Trellois an impressive project management tool thatmakes collaboration easy and dare I say, even fun🇧🇷 But this visual list tool can do so much more, whether you're organizing work projects, family tasks, travel plans, or anything else. Here are some ways you can use Trello to manage your entire life.
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How Trello Works (And Why It's Awesome)
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A Trello board is basically a web page that contains lists arranged horizontally on the page so you can see an overview of your project. Items in lists, called cards, can be dragged and dropped into other lists or reordered within lists.
The individual cards themselves can contain checklists, images, attachments, due dates, color labels, and discussion notes from others who share the board. You can have as many frames as you like: one for "Household Stuff", for example, one for "World Domination", etc.
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You can probably see how useful this is. Trello cards are like sticky notes that you put on a corkboard – digital sticky notes that are searchable, shareable, and come with reminders. You can alsocreate cards by email.
Trello works for me because I tend to think very visually, and images and colorful labels register in my brain better than plain text. TimeI'm a big fan of Evernote.To manage tons of information, in the past I've found myself turning to individual lists scribbled on paper and even index cards scattered throughout for an overview of my days. Trello was a huge improvement; is one of those few apps that really balances a simple and elegant user interface with powerful and flexible features.
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But enough of the praise. Let me show you how I and other Trello users are doing things with some example boards.
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Use Trello to manage projects and tasks
Perhaps the most obvious and popular way to use Trello is as a project and task manager, for both personal tasks and team projects.
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Implement GTD not Trello
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The Getting Things Done (GTD) productivity system fits perfectly on this platform🇧🇷 You can have separate boards for each of your main lists (for example, a NextActions board with lists for each context, like @calls, and a Someday/Maybe board with lists for each category) or, as I'm using it (picture above ), a large task board with the appropriate lists.
For example, my dashboard includes:
- Overview/projects:I like to keep track of the projects I'm juggling, so I create a card for each one on this list and choose a color for each project (that way, when I see a related task on one of the other lists, I know which one is part of a larger project). I also add a card that describes each color tag because sometimes I can't remember if blue means personal or green means work or whatever.
- Inbox:Brainstorm and create cards for each task, then drag them into the other lists to prioritize and organize them. You can also add expiration dates, a detailed description and attach files.
- Next actions:Basically next things to do
- Waiting:Delegated tasks or waiting tasks
- Someday maybe:Tasks I want to do... someday
- Done:When tasks are complete, drag cards here to see your progress. Or just archive the card to remove it from the board entirely (they will still be searchable in Trello)
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Any other system of lists and labels can also work, such as using one list for "This week" and another list for "Next month" or labeling tasks by "big stones”, as Stephen Covey called them (things like family, learning, health, etc.).
Plan your weeks with daily lists
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You can also use Trello as a weekly planner, with lists for each day of the week. For example, in addition to my task board, I have a weekly posts board where I can plan which articles and posts I need to work on each day for the next week. The colored labels refer to each client, as well as each type of writing task (for example, main writing focus of the day, research or editing).
you can build a pairmore advanced editorial calendarwith Trello or use the weekly planner for non-writing needs: plan meals, homework, exercise routines, homework, and anything else you can list by day for the week ahead.
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If you enable calendar power-ups (in the sidebar menu > Power-Ups), you can even see all your cards with due dates attached to them in a monthly or weekly calendar view and use the iCalendar URL ( in Power-Ups). oops). > Calendar > Settings) to sync your cards with your external calendar.
Create recurring tasks and log completed tasks
If you have repetitive tasks and don't want to keep adding the same cards over and over, connect Trello toZapier web app automation serviceyuse this recipeto program cards for each day, week and month.
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Or you can link Trello, Zapier and RescueTime toautomatically track your time and log all your completed tasks, as RescueTime's step-by-step instructions will show you how to do this. Cool right?
Integrate Kanban method to manage team projects
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Kanbanis a system that organizes the workflow visually, usually with cards arranged in columns (such as "To Do", "In Progress", and "Done") on a dashboard. As you can see, Trello is inspired by the Kanban board and is perfect for this way of managing projects. Agile software teams in particular seem to have chosen Trello toprioritize tasks and control all phases of a project, as well as recording meeting notes and sharing resources.
Even if you don't use "sprints" in your projects, you can copythis Agile dashboard exampleto your Trello account and tweak the lists (including the Upcoming, Questions, Room for Improvement, and Awesome Stuff lists) however you like for your work projects.
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(By the way, the free version of Trello allows you to change the background color, but to get a fancy photo background like the one seen in the screenshot above, you would need Trello Gold, which costs $5/month or $45/year .).
