Would you like an easier way to manage all of your email, be able to convert any message into a task and even add notes to important emails? Well, in this video I'm going to show you how to do all three.
Now, for many of us, when we get an important message or something that we want to deal with later, we are used to using labels here on the left hand side. Maybe this message is important, so I want to add this action required. Maybe I need to reply to it or I need to do something with it.
But there's a problem. We can add a label or multiple labels to any of our messages, but there's no context. What do I need to do with this message when I come back to it?
Am I going to have to reread the entire thing and maybe forget what I was supposed to do with it? Well, there's a much easier way, and we're going to get Google tasks involved to help us out here on the Google side panel.
We always have access to Google tasks, but what I've gone and done is add a special list here beyond just my to-do list and some other categories. I've added one called email because I want to get through my email faster, but also remember what I need to do with it when I'm ready to deal with those messages.
So here, if I open up this message again, I can come up to the top and select add to tasks, and immediately, not only is it going to create a task, but it's going to create a direct link to this particular message. When you first create the task, it's simply going to bring in the subject line of that email, but the cursor is already here. So if I select Control A on my keyboard, it's going to select everything here.
And maybe I'm going to type in something like review this, offer something very short and something very quick. I don't need to be very detailed because I'm already directly linked to this particular email. If I want to add more details, I can do so here. I can even add a due date. But let's keep things really, really simple.
Now I can go and archive that message and I can move onto my next email. Oh, maybe there's something else here that I need to do. I'm going to come up here and say, add two tasks. Once again, it's brought over. I'm going to hit Control A. That's the fastest way to select everything. And maybe I'm going to say reply to this comment something. Again, very short, very simple. And again, I'm going to archive this.
Now, those messages are gone from my inbox, but I can come back here and deal with these messages when I need to and know exactly the context. Let's say, for example, this offer is a limited time. I'm going to come back here and I am going to add a due date.
Maybe I need to get this done by the end of day tomorrow. I'm going to show you why that's important in just a moment. But here you can see, I can go directly to this message.
I can go directly to this message back and forth, and immediately reply or - Download attachment or whatever it is that I need to do. And when I'm finished, I can simply check it off and complete that particular task.
But remember, if we jump into other applications such as Google Calendar, we can make use of this as well. Now, you're probably already familiar that you can see the full view version of tasks here within Google Calendar.
I've got my list over here, my special email list that I can start to deal with. So I don't need to have Gmail open. I can click directly on these links and go there as well. But if you do have tasks that have a due date, you will also recognize that they can show up here within your Google calendar.
So here is that review this offer. If I click on this, you may think that everything here is just text-based. But wait a minute, here's this view related email. If I select that, it's going to immediately bring me back to the email that I need to see.
And best of all, all of these features, everything from converting a Gmail message into tasks and accessing those links and other applications are available on your mobile device. So instead of using a label on that next message, why not try using Google tasks as a part of your workflow?
And if you're wanting to get more organized with your Google apps and tools, why not join me and other Google users at Streamline Academy? The place where we aim to be more organized and enjoy a lot less stress with our Google apps. To get started with your 30 day free trial, click the link on the screen or in the description below. Thank you so much for watching. And remember, being productive does not need to be difficult. In fact, it's very simple. Okay?
