Creating a New Task

New Tasks fall into two categories.

An Unlinked New Task can be created to stand on its own, meaning it is unconnected with anything else, such as Buy batteries at the store.

A Linked New Task is given context by being linked to another object in Daylite, such as linking the Task to a Person.

There are a couple of different ways to create a New Task in Daylite.

Create a New Task

The first way is by using the File Menu to create an unlinked New Task. It is very important to note that the New Task is not connected to any other object in Daylite, and therefore acts as a stand alone Task.

Another way to create a New Task is by selecting the New Object button.

You can also add a New Task to any existing Object you see buy accessing the right Object menu.

For example, if you wanted to add a New Task to a Contact, you simply need to select it from the menu button on the top right hand side of the Daylite app.

Pro Tip:

Command + L will allow you to quickly make a contextual link with any object in your Daylite. So don’t worry if you forget.

You can even set your own shortcut key combination by navigating to Settings > General > Quick Task Entry Shortcut. This is a fantastic way to link your Task to an Object quickly and easily.

Adding and Filling In A New Task

It is helpful to understand what each part of a New Task does, and why you should aim to fill out as many sections as possible, because by providing that information now will reward you later.

For example, it will help you be a lot more productive.

If you set a New Task to Call Frank to negotiate the price of the deal, the job of calling Frank becomes much easier because his Contact record with phone number is just one click away. If the Task is not linked to Frank's record then you would need to go and find Frank’s record in Daylite. Spending some time linking the Task to the right People, Company, Opportunity, Project etc will ensure that the Task appears above the red line in the history view of the linked Object.

This will also help you and other users to see which Opportunity the Task is related to, and help you when looking back through your Daylite history.

To begin, create a New Task by selecting it from the New Object menu.

1. Task Title: This is a description of the Task. We recommend that you try to give your Tasks fully realized names such as "Find out if John will accept our proposal for the beach photoshoot" instead of "Meeting with John”. This way when reviewing the Task at a later date, you will know exactly what to do. We also want to name Tasks so we can easily tick them off as done. Everyone likes to see a list of Done Tasks in their day. We get an endorphin rush of satisfaction if we complete a Task. You may need to break the job down into several smaller Tasks. As an example, Task # 1 may be to find out John’s phone number, while Task # 2 is to obtain John’s acceptance of the beach shoot proposal. If we do not know John’s phone number (Task 1) then we would not be able to gain his acceptance (Task 2).

2. Done Box: Check this box when you complete a Task. Daylite will automatically add an End Date, plus it will record the duration of the Task in days, hours and minutes.

1. Add details: If there is any extra supporting information that will not fit in the Task Title this is where you can add additional information or instructions.

2. Category: You can come up with your own list of Categories or use those that come with Daylite. A good way to use Categories is to indicate the type of activity involved. For example is it an email, a phone call, or something you need to do in the office? You can then use the Category to create smart lists to help sort all of your Tasks into different activities.

3. Due Date: This represents the date that the Task is scheduled to be done by. The due date is used to display a Task in other places across Daylite such as the Calendar and the Home View. You should always set a due date as a best practice because then the Task will show on the Daylite Calendar. If you leave the due date blank it limits the chance of you being able to see it again for review, and the Task may be left unfinished. Another reason to set a nominal due date is so that you can get Daylite to remind you about Tasks that might be overdue.

Pro Tip:

You can set Task due date reminders to trigger either before, on, or after the due date. If this is coupled with a notification then you won't miss anything.

You can choose to have Daylite automatically set a pre-determined due date by selecting Daylite Settings > Default values > Tasks > Automatically set due date.

You can also choose to have Daylite automatically set a start date based on the date you created the Task by selecting Daylite Settings > Default values > Tasks > Automatically set start date.

A typical setting might be to set all Task reminder defaults to tomorrow or the next day. Adding the due date ensures that you have captured the Task and that you can easily come back to review it, clarify it and then do it so you can mark it as done.

1. Repeat: Adding a repeating Task is a great way to get reminders to do things regularly. Set a repeating Task to remind you to contact your clients and arrange a regular account review. Or have a repeating Task to ensure that you change the entry code for your office building every 6 months. The great thing about repeating Tasks is that the next repeating Task is only created once you have completed the current Task. This means you do not get a long line of similar Tasks stretching into the future when you are reviewing your Task lists.

2. Linked: Linking gives the Task context. If you link a Task to a Person then the Task will appear on the Person’s timelines. This is great when looking back at what you have done with a client. If the Task is not done it will appear above the red Now line, regardless of it's due date. If the Task is done it will go below the red Now line and it will sorted by its completed date.

3. Permissions: It is possible to define different attributes to control who can View and/or Edit the current Task. If you do not change the permissions then it will automatically be set to Public which means it is viewable by all users. As an example, you might have a Task to arrange surprise party for Steven, who is one of your staff members. By using Permissions you can ensure that the Task is not visible in Daylite to Steven.

4. Owner: Whoever creates the Task will be set as the Owner. You can change the Owner of a Task so it becomes someone else’s Task to complete and then appears on their Task list, Calendar, Home Screen etc. If you change the ownership of a Task to another user then it is no longer associated with you, the current user, and it will no longer appear in your delegated list or your list of Tasks to do.

   This means if the Task is completed you would not be notified.

1. Delegate: If you delegate a Task to another user then you will notified when the Task has been completed, and the Task is still actually owned by you - the current user. You can then see the list of Tasks you have delegated to others in the Delegated View in Tasks. This is a very useful feature if you are working as a Team in Daylite. You start by creating a Task and outlining the objective . Using the delegate button you can "assign" the Task to another user but still have overall ownership of it. When you choose to delegate you are presented with three options:

• You can choose the user to delegate to.

• You can add a note to explain why the Task is being delegated or perhaps some extra instructions.

• If you decide to check the box called "notify me of changes" the person who has delegated the Task will receive a notification when any changes are made to it.

1. Created: This is a record which stores the date the Task was created and which user created it. This cannot be changed afterwards.

Did you know?

You cannot delete or change the User, Created By or Create Date for any object in Daylite after the object has been created. This makes sense as it can be important to know when a record was added to Daylite and by whom.

1. Modified: This is the date and time that the latest changes were made to the Task. Note that Daylite does not record which user made the change.

2. Add Field: By default Daylite assigns the most common fields to fill out, however there are other fields that are available for use. The “add field” option allows you to select other fields that might be more helpful when using Tasks.

Pro Tip:

You can add and remove certain fields that you might prefer to see when using Daylite. Go to Settings -> Edit Cards - Tasks. The available fields differ for each different object.