I want to tell you about a great little productivity tool for lawyers (and the rest of the world). A problem most of us have is organization around our to-dos, our tasks. Attorneys especially have so many tasks to juggle, differing priorities, due dates, importance, etc. that it is difficult to manage it all. As a lawyer coach I am always on the lookout for tools to help my clients be organized around the goals we are working on. I have found an excellent tool: Toodledo.
Toodledo is an online task management system. With it you can set up folders for different projects, for example one for marketing, one for administrative tasks, one for a particular case you are working on, one for your bicycle fetish etc. In the folder you add tasks, give each one a start date and end date, set the importance, add notes, estimate the time to complete and other great stuff. For a mere $15 per year you can add subtasks to each tasks plus the ability to give someone else access to any folder you choose. I highly recommend this upgrade.
You can view your tasks by folder, importance, due date, past due, due today….. so you can easily keep on top of what you need to do and when. Get this, if you have a specific amount of time and want to use it most effectively, Toodledo will make a recommendation for you based on a combination of estimated time for the task, due date and importance.
With my lawyer clients it is very helpful in organizing each goal we are working on, the tasks to complete in order to achieve the goal and the necessary sub-tasks. The folder sharing feature allows me to view my client’s progress prior to our coaching session. We can even work together on the Toodledo website in real time creating or modifying the tasks.
I have looked at a lot of systems and this one is a winner. It is powerful, easy to learn and feature rich. The one feature I wish it had is a Gantt Chart bar chart for measuring progress toward goals. I’ve suggested this to them. There is a gadget for it so if you use iGoogle as your desktop you can have your tasks right there looking at you. There is a smart phone app too so wherever you are your tasks are with you. Especially good for checking your personal errands folder while you are out.
No, I am not an affiliate or have any financial incentive for recommending Toodledo. I just like it a lot and think that you, as a busy lawyer, would find it helpful. So take a look. And the best part is the price: Free.
Daniel Roberts, Professional Lawyer Coach, Coaching for Lawyers.com
