Zen computing: simplify with gmail. part 6 of 20

Tip 6: Add a list of tasks to your gmail interface.

It's just about as simple as it sounds. To add tasks to gmail, follow these steps:

1. From gmail, click on Settings, then choose the Labs tab.
2. Now, just enable the Tasks Lab.

That's it. You should now see a Tasks link at the bottom of your Inbox list, just under the Contacts. This list can be minimized or displayed as you please. To get started adding tasks, just click the Tasks link and start typing.

And it's even better than that. With gmail's Tasks, you can create multiple task lists. This can help organize your tasks into more manageable groupings, and help you focus on the tasks that need to get done now, and those that can be scheduled.

To add another task list, just click on the task menu button in the lower right-hand corner and choose New List... You will also see all available lists from this menu.

For example, I currently roll with three main task lists: Daily, Weekly, and Yearly. The first two are self explanatory, the Yearly is more of a list of goals I'm working towards. They can help me define some of the weekly goals, which in turn help me list out what needs to get done today.

I also keep a separate task list for any projects I'm working on, and use initials for things I've delegated to other people but still need to make sure get done. The 'due by' feature really helps in this regard.

The only possible chink in the armor of gmail's Tasks feature is that it isn't (yet) integrated into gmail's mobile app, so it's a tad unwieldy when accessed from a mobile device. Here's what to do:

From your device's mobile browser, go to gmail.com/tasks. You can then view, add, edit, or mark tasks as completed from there rather than the gmail moble app.

If you're keeping track, that's now three things - email, calendar, tasks - Outlook does very well that Gmail does even better.

Zen computing: simplify with gmail. part 5 of 20

Tip 5: Add the Google Calendar.

The gmail account you've just created (or have had for a while) is a great start, but I just mentioned in my first post in this series that gmail could be considered Outlook 2009. And Outlook manages more than just your Inbox, right?

Of course. It manages tasks, contacts, and your time. In this step, you'll add google calendar functionality to gmail to track appointments, events, birthdays, and so on. It's remarkably easy to get started...

Because you already have a google account (created when you signed up for gmail), all you have to do is visit Google's Calendar homepage. From there, enter your Google Account email and password, and sign in. Easy cheesy.

You can probably take it from there. Among the really great features of the Google Calendar app is that it lets you create multiple calendars, and display each independent of the others if you wish. Have a project with several milestone dates? Make a calendar and share it with project stakeholders. Want to track all kids activities and share them with family? Again, create a seperate calendar.

And naturally, you can get easy access to all of those appointments and events from within the gmail browser interface. Here's how:

1. From gmail, click Settings in the upper right-hand corner, then click the Labs tab.
2. Now, look for the Calendar gadget (will be about 2/3 the way down the page or so) and enable it.
3. Click 'Save Changes' and you're done.

You can then make tweaks to the gmail calendar interface by accessing the gadget's Options, which you'll find in the lower right-had corner of the gadget.

Next up: adding your to-do lists without leaving gmail. Make sure and subscribe to get the latest content delivered each week without having to hunt it down.

Zen computing: simplify with gmail. part 4 of 20

Tip 4: Quit using folders to stay organized. Use labels instead.

If you've followed along in the first couple of gmail tips, you now have a new, centralized Inbox that you can access from just about anywhere. (And in a future tip, I'll show you how to access that gmail Inbox from just about any mobile device as well.

Here's how you're going to keep all that email organized: you're going to use labels.

You can manage gmail's labels by accessing the Labels tab in the Settings or, even easier, by clicking on the Labels button at the top of the Inbox and choosing 'Manage labels.'


Now, when an email comes in that needs to be filed for possible retrieval at a later date, use the Labels button to tag the email. Now, whenever you need to browse through your 'folder' of related emails, just click the desired label link on gmail's left-hand side.

(If you want to shortcut the application of labels even further, enable gmail's keyboard shortcuts by going to the General tab of gmail's Settings. Then, hit 'L' from any email and apply the label.)

And after you apply a label? Archive the email. Another of gmail's simplest, yet most powerful features is the ability to Archive that I discuss again in a future post or two. Gmail's golden rule: When in doubt, Archive.

