Task Management

Effective task management is at the core of productivity. Taskflame provides powerful features to help you create, organize, track, and complete your work efficiently.

Advanced Task Creation

Quick Task Entry

Speed up task creation with these methods:

Inline Creation
- Click anywhere in a column
- Type your task title
- Press Enter to save
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Press N to create a new task
- Use Shift+N to create with full details
- Cmd+K for quick creation from global search
Email Integration
- Forward emails to your unique Taskflame address
- Automatically convert emails to tasks
- Subject becomes title, body becomes description

Task Templates

Create reusable task templates:

Bug Report Template:
- Title: [Bug] Brief description
- Priority: High
- Tags: #bug, #urgent
- Template description with checklist

Meeting Task Template:

Meeting: [Meeting Name]
- Date: [Date/Time]
- Attendees: @person1, @person2
- Agenda items:
  - [ ] Item 1
  - [ ] Item 2
- Action items will be added here

Task Properties and Metadata

Task Titles

Best practices for task titles:

Use action verbs (Review, Create, Fix, Update)
Be specific and clear
Include context when necessary
Keep under 60 characters for readability

Examples:

✅ "Review Q1 marketing budget proposal"
✅ "Fix navigation menu mobile responsiveness"
✅ "Update user onboarding documentation"
❌ "Review stuff"
❌ "Fix bug"

Descriptions and Context

Rich task descriptions support:

Markdown formatting
Checklists and sub-tasks
Links and references
File attachments
Code snippets

Description template:

## Context
Brief explanation of why this task is needed

## Requirements
- Specific requirement 1
- Specific requirement 2
- Any constraints or limitations

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Criterion 1
- [ ] Criterion 2
- [ ] Criterion 3

## Resources
- [Link to design mockups]
- [Related documentation]
- [Previous discussions]

Due Dates and Scheduling

Smart due date features:

Natural language input ("tomorrow", "next friday")
Recurring tasks (daily, weekly, monthly)
Time-based reminders
Calendar integration

Due date strategies:

Set realistic deadlines with buffer time
Use due dates for time-sensitive work only
Create milestones for large projects
Review and adjust dates regularly

Priority Management

Priority system:

🔴 Critical - Drop everything and do this
🟠 High - Important and urgent
🟡 Medium - Important but not urgent
🔵 Low - Nice to have
⚪ None - No specific priority

Priority guidelines:

Critical: System outages, blocking issues
High: Deadlines today/tomorrow, client requests
Medium: This week's objectives
Low: Future improvements, ideas

Tags and Labels

Effective tagging strategies:

By Project:

#website-redesign
#mobile-app
#marketing-campaign

By Type:

#bug #feature #improvement
#research #design #development
#meeting #review #documentation

By Person:

@john @sarah @team-lead
Use for assignments and mentions

By Status:

#blocked #waiting #review-needed
#external #internal

Task Organization

Hierarchical Tasks

Sub-tasks and checklists:

Break large tasks into smaller pieces
Use checklists for step-by-step processes
Create task dependencies
Track progress visually

Example hierarchy:

🎯 Launch new product feature
├── 📋 Requirements gathering
│   ├── [ ] Stakeholder interviews
│   ├── [ ] Competitive analysis
│   └── [ ] Technical feasibility study
├── 🎨 Design phase
│   ├── [ ] User flow diagrams
│   ├── [ ] UI mockups
│   └── [ ] Design review
└── 🛠️ Development phase
    ├── [ ] Backend implementation
    ├── [ ] Frontend development
    └── [ ] Testing and QA

Task Dependencies

Managing task relationships:

Mark tasks as "blocked by" other tasks
Set up sequential workflows
Identify critical path items
Visualize project timelines

Batch Operations

Manage multiple tasks efficiently:

Select multiple tasks with checkboxes
Bulk edit properties (tags, dates, assignees)
Move groups of tasks between columns
Archive completed tasks in batches

Advanced Workflows

Personal Productivity Systems

Getting Things Done (GTD):

Inbox → Clarify → Organize → Reflect → Engage
- Capture everything in inbox
- Process items one by one
- Organize by context and priority
- Review weekly
- Take action on next steps

Kanban Method:

To Do → In Progress → Review → Done
- Limit work in progress
- Pull tasks when ready
- Focus on flow and completion
- Continuous improvement

Timeboxing:

Assign specific time blocks to tasks
Use Pomodoro technique (25-min focused sessions)
Block calendar time for deep work
Track actual vs. estimated time