Use Trello for personal and family organization
In addition to your tasks, you can create all kinds of lists in the tool, with cards that can be any type of text. Here are some examples.
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Keep a small team or family up to date
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You can also use Trello as a team or family message/status board, such asthis model demonstrates🇧🇷 With lists for each person, each card can be a simple message from other members, an appointment reminder, an assigned task or a proposal. (You can activate a voting power-up to enable team member vote counting.)
On the other hand, instead of having a list for each person, you can have a list for each area the team needs to cover: for example, shopping lists, meeting agendas, project ideas, etc. From the sidebar, you can drag member icons onto any card to assign a person to it.
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Plan a complete vacation
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Some trips are a lot of work to plan, with a lot of details to juggle and things to keep track of. We are big fans of using TripIt toautomatically organize our travel itinerariesvia email, but in the planning phase, a tool like Trello comes in handy. You can have lists of all your reservations, places to eat, places to see, packing lists and much more. Share the board with someone you travel with and they can add their own cards too.
When your trip is packed, it's a bit of a stress reliever to see a daily overview of what you've got planned to ensure you've got all your bases (dining options, transportation, etc.) covered, and with these lists, you can easily tweak your itinerary by simply dragging cards to another day or moving them up or down in the list.
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Organize a home improvement project
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This Trello example organizes a remodeling project based on the To Do, In Progress, Done template, but you can add more specific lists like Contractor Estimates, Product Lists, Budget, Do It Yourself, etc.
Plan a wedding from start to finish
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Planning the big day is another big project, but Trello can keep your wedding plans visually organized. Tabitha Neal has a great guide onusing Trello to plan a wedding, while Trello has aMarriage Command Center Templatewhich divides tasks into lists over 12 months, 10-12 months, 8 months, and so on before the wedding day.
Plan a novel or screenplay
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Using index cards to plot a plot for a novel or screenplay is a classic writing technique. Trello can replace these physical tabs. Themodel upcomes from reddit usertleisherand you can adapt it to any work of fiction.
Grab Trello templates
You can use Trello for just about anything you would make lists for, especially complex projects. Want even more ideas? Look at thismodel plate(each card is a template that you can copy to your account), someinspirational pictures, othese Trello templates(event planning, freelance and consulting, publishing, contracting and software development). Also, here it ishow to use trello like a pro.
FAQs
Can I use Trello just for myself? ›
Use Trello to organize, track, and plan anything life throws your way. See personal projects to completion and hold yourself accountable for all kinds of goals you might set. From moving to planning a vacation to getting ready for your wedding, and everything in between, there's a template for that.
Can I use Trello as a daily planner? ›Declutter your life by using this simple & easy to use board. Put in your daily repetitive task in the “Daily Tasks” list and your weekly planning in the “Personal” List which has separators for each day of the current week. Keep moving the completed tasks from Personal list to Done List as and when you move forward.
How do I make Trello like a pro? ›- Double click to add list. from Adding lists to a board. ...
- Keyboard shortcuts. from Using keyboard shortcuts in Trello. ...
- Drag and drop attachments. ...
- Submit multiple cards and checklist items. ...
- @ mentions. ...
- Re-order starred boards. ...
- Reorder checklists and checklist items. ...
- Create cards via email.
- Develop habits and build a routine.
- Plan ahead.
- Embrace your natural inclinations.
- Consistency over perfection.
- Find balance.
- Prioritize appropriately.
- Declutter and simplify.
- Measure your progress.
Trello Specs
Trello doesn't have tools for managing and rebalancing resources across many projects, however, so it's not great for traditional project management. Trello's free tier might also not be workable; some capabilities are only available via add-ons and the free version limits you to a single one per board.
Trello is one of the most popular project management tools, and we're huge fans of it at Cloudwards. It's easy to use, has solid pricing and makes it easy to track tasks for beginners and veterans alike. We go over the reasons we like it so much in this full Trello review.
What is better than Trello and free? ›KanbanFlow is a great free alternative to Trello and other project management tools.
What is simpler than Trello? ›Workzone is a Trello alternative with simple project management features and a user-friendly interface. Like Zenkit, it's also one of the best real-time collaboration tools and will get your team working together efficiently.
Is Trello no longer free? ›Trello costs nothing for its free plan but also has three paid plans: Standard ($5 per user, per month), Premium ($10 per user, per month), and Enterprise ($17.50 per user, per month), all billed annually.
Which is better Planner or Trello? ›Trello allows multiple checklists and does not limit the list length to 20. Comments on tasks in Planner have character limits much shorter than Trello; you will find yourself needing to attach long comments as separate documents, or stretch your content over multiple comments.
