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How to Use Notion To-Do List to Manage Tasks

by Parth Shah
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Notion, a San Francisco-based startup is aiming to replace dozens of apps and services for you. On their homepage, Notion claims to replace note-taking apps such as Evernote and OneNote, project management tools, finance apps, and task management software. True to their claim, Notion has added meaningful additions to make the centralized experience flawless. Speaking of task management, you can easily replace dedicated to-do apps such as Todoist, TickTick, or Microsoft To-Do and Notion to-do list instead.

Unlike dedicated task management apps, Notion relies on templates to create the upcoming plan for the week. The company also has added a reminders add-on to send notifications on mobile devices. However, it’s not devoid of issues either. Let’s explore Notion’s task management capabilities in detail.

Use Notion To-Do List to Manage Tasks

There are two ways to manage tasks in Notion. You can either start from scratch or take help from one of the built-in task management templates to handle tasks. In the example below, we will create a task management system using a Notion template. Follow the steps below. 

1. Open Notion and sign in using your account credentials.

2. Create a new workspace, insert a relevant cover image, emoji and give it a relevant name. 

notion workspace

3. Use the Templates section and search for the Weekly Agenda template under the Personal menu. It’s one of my favorite templates to manage tasks during a hectic week and I recommend every Notion beginner to give it a try.

4. You will notice each weekday and an archive option. 

notion weekly agenda

Now that you have imported the template, it’s time to add tasks and details and learn how to use reminders to get notified about a task. 

Add Tasks in Notion

Let me be clear. You can add a to-do item at any part of Notion. Here, we will implement tasks in the imported template. 

Under weekdays, you will find the + icon. Click on it to open the type of items available to add. Choose To-Do from the pop-up menu. Similarly, you can add as many tasks for a day in the template. 

adding task in notion

Unfortunately, there is no way to add more details, sub-tasks, or attach files to a specific task in Notion. We have a workaround for that as well (see later section). However, there is a way to add reminders to tasks. Let’s understand that. 

Add Reminders to a Task in Notion

Now that you have added tasks in Notion, let’s explore how to use the reminders function. Go through the steps below. 

1. Move to a task that you want to get reminded about. 

2. Use ‘/’ command and type remind. Notion will show Date or reminder option. Click on it. 

adding date or time in notion

3. You can either select Today or Tomorrow. Select the relevant option and you will see it added to a task. 

4. To change the due date and time, click on the current date option, and it will open the pop-up menu to change the date and time. For long tasks, you can also assign End date. 

add reminders in notion

Repeat the process for all tasks and you will end up with robust task management system in Notion. 

Use Task Cards to Manage To-Do

Due to its flexibility, Notion also allows you to manage your to-do list in kanban style. Simply create a Trello-like board on a Notion page and start creating cards under activities. 

notion cards

These task cards offer a huge advantage compared to a simple to-do list. For example, you can click on any card and add additional details such as comments, email, phone, and notes. The possibilities are endless here. It’s up to you how you want to create and manage a specific task in Notion. 

notion card details

Notion Task Management Limitations

As I mentioned earlier, Notion’s task management capabilities aren’t free of issues either. Power users will find it lacking on several fronts. Let me elaborate on them. 

  • There is no way to create a sub-task under primary task in Notion. 
  • Notion doesn’t offer detailed stats for your completed tasks. 
  • Rivals like Todoist and TickTick offer auto-suggestions, something that’s missing from Notion. 
  • There is no way to add recurring tasks in Notion.
  • Notion’s mobile apps leave a lot to desire. They are not as polished as other native solutions out there.
  • The templates are feature-rich but look basic compared to TickTick or Todoist theme engine.

Wrap Up: Use Notion To-Do List

You can easily replace your basic task management schedule with Notion. However, power users may find it lacking on multiple fronts. If you are fine with the limitations above then go ahead and develop a task management system in Notion.

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