Task list software is the best way to organize and manage busy schedules. Scribbling to-do lists on paper just doesn’t cut it if you juggle multiple things at a time. Today, anyone from the CEO of a huge multi-national company to the mom next door has to take care of a gazillion and one things in their daily life. Task list software is no longer that thing that guy uses at work because of a busy schedule. So below are 3 quick tips to help you make the best use of task list software and get organised in no time.

1. List the tasks you need to do

Sounds pretty obvious but sometimes that is what most of us overlook. Task lists are an effective way to organise your life. So before starting to work on your tasks, make a list of all the tasks that you have to do. Make sure you prioritise your tasks, putting those tasks that are urgent at the very top. This will help you focus on the important stuff that you have to finish today. Also, put an estimate of how much time you think each task will take to complete. This will help you plan your time.

2. Split a complex task into simpler subtasks

Caesar, the great Roman emperor, used the principle of divide and conquer to win countless battles and nearly ruled the whole world. So, if that technique worked for Caesar it should be good for you too. We are not used to handle complex tasks in one go. Instead, we are more comfortable with smaller and simpler tasks. Splitting a task into simpler sub-tasks makes what at first glance looked like huge or impossible task become a sequence of small and manageable tasks. By finishing off the smaller tasks, you will be working towards finishing off the big scary task. Therefore, when you need to solve a complex task, split it up into several sub-tasks until each sub-task is simple enough to handle.

3. Set deadlines, reminders and track your progress

Now that you have all your tasks listed and diced into manageable chunks, you are ready to set deadlines for each task. What? Deadlines? Yep, you heard me right. If you want to get things done and finish stuff you have to set realistic and achievable deadlines. In tip one you had to estimate the time you would need to complete a task. Now is the time to use that information to set deadlines. Rule of thumb. If you think something will take 2 days, plan for 4 days. Always double your time estimate since something will always crop up to distract you from your work. If you have a boss, it is better to tell him you need 4 days and get your work delivered on time then to promise to deliver in two days and fail. You do not like it when people do not keep promises, and so does your boss. Next set multiple reminders, say a week, three days and one day before the deadline. That way you do not run the risk of forgetting. Finally, track your progress. This will help you decide whether you are behind schedule and if yes take steps to catch up. The other reason to track you progress is because it is a morale booster to finally see your task marked as complete.

So get organized today and put the above tips to work now. Download the free 30 day trial of FruitfulTime TaskManager and get your busy schedule under control.