Can you make something due every day in Trello? ›
What are Trello Recurring Tasks? The Trello Card Repeater Power-Up lets you create recurring tasks. Once you've activated this key feature, you can enter the Trello card settings and schedule it to automatically copy the Trello card at a specified date/time. This can be done on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis.
Is Trello better than MS planner? ›Planner is part of the Microsoft 365 for Business suite of tools, so it integrates with a range of apps to help your team tackle just about any business area together. Trello is a simpler tool that works for individuals or teams and can grow as your team and projects grow in size and complexity.
What is the Google equivalent of Trello? ›What can I use instead of Trello for Google Workspace? Try out Kanbanchi. It is a project management and team collaboration tool made specifically for Google Workspace (formerly G Suite). Kanbanchi integrates with Google Workspace immediately after signing up.
How do I use Trello everyday? ›- Add tasks which you want to do into the Backlog. This could be tasks you want to complete today/tomorrow/next month etc.
- Each day, drag your tasks which you want to complete from the Backlog into To Do Today.
- Once a task is done, move it to the Done Today List.
24me is another one of the best organization apps that keep your hectic day organized. It offers features such as a to-do list, calendar, reminders for tasks and events, and note taking making it easy to organize your thoughts and your day.
How do you organize your life and set goals? ›First consider what you want to achieve, and then commit to it. Set SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals that motivate you and write them down to make them feel tangible. Then plan the steps you must take to realize your goal, and cross off each one as you work through them.
How do you get organized when you are overwhelmed? ›- 1) Do some spring-cleaning. … ...
- 2) Stop hoarding. ...
- 3) Learn to put things away… ...
- 4) Do some virtual cleaning. ...
- 5) Keep an agenda. ...
- 6) Get into the habit of making lists. ...
- 7) Write everything down. ...
- 8) Stop procrastinating.
3569 companies reportedly use Trello in their tech stacks, including Udemy, CRED, and StackShare.
Why do people love Trello? ›Trello is arguably one of the best tools to help you stay organised. If you love having a quick overview of all your tasks, enjoy customisation options and checklists – you'll love this nifty tool! Need more convincing?
What is the future of Trello? ›Soon, Trello will adapt to fit any part of a project's life cycle. New ways of viewing information in Trello will empower teams to visualize work in different ways at different stages. Teams will get brand new perspectives on their work depending on how they choose to view information.
Should I use Asana or Trello? ›
You should use Asana if you're looking to manage projects for more than two people, especially if you're managing a small team. You should use Trello if you need a visual project management tool and don't need to divide subtasks out to a team very often.
Which project management tool is best? ›- Asana.
- Trello.
- Workzone.
- ProofHub.
- MeisterTask.
- Monday.com.
- Teamwork.
- Podio.
Trello is considered to be one of the most powerful project management tools that are used for an individual as well as group Project Management. Its salient features such as boards, cards, and power-ups help one to organize, administer, and integrate the project.
What are the three building blocks of Trello? ›Answering what's a board, what's a list, and what are cards. These are the three basic features of Trello. Of course, how you make those features work for your processes is a whole other story. You can see some of the ways I utilize Trello in my business in this post, 10 Ways To Use Trello For Your Business.
How many Trello boards can I have? ›Up to 10 boards per Workspace. Unlimited Power-Ups per board. Unlimited storage (10MB/file) 250 Workspace command runs per month.
Is Trello a security risk? ›Trello provides a secure experience for customers by keeping their security systems up to date with the best practices. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is an information security standard that organizations must adhere to when handling credit card and debit card information.
Does Microsoft have a tool like Trello? ›Microsoft Planner is a project management software that comes with the Office 365 subscription. Being quite similar to Trello in terms of functions and features, MS Planner is a competitor and alternative for Trello.
Which is better Trello or Evernote? ›What are the differences between Evernote and Trello? TL;DR — Both Trello and Evernote have sharing capabilities, but Evernote tends to be more of a private note creation and storage solution. People can use Trello for note taking and note storage, but it's really meant for task management.
Which is better Slack or Trello? ›While both applications are used for managing projects or workflow, they don't serve the same functions. Trello makes it easy for teams to organize projects; Slack is more of an instant messaging application with certain task management features.
Is Trello like OneNote? ›Microsoft's OneNote is a digital note-taking app, supporting photos, annotating, web page clipping, emailing, and synchronizing notes across devices. Trello from Atlassian is a project management tool based on a Kanban framework. Trello is ideal for task-management in a to-do list format.
Is Trello agile or waterfall? ›
Initiating a simple Agile Project with Trello
Scrum is an Agile Methodology, where the releases are done iteratively in sprints.
