What Can Organizational Software Do for You?
Maryan Pelland
Organizational Tools & Outlook Calendar
Outlook reminder list gives a profile of all the reminders you've set up.
Each task reminder you set up tells you when, where and what you need to do.
In Outlook's task pane you can see and select from various functions.
Without organizational tools like the task function in Microsoft Outlook my brain would explode. Like most people, I multitask. If I don't write stuff down, I forget it. Outlook calendar and tasks will remember all that for me – and remind me at appropriate times.
I use Outlook calendar and tasks to track appointments, Web sites I want to look at when I have time, phone calls, writing assignments, invoices and payment. If my lawn guy says he'll be out on Friday, I don't have to remember that. Outlook will tap me on the shoulder. I even create a task if one of my kids says they'll bring my Wii system back to me Tuesday.
How to Use Organizational Tools Like Outlook Calendar:
- Open Outlook, any version. I use 2003.
- On the left, vertical navigation bar – the list of folders – there's a button for Outlook calendar and for Outlook tasks. Tasks can also be accessed by clicking actions then new task on the top menu tabs.
- A form appears. I fill in however much info I want to track. I use Subject, due date, the reminder checkbox and the reminder dates, as well as the note space below, to describe my task.
- Then I click save and close or go further into the process. There are books written just on Outlook which is an extremely robust program.
I set my follow-up, or reminder, date for the appropriate date and hour. When that time arrives, as long as the program is open, and mine almost always is, Outlook pops a little reminder up - the form I filled out initially.
Tasks and Calendar, End Result
Whenever I want, I click tasks in the nav bar to see the list of my reminders, no matter how far out they are in the calendar. I can arrange by date, subject, or categories. If Outlook isn't open when task and calendar reminders comes up, Outlook will list them all when I do open it. I can email a task to someone and Outlook tells me when they should have the job completed.
It's easy to learn Outlook tasks. Create a couple – set reminders for an hour out and watch what happens. For me, the only negative is – you can reschedule a task any number of times. If I don't want to do something – like make a dentist appointment – I click him away. I sort of wish Outlook would reach out and slap my hand. Now that would be a program!