The Best Way To Use Todoist: My Ultimate Setup (Late 2023)

Summary

The speaker shares their Todoist setup as of late 2023, focusing on how they collect tasks using their iPhone and a global keyboard shortcut on their computer. They emphasize the importance of a fast entry system to maintain trust in their productivity system. Labels are used to organize tasks according to time blocks on their calendar, with categories like writing projects, clients, communication, planning, admin, and chores. The speaker discusses their 'must-do' tasks, their daily focus, and how they manage their projects within the Notes app to avoid overwhelming their Todoist. They also mention their use of filtered views to keep their daily Todoist tasks clean and targeted, and how they prioritize tasks to ensure clarity and avoid stress. The system has evolved over years, and the speaker provides a link to a previous video for those interested in earlier iterations of their setup.

Takeaways

• 📱 The primary tool for collecting tasks is an iPhone, which is always accessible and allows for quick task entry through a button on the lock screen.
• 🗝️ A global keyboard shortcut (Shift Command A on Mac, or equivalent on Windows) is used for quick entry into Todoist when working on a computer.
• 🏷️ Labels in Todoist are used to organize tasks and match with the user's calendar time blocks, keeping the system streamlined and relevant to the day's schedule.
• 📅 The calendar is used to allocate specific time blocks for different categories of work, which helps in planning and prioritizing tasks.
• 📋 The user keeps personal tasks minimal in Todoist, often categorizing them under admin or chores, and uses projects for tasks that take longer to complete.
• 🔍 Labels also allow for ordering tasks by personal priority, which can be adjusted by dragging and dropping them within the Todoist interface.
• 📋 The user has a set of favorite filters that represent a workflow, starting with 'Today's Objectives' which are the most critical tasks for the day.
• 📈 The 'Today's Focus' filter includes tasks that are not part of the daily routines and are flagged for the current day.
• 📂 Projects are managed outside of Todoist, in a Notes app, to avoid overwhelming the system with too many lists and to streamline task management.
• 🔗 Todoist acts as a hub that directs the user to the relevant project notes or websites when a task is selected, providing a quick path to starting work.
• 🗓️ The user emphasizes the importance of planning for the week rather than just the day, allowing for flexibility in case of an unproductive day, and maintaining a clear overview of what needs to be accomplished.

Q & A

What is the primary tool the speaker uses to collect tasks into Todoist?

The speaker's primary tool for collecting tasks into Todoist is their iPhone, which they carry with them at all times.

How does the speaker capture tasks into Todoist using their iPhone?

The speaker captures tasks into Todoist by tapping a simple button on the lock screen of their iPhone, which allows them to add a task directly.

What keyboard shortcut does the speaker use on their computer to quickly add tasks to Todoist?

The speaker uses the Shift Command A keyboard shortcut on their Mac to quickly add tasks to Todoist.

Why is having a fast way to get tasks into Todoist important for the speaker?

Having a fast way to get tasks into Todoist is important for the speaker because without it, they would resist using the system, start relying on their memory, and their system would break down.

How does the speaker use labels in Todoist to organize their tasks?

The speaker uses labels in Todoist that match their time blocks on their calendar, which helps them categorize their work and prioritize tasks based on the categories of work they have to do each day.

What is the speaker's approach to handling projects within Todoist?

The speaker keeps projects in their Notes app rather than in Todoist. They believe that having too many projects in Todoist can create overwhelm and make it difficult to manage tasks effectively.

How does the speaker decide the order of tasks in their Todoist?

The speaker orders tasks in Todoist via their labels. They can drag and drop tasks to rearrange them according to their personal priority.

What does the speaker refer to as 'Today's Objectives' in their Todoist?

The speaker refers to 'Today's Objectives' as the must-do tasks that they need to accomplish each day. These are the tasks they focus on first thing in the morning.

How does the speaker manage their daily tasks using the 'Today's Focus' filter in Todoist?

The speaker uses the 'Today's Focus' filter to view all tasks that are not part of their routine and are flagged for that day. They operate on a 'two plus eight' rule, focusing on two major tasks and up to eight other tasks daily.

What is the speaker's strategy for reviewing tasks at the end of the day?

The speaker reviews 'Tomorrow's Focus' at the end of the day to check if the tasks are still relevant based on their scheduled activities for the next day.

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How does the speaker ensure that Todoist remains a useful tool without causing information overload?

The speaker ensures Todoist remains useful by keeping their daily view clean and tight, focusing on the day's objectives and tasks, and not getting distracted by tasks that may not need immediate attention.

What is the speaker's approach to identifying and managing core work and priorities?