Trello is a web-based Kanban project management application. It enables easy, real-time collaboration between team members and even multiple teams and projects.
Do Trello boards expire? ›How long before a Trello board invite link expires? They do expire. I've had it happen many times, and have has to update the links.
Who owns Trello? ›Trello is a web-based, kanban-style, list-making application and is developed by Trello Enterprise, a subsidiary of Atlassian. Created in 2011 by Fog Creek Software, it was spun out to form the basis of a separate company in New York City in 2014 and sold to Atlassian in January 2017.
Do product managers use Trello? ›Marketing teams Whether launching a new product, campaign, or creating content, Trello helps marketing teams succeed. Product management Use Trello's management boards and roadmap features to simplify complex projects and processes.
Is Trello best to do list? ›If you want to manage complex collaborative projects or integrate your project management tool with other business tools, Trello is the best option for you. If you're looking for a personal task management solution or you're planning simple collaborative projects, Todoist is the better option.
Can I open 2 Trello boards at the same time? ›Yes you can, just found it! File->New Window.... of course. Do you know how you can switch between them quickly? If you use them in fullscreen mode the only ways to switch seems to be using F3 (App Expose) or Cmd+1, Cmd+2, etc.
Is Trello good for managing multiple projects? ›Trello is an intuitive way to organize tasks and manage your projects—regardless of how many you're working on at one time. Using Trello, you can: Add relevant resources (like attachments, conversations, and more) to cards. Centralize comments, status updates, and all project conversations on cards.
Can Trello automate emails? ›🤖 Work smarter with automations
SendBoard works with Trello automations, allowing you to automate tasks, create custom buttons and send templated emails based on triggers.
Planner is (still) Dependent on Microsoft 365 Groups
In 2022, this is less of an issue. We use Microsoft 365 Groups for almost everything, even if you aren't aware of it. If you have access to Team Channels or a SharePoint Team site, you're part of a Group.
Can you use Trello as a planner? ›
The app allows you to transform boards into a comprehensive Trello planner and helps you stay focused on tasks you need to complete on time so that your plans always come true.
Does Trello have unlimited storage? ›Unlimited cards. Up to 10 boards per Workspace. Unlimited Power-Ups per board. Unlimited storage (10MB/file)
How do I track a habit in Trello? ›...
How to use
- Create a card for the habit you want to track. ...
- Open a detailed card view and click “Repeat habit.”
- Select a rule for this habit to repeat, as well as a list to add the habit card copy.
To archive a card, click on the card to open it, then select “Archive” from the bottom right. Once a card has been archived, a “Delete” option will be available, again in the bottom right menu. Trello requires a confirmation click, since deleting a card in Trello is permanent and can't be recovered.
How do I use Trello as a family? ›Just invite your spouse to join the board. Then each of you can assign tasks to yourselves (or the other person)! Older kids can also collaborate on a household Trello to-do list. They might even have fun assigning, color coding and moving the cards around the board.
How do I create an automated checklist in Trello? ›- Select the Automation button at the top of your Trello board or from the board menu.
- Go to the Due Date tab and select Create Automation > Add Trigger.
- Customize the trigger and action for your automation. ...
- Save the created automation.
To make a Trello task repeat on a quarterly schedule, choose custom recurrence settings. Then, set the task to repeat every three months. To make a task repeat twice a year, choose custom recurrence settings. Then, set the task to repeat every 6 months.
Does Trello have a master calendar? ›You can have a "master calendar" that has all of your board's due dates, either within Trello or by linking your boards to an external calendar like Google.
How do you manage your Trello boards? ›- Step 1: Setup your Trello project board and create task cards. ...
- Step 2: Create task cards and assign them to relevant team members. ...
- Step 3: Move the Trello cards along the board as steps are completed. ...
- Step 4: Close out the project upon completion.
From Red to Green
To mark the card as complete or done, users simply need to check the box and the badge's color will turn to green. This also creates a strikethrough on the card when viewed in Calendar mode. For more news and updates, visit Trello on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
How do I use Trello as a stay at home mom? ›
- Create your Daily Planner and Habit Tracker boards first.
- Download the app.
- Get in the habit for using the boards.
- KISS! Keep It Simple, Sweetie! Don't overwhelm yourself at first with too many boards.
Free workspaces can have up to 10 open boards. You can upgrade your Workspace to a paid plan, or create multiple free Workspaces if you need more than 10 boards. Standard, Premium, and Enterprise Workspaces can have unlimited boards in them, allowing flexibility and easy collaboration for teams of any size.