as simple as selecting text on the web > Right Click > Add task to Todoist if you have the browser extension.
Some tasks are not always Boolean. There can be more states than Check and Uncheck. Here's the hack, create sections with different states (ToDo |Doing | Backlogs) and drag items from one section to another. Make your Projects as creative and accessible as you can. It's a blank canvas!
The 5 Minute Rule
Organizing life is not a one-step process. It requires its fair share of time as well. These points are not magical spells to keep you on track. I spend 5 minutes planning out my tasks for the next day. It is essential to maintain consistency.
Here are a few tips to help you with the planning:
1. Maintain Realistic Goals: You cannot master Dynamic Programming in a day. Make realistic tasks. Uncompleted tasks will not only reduce the enthusiasm but also drop down Krama points.
2. Schedule Tasks: A small step can indeed have a considerable impact. Scheduling tasks are obviously needed for deadlines, but scheduling daily tasks can help you complete most of them. You will also have a rough idea of how to spend each day.
3. Prioritize Tasks: Not every day is a fairy tale. It is important to prioritize tasks as in case of a time crunch, and you need to postpone some.
Reward Yourself :)
I cannot stress the importance of this step. Taking breaks is equally important to improve efficiency. We are Homo sapiens, not Robots. Take out time to spend time with family, friends and pursue hobbies. I recommend always working on one of your hobbies! It can be working out, gardening, reading, literally anything. Your to-do lists should be a balance of work and fun.
The definition for "Fun" is different for every individual. Make time to do your own thing. At the same time, it should be the "minority" of your day, not the majority.
Conclusion
So here we come to the end of the article. These were my takeaways from the previous 6-months of tracking my time and utilizing digital tools to keep up with the deadlines. And the results were visible. You can use different tools, but it is always better to eliminate distractions, organize your life and reduce the stress of meeting deadlines. Time management is the first step to building habits.
At the end of the day, the satisfaction of checking off every item from your to-do list and maintaining streaks is unbeatable.