And leave folders behind. They're soooo 2005.

Zen computing: simplify with gmail. part 3 of 20

Tip 3: Consolidate. Make gmail the one Inbox to rule them all.

The problem: you're a modern, tech savvy man or woman, and have therefore accumulated numerous email accounts over the years like a cellar full of fine wine. You've got a home email, a work email, an internet-based email like Hotmail or Yahoo! mail, and a second home email from switching your cable provider from Time Warner to Comcast.

Oh, and you've now gotten that gmail account I just told you would simplify your life. How's this supposed to work, exactly?

It will. The third step will have you creating a single, master Inbox. One place where all your email goes, one place for you to go and check all your accounts.

This step will also take more time to set up than previous tips and most others that will follow. Believe me, it's well worth the investment. Here's what to do:

Go to gmail's Accounts tab from the Settings page (again, the Settings link is in the upper right corner.) Then look at the second section down, 'Get mail from other accounts.' You're about to configure gmail's Mail Fetcher feature. Follow these steps, which you can also access by clicking 'learn more:

1. Chose Add another mail account.
2. Enter the full email address of the account you'd like to access, then click Next Step.
3. Gmail will populate sample settings, but we recommend checking with your other provider to learn the correct server name and port. Enter your Password.

Now, decide whether to:

• leave a copy of the message on the server
• retrieve using Secure Sockets Layer
• label incomig messages
• archive incoming messages

When you've made your selections, choose Add Account.

And here's even more good news: wnce the account has been added, you' can use it as the 'From' address in any email. You can even set it as the default 'From' email address. This allows you to compose messages in Gmail, but have them appear to be sent from your other email account.

My recommendations about the selections above for those setting up their first account: do leave a copy on the server, don't use SSL, don't archive the messages - you want them in your Inbox typically. Use a label if you want, but I typically don't - I don't care where the email came from, I just want to see it and respond when it hits my Inbox.

Another bonus: gmail is smart enough to use the 'Sent-To' address as the default 'Reply-From' address. In other words, if you respond through gmail to an email sent to a non-gmail address, gmail will use the non-gmail address in the 'From' field by default.

Have fun setting up those accounts; your email life will feel less cluttered the second you do.

And subscribe to this thread - more tips on the way shortly.

Zen computing: simplify with gmail. part 2 of 20

Step Two: Use a theme.

You’ve just set up your new gmail account. Great - the journey begins with a single step as the saying goes, and you’ve just taken yours.


Next up? Configure the interface. From the gmail interface:

1. Click the Settings link in the upper right-had corner.
2. From the Gmail Settings, click Themes on the right hand side. As you can see, I prefer New Blue.
3. That’s it! The theme is now automatically applied.

Small steps so far, but necessary.

To review: you’ve now gotten a Gmail account and have configured the interface the way you like it. Now, it’s on to the more important tasks, such as managing your email from multiple accounts, managing tasks, contacts, and your calendar, and managing all of these from mobile devices.

In other words, everything you used Outlook for in the past. Now free. Now stored in a single location. And now available across any computer and from almost any device.


Stay tuned.

Zen computing: simplify life with gmail. part 1 of 20

Tip 1: Sign up for gmail.

This will be the first in 20-part series of posts about transferring your digital life to gmail. The idea is not to use gmail in order to have the latest, greatest, best, or You can argue over better email programs. There is but one goal in mind: to use this particular technology to simplify and enhance your life - to use gmail to stop the ever dangerous “tech-creep.”

(Tech-creep is the place where a new gadget or piece of software makes life more difficult and/or unnecessarily complex rather than easier. Gmail can help combat tech-creep. Facebook can alleviate or cause tech-creep. Twitter right now is sitting right on that boundary. You get the idea.)

What gmail does, it does very, very well.

So in keeping with the theme, the first tip is a simple one: get a gmail account. How? Go to gmail.com, of course.

Once there, click on the ‘sign up for gmail link, pick a user name, password, security question, and you’re on your way.

If you’re just starting out, that’s all you need to do for today. Should take you 5 minutes, including the time needed to read this post.