How To Get Things Done With The Microsoft ToDo App

Microsoft To Do fits neatly into a minimalist, daily-reset productivity system: plan a small set of high-impact tasks each morning, let “My Day” start fresh every day, and use smart suggestions plus structured task breakdowns to keep work actionable. The payoff is psychological and practical—each day begins at zero, so the task list never becomes a cluttered backlog, and checking items off provides momentum.

The setup starts with cross-device syncing. To Do runs on desktop and mobile (Android and iOS), and the workflow relies on quick capture. On desktop, the app is pinned to the taskbar for fast additions. On a phone, a widget shows “My Day,” letting tasks be added with a tap on the plus button. The widget can also display and manage shared lists—most notably groceries—where items can be checked off during shopping and synced with a partner.

Task entry is designed to be frictionless. Quick notes can be created via a home-screen widget or a swipe-down quick-add menu, and tasks can be assigned to lists or left in “My Day” with optional due dates and repeating schedules (for example, weekly reminders). “My Day” then becomes the daily planning surface: it includes smart suggestions (highlighted with a lightbulb) that surface repeating or recently due items, plus a “Planned” view for tasks organized by date.

Beyond daily capture and planning, the system uses lists and groups to reflect real life. Default lists hold general tasks, while custom lists organize areas like work and home. Groups can include emojis for visual organization. The work side includes ongoing projects—such as a stats master’s co-op with the Carlton University basketball team—and separates ideas from production work (e.g., “ideas,” “production,” “edits”). Home lists cover practical categories like groceries and meals, and sharing lists with a girlfriend supports coordinated errands.

The productivity philosophy centers on weekly planning and daily prioritization. Sundays are treated as a “sacred” organization day: planning the week in Google Calendar, reviewing the GTD system, and cleaning up so the week starts with intention rather than more work. During the week, the app’s daily reset reinforces a minimalist approach—only a few tasks are added to “My Day,” keeping attention on what matters.

Prioritization follows the Eisenhower Matrix: urgent/important tasks get done, important/non-urgent tasks get planned, urgent/non-important tasks get delegated or automated, and non-urgent/non-important tasks get eliminated. In practice, the morning focus becomes “one important thing a day.” When adding tasks, vague items are broken into steps—like turning “prep analytics presentation” into a multi-step plan—so progress is measurable and the afternoon remains open for other work. The day’s success is judged using Tim Ferriss-style questions: whether finishing the task would make the day satisfying, and whether it makes other tasks easier later. The result is a tight loop of planning, execution, and satisfaction without needing a complex setup.