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Tools for keeping track of projects?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

Can anyone recommend tools (ex: a spreadsheet template or app) they have found helpful for keeping track of multiple writing projects? Like most academics, I currently have lots of different, "big" projects, and I find myself spinning wheels going from one to the other trying to figure out what needs to be done next when. I know it helps to break big projects into daily and weekly goals, and I'm wondering if there is a tool that lets you break down several projects and plot them on a calendar, so that I can look and say "ok, tomorrow I need to revise section 2 of the R & R and draft the introduction to ch.3 of my dissertation."

Good question! Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions, as I don't keep track of things anywhere. 😉 But I expect that some of you are more well-organized than I, so I'm curious to hear which kinds of tools are out there.

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9 responses to “Tools for keeping track of projects?”

  1. elise

    I highly recommend Notion. (https://www.notion.so/) I use it to keep track of all of my projects, including feedback & meeting notes, reading lists, notes to self, to do’s (organized by section, typically), etc. You can also set up calendars with it (though I don’t use that that much myself). I have a different Notion main page for each project, but you could divide things differently so that you have a sort of ‘master page’ for all projects.
    It also sounds like you could be interested in something like Omnifocus (https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus/), which has a nice “Forecast” mode where you can see all of the To Do’s for a project (or multiple projects) and their corresponding deadlines. It’s a fancy To Do list. Omnifocus has a small learning curve to use it max effectively. Things3 (which I don’t have, but like aesthetically) is similar. Some of these are pricey, though, and I don’t know about their PC options. Notion you can use on browser or via app.

    Reply
  2. Malcolm

    I use Todoist and integrate it with Google Calendar so my tasks are allotted time. It’s really flexible and simple.

    Reply
  3. James

    I use GQueues – https://www.gqueues.com/ – it has a two-way sync with Google Calendar (i.e. if you add a date to a task, it’ll appear in Google Calendar; if you move the item in Google Calendar, the due date will update in GQueues).
    You could have multiple ‘queues’ for each writing project, and within there you could list out each chapter/section, with notes. Anything with a due date will then appear on Google Calendar, whichever project it is.
    You could also build some templates for new writing projects to pre-populate all the common tasks. It also has a Chrome plug-in to add tasks from webpages etc. and is all keyboard driven which I love.
    The only drawback is that I’m not resident in the US and so cannot earn $ for referring you!

    Reply
  4. Person

    I love using Notion or Agenda for this! The latter is really great for integrating with your calendar and keeping in check different stages of a project, so it seems this is exactly what the OP is looking for. I prefer notion, because it has so many great organization functions, but both apps are really great.

    Reply
  5. TT

    I don’t have any recommendations, but can we just have a moment of appreciation for how well-designed, at least aesthetically, all of these recommendations have been? I know that it’s par for the course for productivity apps, but I seriously just spent 10 minutes looking through the websites for Notion, Todoist, and GQueues and thinking, “Wow, look at all the pretty colors and rounded corners.”

    Reply
  6. Madeline MS

    I find paper versions of these things helpful, and have good luck with the Self 6-month planner.
    They also have a 13-week journal, but I found that one less flexible and the layout didn’t work for the way I think about time and projects.
    I have thought about getting some of their project plan pads to supplement the planner.

    Reply
  7. Tall_one

    If you have the time and patience to learn it, I highly recommend org-mode on Emacs. (Google it; you’ll find people in certain corners of academia are obsessed with it.) I use it not only to organize my research projects, but also to write papers and take notes in general.

    Reply
  8. Daniel Weltman

    I use Scrivener. Details here: https://danielweltman.com/process.html

    Reply
  9. anon

    OP here. Thanks for all the very helpful suggestions!

    Reply

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