Team Workflows

Sprint Planning:

Backlog → Sprint Planning → Active Sprint → Review → Retrospective
- Estimate story points
- Commit to sprint goals
- Track daily progress
- Review and improve

Bug Triage Process:

New → Triage → Assigned → In Progress → Fixed → Verified → Closed
- Categorize by severity
- Assign to appropriate team member
- Track resolution time
- Verify fixes before closing

Content Creation Pipeline:

Ideas → Research → Draft → Review → Edit → Publish → Promote
- Brainstorm and capture ideas
- Research and outline
- Create first draft
- Peer review and feedback
- Final edits and polish
- Publish and promote

Task Tracking and Analytics

Progress Monitoring

Visual progress indicators:

Completion percentages
Burndown charts
Velocity tracking
Time to completion metrics

Key metrics to track:

Tasks completed per day/week
Average time in each column
Task cycle time (start to finish)
Blocked task percentages

Time Tracking

Manual time tracking:

Start/stop timers on tasks
Log time spent on activities
Track billable vs. non-billable time
Generate time reports

Automatic tracking:

Track time spent on tasks based on activity
Monitor productive vs. non-productive time
Identify peak productivity hours
Analyze time allocation patterns

Reporting

Built-in reports:

Task completion trends
Team productivity metrics
Project progress summaries
Time allocation breakdowns

Custom reporting:

Filter by date ranges
Group by tags, people, or projects
Export data for external analysis
Create automated weekly summaries

Collaboration Features

Task Assignment

Effective task assignment:

Assign to specific team members
Use @mentions in descriptions
Set clear expectations and deadlines
Provide necessary context and resources

Comments and Communication

Task-level communication:

Add progress updates
Ask questions and clarify requirements
Share relevant links and files
Tag team members for input

Comment best practices:

Be specific and actionable
Include context for decisions
Use @mentions to notify relevant people
Keep conversation focused on the task

Real-time Collaboration

Live collaboration features:

See who's viewing/editing tasks
Real-time updates across devices
Conflict resolution for simultaneous edits
Activity feeds for transparency

Automation and Efficiency

Automated Actions

Set up automated workflows:

Move tasks based on due dates
Auto-assign tasks based on tags
Send notifications for overdue items
Archive completed tasks automatically

Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential shortcuts for task management:

J/K - Navigate between tasks
E - Edit selected task
C - Add comment
T - Add tag
D - Set due date
A - Assign to person
Del - Archive task

Integrations

Connect with your existing tools:

Calendar apps for due date sync
Email for task creation
Time tracking tools
Project management software
Communication platforms

Best Practices

Daily Task Management

Morning routine:

Review yesterday's progress
Check overdue tasks
Prioritize today's work
Set 3 key objectives
Time-block important tasks

Evening routine:

Update task progress
Move completed tasks to Done
Plan tomorrow's priorities
Clean up and organize
Reflect on accomplishments

Weekly Review

Weekly review checklist:

Task Hygiene

Keep your task list clean:

Regularly archive old completed tasks
Remove or update stale tasks
Consolidate similar or duplicate tasks
Review and refine tag usage
Update descriptions with new information

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Tasks not syncing:

Check internet connection
Refresh browser/app
Clear cache and cookies
Log out and back in

Performance issues:

Archive old tasks
Reduce number of active tasks
Optimize browser performance
Contact support for assistance

Lost tasks:

Check archived tasks
Search across all boards
Review recent activity
Check trash/deleted items

Performance Optimization

For large task lists:

Use filters to focus on relevant tasks
Archive completed work regularly
Split large projects into separate boards
Use search instead of scrolling

For team efficiency:

Establish clear naming conventions
Create standardized workflows
Regular team training on features
Set up automated notifications

Advanced Features

Custom Fields

Add custom metadata to tasks:

Story points for agile teams
Effort estimates
Client information
Budget tracking
Status indicators

Task Templates

Create and share templates:

Standard operating procedures
Project kickoff checklists
Meeting agendas
Bug report formats
Feature request templates

Bulk Import/Export

Manage tasks at scale:

Import tasks from CSV files
Export for backup or analysis
Migrate from other tools
Bulk update task properties

Next Steps

Master task management with these advanced topics:

Learn collaboration workflows - Work effectively with teams
Explore automation options - Streamline repetitive tasks
Master keyboard shortcuts - Increase your speed and efficiency

Transform your productivity with effective task management! 🚀