The speaker identifies core work and priorities by first understanding their areas of focus. They then plan for the week rather than just the day, which helps them to manage their workload and avoid stress.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Todoist Setup and Collection Methods

The speaker introduces their Todoist setup as of late 2023 and explains how they collect tasks into Todoist using their iPhone as the primary tool. They mention the convenience of a quick entry feature on the lock screen for capturing tasks and the use of a global keyboard shortcut (Shift Command A) on their computer for the same purpose. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a fast way to input tasks to maintain the effectiveness of their system.

05:02

🏷️ Utilizing Labels and Filters for Organization

The speaker details how they use labels in Todoist to organize tasks according to their time blocks on the calendar. They limit the number of labels to eight, aligning with the categories of work they do, such as writing projects, client communication, and admin tasks. The speaker also discusses their use of favorite filters, including 'Today's Objectives' for must-do tasks and 'Today's Focus' for tasks with a flag. They share their approach to keeping Todoist clean and tight by using filtered views and checking it only a few times a day.

10:03

📅 Planning and Prioritizing with Projects and Calendar

The speaker explains that they keep their projects in a separate Notes app to avoid overwhelming their Todoist with too many lists. They discuss the concept of having between 30 and 120 projects, which they find to be an excessive number of lists that can complicate task management. Instead, they use Todoist as a hub that directs them to project notes when needed. The speaker also talks about their daily routine of starting with 'Today's Objectives' and then moving on to 'Today's Focus,' ensuring that their Todoist tasks are relevant to their planned schedule for the day.

Keywords

💡Todoist

Todoist is a popular task management application used for organizing and tracking tasks and to-do lists. In the video, it is the primary tool for the speaker's productivity system, used to collect, organize, and prioritize tasks. The speaker emphasizes the importance of quickly capturing tasks into Todoist to maintain the system's effectiveness.

💡iPhone

The iPhone is a smartphone that the speaker uses as the primary collection tool for capturing tasks into Todoist. It is mentioned as being always with the speaker, allowing for tasks to be added at any moment with a simple button on the lock screen.

💡Keyboard Shortcut

A keyboard shortcut is a combination of keys on a keyboard that allows for faster access to a function or application. In the context of the video, the speaker uses Shift Command A as a global keyboard shortcut to quickly enter tasks into Todoist from their computer.

💡Labels

Labels in Todoist are used to categorize tasks. The speaker uses labels to match their time blocks on the calendar, which include categories like 'writing projects', 'audiovisual clients', 'communication', 'planning', 'admin', and 'chores'. These labels help organize tasks and align with the speaker's daily work schedule.

💡Time Blocks

Time blocks refer to the scheduled periods of time dedicated to specific activities or types of work. The speaker uses time blocks on their calendar that correspond with the labels in Todoist, ensuring that the tasks for the day are organized according to the allocated work periods.

💡Objectives

Objectives are the tasks that must be done each day. The speaker starts their day by focusing on 'today's objectives', which are the most critical tasks that need to be accomplished. This approach provides clarity and ensures that important tasks are not overlooked.

💡Today's Focus

Today's focus refers to all the tasks that the speaker plans to accomplish, excluding routine tasks. It is part of the speaker's daily workflow, where they prioritize tasks after completing their must-do objectives. The speaker uses the 'two plus eight' rule, which suggests focusing on two major tasks and up to eight minor ones.

💡Filters

Filters in Todoist are used to view tasks based on specific criteria. The speaker mentions using filters to keep their Todoist view clean and tight, showing only tasks relevant to the current day or week. This helps in maintaining focus and avoiding overwhelm.

💡Projects

Projects are larger tasks or goals that consist of multiple steps or subtasks. The speaker keeps their projects in a separate Notes app rather than in Todoist. This approach is aimed at reducing the number of lists in Todoist and preventing information overload.

💡Commitment

Commitment in the context of the video refers to the speaker's dedication to completing the tasks they have entered into Todoist. The speaker views Todoist as a place for committed tasks, which are things they have agreed to do, and uses it to ensure they do not forget their commitments.

💡Overwhelm

Overwhelm is the feeling of being excessively burdened or stressed by the volume of tasks or responsibilities. The speaker discusses strategies to avoid overwhelm, such as limiting the number of labels and projects, and focusing on a clear set of objectives and tasks each day.

💡Workflow

Workflow refers to the sequence of tasks or processes that are followed to complete work. The speaker describes their workflow in Todoist, which includes starting with 'today's objectives', moving to 'today's focus', and planning for the week rather than just the day, to maintain productivity and reduce stress.

Highlights

Introduction to the speaker's current Todoist setup as of late 2023.

Primary collection tool for tasks is an iPhone, which is always at hand.

