Planning on a schedule? MeisterTask’s calendar-based Timeline is perfectly suited to projects where time is on the line. In this best practices article, we’ll go over 6 simple steps to schedule and coordinate even the most complicated project.

6 Steps to Plan Your Next Project Using Timeline:

• Step 1: List your to-dos
• Step 2: Convert your to-do list into tasks in MeisterTask
• Step 3: Compile your team's resources in tasks
• Step 4: Schedule your tasks on Timeline
• Step 5: Assign tasks to your colleagues
• Step 6: Be flexible! Adjust your schedule as needed

Step 1: List your to-dos

Once you've defined the goals and scope of your project, your first step should be to break down your project into a series of smaller to-dos. Take some time to brainstorm each step involved in completing your project, then turn them into a to-do list using your favorite documentation tool.

Step 2: Convert your to-do list into tasks in MeisterTask

After compiling a list of all your project to-dos, it’s time to turn them into tasks in a MeisterTask project. If you created your to-do list in Note, you can easily convert each item into a task in MeisterTask using our direct integration. Find out more here.

Otherwise, you can convert your text into tasks via copy/paste.

Step 3: Compile your team's resources in tasks

Now that your tasks are organized into a single MeisterTask project, you can begin to add relevant resources and information to each task window.

Keeping your project resources in MeisterTask helps centralize communication and ensures that everyone can access the information needed to work together effectively.

During this step, be sure to:

• Attach all relevant resources (pdfs, screenshots, website links) to your task.
• Add checklists to any tasks which require multiple actions.
• Mention other users to alert them to tasks which need their attention.
• Add task dependencies to keep track of blockages and potential bottlenecks.

Step 4: Schedule your tasks on Timeline

Once you’ve created and added details to all the tasks involved in your project, you can begin to visualize them on your Timeline. For this step, simply drag and drop your tasks onto the MeisterTask Timeline and click and drag to adjust task start and end dates.

When scheduling tasks on Timeline:

• Be mindful of task dependencies.
  Take care to reference the dependencies you laid out in step three. “Blocking” tasks should always be scheduled before their “blocked by” counterparts!
  
  
• Schedule enough time for each task.
  It's better to allocate too much time than not enough. Give your team some breathing room now, then make adjustments later.
  
  
• Be flexible.
  Agile project management requires rapid response to feedback and adjustments made on the fly, so don't spend too much time pre-planning your schedule. Once work has started, you’ll have complete freedom to make adjustments and edit your schedule.

Step 5: Assign tasks to your colleagues

Now that your project is displayed in a visual format, you can begin to assign specific tasks to your collaborators. Assigned users’ avatars will be displayed on each task in your Timeline, allowing you and your team to quickly visualize your upcoming workload and make adjustments to avoid bottlenecks.

Step 6: Reassess and Adjust Your Schedule as Needed

Even the best laid plans of Meister and men can quickly go awry. As work on your project progresses, be sure to schedule regular assessments of your team’s progress and make adjustments to your Timeline as needed.

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Or check out more best practices:

• Reports Best Practices: Measuring Success
• Reports Best Practices: Assessing Your Team’s Workload
• MindMeister Best Practices: Collaborating Effectively