Task List vs. Calendar Reminders: Which is Better in Outlook?

Juggling multiple projects with various due dates can make your head spin. You may think you’re organized and on top of everything until you miss a crucial deadline. In today’s digital-savvy world, many turn to digital lists to create and organize to-do items.

If you’re a Microsoft Outlook user, there are two main features to help you effectively organize your tasks: Outlook’s Task List and Outlook’s Calendar Reminders. These integrated features enable you to efficiently tackle your day, organizing and managing all the details as they best serve you and your ongoing projects, deadlines, and other work and personal commitments.

What is Outlook’s Task List Feature?

Just as it sounds, a task is an item on your to-do list. Outlook Calendar’s Task List feature appears in three places: the To-Do Bar, Tasks, and Calendar. You can sort and view your list based on your preference, such as the deadline. The Task List is a visual display of what you must get done, helping you stay on track. It can be helpful in prioritizing your workload and organizing your schedule accordingly.

To create a new task, navigate to the Task List on your Outlook home screen. From there, enter the details for the task that you are doing. This includes a name for the job, a due date, and any relevant notes or helpful information for you to review. You can enter the task status as a percentage by clicking “Show more details.” You can also attach files to the task and add charms to act as visual aids for organizing your set of tasks.

What is Outlook’s Calendar Reminder Feature?

An Outlook Calendar Reminder is a pop-up that appears on a specific day and time set by you. It will appear in your Calendar, as a visual reminder to complete a set task. You can turn on the reminder feature by going to “Settings,” then “General,” then “Notifications” in Outlook. Select “For events” from there and then “Reminder popup.”

Reminders can be set for particular meetings, such as client meetings you’ll need to attend. You can set how far in advance that you want to be reminded, putting the control in your hands. You may only need to be reminded a few minutes before for some to-do items, while commuting to a meeting may require a longer lead time.

Now that you better understand Task Lists and Calendar Reminders, here are some things to consider when choosing between the two.

User-Friendliness

Of course, ease of use is a significant factor when it comes to using either of these Outlook features. Task lists are a separate feature distinct from Outlook’s Calendar window. That said, inputting your info into a task and setting the appropriate due date is pretty straightforward. You can also set a reminder for yourself when you want to start working on the task. This can be helpful for more extensive projects with various components or if you’re a freelancer with multiple clients.

Calendar Reminders are integrated into the Outlook Calendar window. Setting a reminder is just as easy as scheduling a calendar appointment for yourself or creating a meeting. The pop-up window will appear at a set date and time that you’ve specified. If you’re already used to creating and scheduling appointments, you may find it just as easy to start using Calendar Reminders.

So, as far as user-friendliness is concerned, it’s a toss-up. You may get used to entering Tasks and may like to see a list of your running to-do items in one place. Alternatively, you may be so used to creating meetings already in Outlook Calendar that having a pop-up reminder may be more up your alley.

Compatibility with Outlook

Both Task Lists and Calendar Reminders are part of the Outlook system, so you won’t need to download any additional apps. That said, Tasks Lists will vary based on which Outlook system you or your company have installed. If you have the Outlook app installed on your laptop and mobile phone, you’ll use the classic Task List as previously described. However, if you’re using Outlook.com, you’ll technically use Microsoft To Do.

To-Do differs slightly from the classic Task List and has a few more features and selections, including Smart Lists. Think of Smart Lists as your personalized sticky note that updates automatically based on which tasks you’ve already accomplished. You can organize and view your tasks via your Smart Lists based on specific filters, such as “no due date” or “completed.”

This may all seem a bit complicated, but know it varies based on which Outlook program you use. That said, Calendar Reminders is the same whether you are viewing it on Outlook.com or the Outlook app. For this reason alone, you may find the compatibility of Calendar Reminders to be more streamlined across devices.

Reliability

If your running to-do list is as long as Santa’s, you want to ensure you cover all your bases. Having a deadline slip through the cracks can only make you feel more stressed and on edge….