Use of a quick entry button on the iPhone lock screen for capturing tasks.

Keyboard shortcut (Shift Command A) set up on the computer for quick task entry.

Importance of having a fast way to capture tasks to avoid relying on memory.

Use of labels in Todoist to match time blocks on the calendar for organization.

Limiting labels to eight categories to avoid unnecessary complexity.

Tasks are categorized under broader labels such as 'writing projects' and 'admin'.

Personal tasks are generally included under 'admin', 'chores', or 'projects'.

Daily tasks are shown in the 'Today' view based on the selected categories.

Ordering tasks in the 'Today' view by dragging and dropping using labels.

The 'Two plus Eight' method for task management, with a focus on must-do tasks.

Use of filters and favorites in Todoist to streamline the workflow.

Projects are managed outside of Todoist, in a Notes app for clarity and to avoid overwhelm.

Todoist serves as a hub with links to project notes and other resources for quick access.

Maintaining a clean and tight Todoist each day by using filtered views.

Committing to tasks in Todoist and treating the inbox as a secondary filter for importance.

The system has evolved over years of fine-tuning and is key to avoiding work-related stress.

Planning for the week rather than the day to account for potential bad days.

Transcripts

It's that time of the year where I introduce you to

my setup of Todoist as it stands right now, late 2023.

So the question is, has anything

changed since earlier this year?

Well, probably not a lot, but what I do want to

do is to explain how my system works overall and you

can decide whether my system is going to work for you.

That, I think, is probably the

best way to do this video.

So let's get in and get started.

First up, let's discuss how I

collect all my stuff into Todoist.

Well, my primary collection tool is my trusty iPhone.

This goes nearly well, this does go everywhere I go.

It's always with me, it's always going to be close by.

Even when I'm driving, when

I'm asleep, it's always there.

And I've got a way to capture stuff into

my system at the touch of a button.

And earlier this year, or maybe later last year,

todoist introduced a very fantastic way of being able

to capture stuff directly into our phone by just

tapping a simple button on the block screen so

I can get straight into it.

Just tap there, straight into Todoist,

and I can add a task.

And I generally use my dictation to do that.

Now, when I'm working on my

computer, it's a little bit different.

I have a keyboard shortcut and I have

set that up for Shift Command A.

Now, I use A because in my mind I'm thinking add,

so Shift Command A on my Mac, on Windows, of course

it'd be a little bit different, but I set it up.

So it's a global keyboard shortcut.

This means it doesn't matter where I am

in my computer, I could be writing, I

could be editing a video, whatever.

I may be doing shift command.

A Bang, I'm in.

Quick entry into Todoist because without having

a super fast way of getting stuff

into Todoist, I am going to resist.

I'm going to start trusting my brain, thinking,

now, I remember that and I generally don't,

and so it just breaks my system.

So I call this my primary collection

tool, because this is essentially where 90%

of what I'm collecting is coming from.

And then my computer is where I actually collect

everything else, particularly when I'm sat at my desk.

Next up, how do I use labels?

Now, labels have become a critical part of

how I organise my Todoist, because my labels

match my time blocks on my calendar.

So if you look here, I'll just

close down the philtres for a moment.

If you look here, I have writing projects,

audiovisual clients, communication, planning, admin and chores.

I have eight and no more than eight.

I'm not interested in two minute, five

minute, 30 minutes and 1 hour tasks.

That's just ridiculous.

I'm not, because you're just adding

labels for the sake of labels.

And who knows a task?

What's the difference between a two minute

and a five minute task anyway.

But the key thing here is these are the

categories of work that I have to do.

I create content, I deal with clients and

I also have to deal with Admin.

Of course I run a business and chores so all

of these things are related to the work I do.

Now I don't generally keep a lot of personal

stuff in here but anything related to personal is

likely to come under admin, chores or projects.

Of course if my wife has asked me to take down

the exterior lights ready for the winter, that's going to be

a project because it does take quite a long time.

Now when I've got down here is if you look

at my calendar you're going to see that I have

on my calendar time blocks that actually match these areas.

So you can see I've got writing time, I've got

admin time, communication time and I've also got project work.

So audiovisual time as well is on there.

So my categories of work are all

matching to my labels in todoist.

This means when I come to my day, my today

is going to show you all my tasks that I've

got to do today based on those categories.

So as you can see here, I've got writing

at the top, then communications, then Admin, then chores.

Now the thing is you can order these

because people always ask me about this.

How do you get them in that order?

You can order them via your labels.

All you have to do is drag and you can

move them around wherever you want to do them.

And I can to put them in

order of my own personal priority. Sure.

Maybe you'd say clients should be up at the top.

