How to add a checklist of steps inside a task
Open a task in Task List by Zaweba and add steps to its checklist. The row shows progress such as 2 of 5, and repeating tasks reset it each time.
Each task in Task List by Zaweba can hold a checklist. Open the task and add the small steps it involves; the row in the list then shows how far you have got, such as 2 of 5. You tick the steps as you go and the task itself when it is finished.
A checklist keeps related steps together without turning every one into a separate task that clutters the list.
Adding the steps
Open the task you want to break down. In its editor, add the steps to the checklist one by one. Short, clear steps work best: Book the van, Order boxes, Tell the bank, rather than a paragraph.
Back in the list, the task row shows the count of finished steps out of the total. You can see at a glance which tasks are under way and how far along they are, without opening each one.
When to use a checklist and when to use tasks
Use a checklist when the steps only make sense together and share one deadline. Packing for a trip, preparing a monthly report, or getting a room ready for a guest are good examples. Use separate tasks when steps have their own dates, belong in different lists, or need their own reminders.
A simple test: if you would never tick the parent task until every step is done, the steps belong in its checklist.
Checklists that come round again
For a recurring task, the checklist resets each time. Tick the task done and the next one is created in the same list with every step unticked. That suits routines with several parts, such as a weekly shop, a monthly close of the books, or a seasonal check of the car before winter.
Build the checklist once, carefully, and it serves you every round.
Finding a step later
Search covers checklists. Press Ctrl+F and type a word, and items inside checklists are found as well as titles, notes and tags. That includes completed tasks, so last year's moving list or tax return steps are there when you need them again.
Printing a checklist
For jobs done away from the desk, such as packing or a site visit, print the list from File, then Print or save the list as PDF, which gives an A4 page. Work through it on paper, then tick the steps in the app when you are back.
Keeping checklists tidy
Long checklists become lists in disguise. If a checklist grows past a dozen steps, think about whether it should be its own list, with tasks you can date, star and tag. And write each step as an action you can tick, starting with a verb, so it is obvious when it is done. Vague steps such as Sort out paperwork tend to sit unticked; concrete ones such as Scan the gas bill get done.
Task List by Zaweba keeps checklists deliberately simple, with no extra dates or stars on each step. That is what makes them quick to write and quick to tick. When a step needs a date or a reminder of its own, that is the sign it should be a task in its own right, and moving it out takes only a moment. Used this way, the progress count on each row becomes an honest picture of where every job stands.
