SET REMINDERS ON MAC EVERY 15 MINS MAC

Just as important, you need to be able to add new reminders from any device. Choose an application that runs on your work computer and phone, and any personal devices (including your tablet, if you have one). If not, you can still customize your setup to receive reminders on all your devices so there’s no chance of missing one because you’re away from your desk.

SET REMINDERS ON MAC EVERY 15 MINS MAC

I’ve also developed a few tricks and best practices:Ĭhoose a dedicated reminders service that works across devices. If you are an iPhone-wielding Mac user, you can simply use Apple’s default Reminders service to stay synced across all your Apple devices. Because my smaller tasks are safely captured elsewhere, I can look at that short list of bigger tasks without getting overwhelmed by additional errands.Īfter nearly a year of phone-based to-do managment, I’ve finally broken the cycle of task list neglect. I list them in Evernote, the digital notetaking application I use throughout the day: I start a new Evernote note every week or two, and use it to note the three to 10 major items I need to complete before an upcoming trip or deadline. But what about the bigger projects-a report you’re working on over the course of the week, for example? Keep those items separate. This system gives you a reliable way of capturing all the little things you don’t want to forget. And even if you choose to use a task management applications separate from the reminders feature on your phone, most still offer the option to add a reminder to each to-do. Even if you’re the kind of person who diligently reviews her to-do list at the beginning or end of each workday, location- or time-based reminders prevent you from neglecting the tasks you’d otherwise avoid, or those you need to complete outside of working hours. Instead, I now rely on reminders that feed me one thing at a time – instead of facing the long list of everything I have on my plate. I’ve never been diligent about reviewing to-do lists, largely because they quickly get so daunting that I can’t bear to look at them. Throughout the day, I tell my phone to “remind me to follow up with Sarah about the Warren account next Tuesday morning,” “remind me to pack my phone charger when I get home,” or even “remind me to buy gum tonight at 9.” Yes, I come in for a certain amount of mockery (as when a friend overheard me dictating that gum reminder), but I’d rather be mocked for my voice dictation than for my tendency to forget commitments.Ĭreating reminders on your phone also means that you’ll be triggered to act on the tasks you’ve captured at a certain time, wherever you are. Instead, just speak to your phone to quickly capture tasks as they occur to you with one quick phrase and save them as reminders. Thanks to the voice recognition that’s baked into the iPhone 5 and 6, and into Google Now on Android, you don’t have to pull out your computer or wrestle with a mobile keyboard to type in the details of every new to-do.

The latest phone technology has the biggest impact on the first of those: task capture. Phone-based task management is effective because it helps with three challenges: capturing tasks before you’ve forgotten about them, being reminded to do the task at the right time, and differentiating between little to-dos and important projects.

Whether you have an effective way of managing your tasks or if you’ve never been able to get the right tool for the job, making smarter use of your smart phone can make your life a lot easier.

Set reminders on mac every 15 mins