Well yeah, but I don't get

that many requests from clients.

But I do have a lot

of writing projects, work and audiovisual.

This recording, this video is an audiovisual task.

So that's how I have that set

up from my labels if you like.

Now people ask me about my philtres and

I'm going to open up my show.

You my favourites.

You'll notice that I have two favourites in

my three favourites in my favourites list.

This is actually a workflow from that I'm working from.

And what you'll see right here is

I've got three objectives to date.

So unusual I normally only have two.

Now the three objectives, these must be

done, these are my must do tasks.

This is where I start the day.

Every morning when I'm doing my morning

routines, this is what I look at.

I'm not interested in all the other stuff I have to do,

I only want to know what are my must do's today?

That's the critical question I'm asking.

So every day I will start with my today's objectives.

That gives me clarity on what needs to be done today.

Once I've done that I can then move

into today's focus and today's focus essentially is

everything except my routines, essentially, so anything that's

got a flag, if you like.

And if you look at that, I've

got eight tasks in there today.

I operate something called the two plus eight.

I'm kind of breaking that rule a little

bit today because I've got three objectives.

Normally it should be two, but sending money to FES

doesn't take long, but it must be done today.

So this is essentially how my day is

looking and I'm pretty comfortable with that.

I know everything will be done within this section, so

that's how I'm operating my labels and my favourites.

Now, if you're curious about my favourites and of

these philtres that I'm using, I'm going to put

them in the show notes below so you can

just copy and paste them into your own Todoist.

Now, one question I'm always getting

is where are your projects?

My projects are always in my Notes app.

You see, David Allen says that everybody

has between 30 and 120 projects.

That's 30 and 120 lists that you have

in Todoist you've just created overwhelm for yourself.

Tasks are going to it's going to

take forever to clear your inbox.

It's just a nightmare scenario.

And before anyone else, yes, I did spend about six

years operating like that and I used to spend an

hour every day just organising the stuff that I collected,

because it took me forever to go through the folders

to find the right folder to put the task in.

I only have six folders to deal with.

Now, clearing my inbox takes no time at all.

But what do I do with my projects?

Well, I don't actually have anything set up in

this one, but let me just show you from

here, add this to my Time Sector System book.

Now, this is a book that I'm writing.

As you may know, it's coming out late, early next year.

But what I do have here is a note that I created.

All I do is I put the project note in

there, I can just tap on that and it will

open up the note that I want to show.

And there's just some stuff that I

want to add into the book.

That's how I do it.

It's just quick, it's simple, and all I

have to do is click on it.

Similarly, as you can see down here, I've

got do this with Neil Patel's Ubersuggest.

Again, it's a website that I just

need to look at and deal with. I can click on that.

It takes me straight to the website.

And also the same with the global gurus.

I've got to do the same thing there,

click on and move on to it.

As you can see, everything actually has a label

in there and it's just easy to do.

Its todoist basically acts as my hub tells me what I

need to do, my calendar tells me I've got time for

it and bang, I can click on that go straight to

the project note and I'm ready to start the work.

And that's essentially how it all comes together.

The critical thing for me is that

Todoist each day is clean and tight.

I don't want to see tasks that maybe need

doing today, possibly could be done next week.

I don't want to see any of those tasks.

I operate using my filtered views there.

I begin at today's objectives.

I spend most of the day in today's focus, and

at the end of the day, I look at tomorrow's

focus to cheque that that is still relevant based on

what my calendar says I'm scheduled for tomorrow.

And that's it.

I'm not in and out of Todoist all day.

I probably look at it maybe three or four times a day,

more so in the evening just to cheque that I've done everything

that I plan to do, but it is just a tool that

helps me not to forget stuff that I've committed to.

And that's the way I look at Todoist.

Anything that goes into Todoist

is something I've committed to.

My inbox is a second philtre, if you like.

Because when I look at my inbox, I then

decide, is this worthy of getting into my system?

I don't treat everything as being

important, and that's a critical thing.

If you treat everything important, you

are going to overwhelm yourself.

But I know what my areas of focus are.

I know what my core work is.

I know what my priorities are before I start the day.

If you haven't done that back end work, like identifying

your areas of focus and knowing what your core work

is, then it's going to be very difficult to understand

what is and what is not important.

This has come about after years of

fine tuning and developing and evolving, and

that's how this system has evolved.

I never ever get stressed out about my work because I'm

very clear about what needs to get done each day.

But really I am more planning for the week.

What do I want to get accomplished this week rather

than what I'm trying to get accomplished in a day?

Because I know I'm going to have a bad day.

Now, if you're interested in what my system looked

like earlier this year, then this video here is

the video I suggest you watch next. Bye.