Using Todoist to manage reminders for OneNote

One of the recurring complaints about Microsoft OneNote is it's inability to handle reminders on tasks. (Yes I know Evernote can do this...but we're talking about OneNote right now.) I needed a way to create action lists in OneNote and then be able to track and follow up on items to do in the future without having to remember to check the OneNote task list frequently. Fortunately one of my favorite tools comes to the rescue...Todoist. 

Here's the process I use to generate multiple tasks in Todoist from OneNote so I can ensure everything gets done on schedule: 

Step 1 – Create your action list in OneNote 

Type in your list as you would normally in OneNote. You don't even need to use the To-Do Tag, just put in a return at the end of each line. 

Step 2 – Use Todoist syntax in OneNote 

For example, if I have something on the list to do on Friday at 3:00 p.m., I would enter: 

Call the vendor Friday 3pm 

Todoist can leverage this format to turn the last part (Friday 3pm) into a scheduled reminder when the item is added to a list. If we expand the example a little we get: 

Call the vendor Friday 3pm 

Follow up on meeting action items Next Monday 8am 

Follow up on vendor action items Two Weeks 

Step 3 – Copy and Paste 

Creating the Todoist tasks from the OneNote list is nothing more than a matter of copying the list from OneNote and then pasting the list into a new task field in Todoist on the web. Todoist is smart enough to recognize you are pasting a list AND will read the date formatting to create reminders for each task it loads. (It's pretty impressive to watch the first time.) 

From this point you can complete the tasks in Todoist, get reminders, and know nothing is falling through the cracks. 

Pro TIP: 

If you add in the label and project syntax on an item, Todoist will assign the task automatically as well. For example: 

Call the vendor Friday 3pm #cloudhosting @Art 

Finding ways to make the tools in your productivity toolkit work together can make all the difference between just getting things done and truly being productive.