I replaced my to-do list with ChatGPT’s Tasks feature and it completely changed the way I plan my life erichs211@gmail.com (Eric Hal Schwartz) | usagoldmines.com

I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who uses to-do lists, but I often find that even if I make one, I’ll forget to check up on it. Online calendars and other tools help, but that still requires me to write all of them down. If I want to pursue a more complicated or long-term project, then I need to break it down into smaller bits and come up with a schedule that will carry me to that goal. Things would inevitably slip through the cracks. One moment, I’d be confidently running errands, and the next, I’d realize I forgot the one ingredient, or I’d realize I’d left my toothbrush on the other side of the country.

So, I was intrigued when OpenAI debuted the Tasks feature for ChatGPT. Tasks are designed to help you build and manage those to-do lists by automating their creation and maintenance. What sets Tasks apart is that the feature can break down big projects into manageable steps while keeping everything in one organized system. Unlike my usual method of jotting down random reminders and hoping I remember to check them, Tasks ensures nothing slips through the cracks.

ChatGPT Tasks will remind you about upcoming deadlines, suggest next steps based on ongoing projects, and even learn from your planning habits to refine future recommendations. Instead of writing a static checklist, Tasks makes ChatGPT more of a proactive assistant. I’ve been using it a lot of late, and, to my surprise, I’ve been far more on top of what I have to do than ever before.

If you want to use the Tasks feature, subscribe to ChatGPT Plus or a higher tier of access, as it’s still in beta. If you are subscribed, you’ll find “GPT-4o with scheduled tasks” among the model options. You can then tell ChatGPT to set up a Task for whatever you want, including setting up an alert time and day. You can have it be a one-off or a recurring reminder, and you’ll see it pop up on the mobile app or on a desktop or web client if you have ChatGPT open.

You also don’t need to be too concrete. The AI is flexible enough that you can describe a broad goal or achievement you want to pursue and ask ChatGPT to set up appropriate Tasks and reminder schedules. The AI will do its best to break down the plan into smaller segments. You can see all of the Tasks and edit them, delete them, or pause the automated alert at any time on the ChatGPT Tasks page.

Music maestro

I’ve had a guitar for many years and I can ‘play’ as long as the song only needs about six chords and isn’t too fast. I always tell myself I’ll buckle down and really get good at it, but distractions and vague practice plans have made the guitar case a long-time source of guilt.

But when I asked ChatGPT to use its Tasks feature to help me come up with a plan to get good at guitar over the next year, it more than delivered. ChatGPT set up recurring reminders for daily practice, breaking them down into different types of practice, and really laid out an achievable schedule of skill-building and song practice. I didn’t have to think about what to work on each day when Tasks already mapped it out for me.

Plus, it used context to come up with ideas I hadn’t considered, such as finger-strengthening exercises and making recordings to show me how I’ve improved. I’m not Eric Clapton yet, and there are still days I haven’t felt like practicing, but the reminders keep nudging me forward. It even started recommending new songs that matched my skill level, keeping me engaged.

Party planning

I love the idea of hosting dinner parties, but I’m honest enough to admit they would be chaotic and possibly require takeout were it not for my wife’s skills. But, if I want to show I can handle anything approaching her level of sophisticated hospitality, I can’t have any last-minute realizations that I forgot to turn on the oven or added almonds to a dish about to be eaten by a guest who’s allergic. I asked ChatGPT to use Tasks to help me and gave it a two-month lead time.

The image above only shows about half of the list it made for me in a helpful timeline. Everything is in much more manageable chunks, from sending invitations, planning the menu, shopping, prepping ingredients, and setting up decorations. The automated reminders have been a boon and they connect to the next Task in a way that I find very helpful.

ChatGPT took the initiative on plenty of the list, too, prompting me to double-check food allergies, which, as I said, I might have completely overlooked. The Tasks even threw in a reminder to test my Bluetooth speakers beforehand, ensuring I didn’t have to deal with connection issues while guests were arriving.

Baby’s day out

I love my son to pieces, but stepping out the door with him is an adventure, especially when it’s just the two of us, and he has discovered how to unbuckle his stroller seatbelt. He’s pretty laid back, but I still want to make sure he has plenty to eat and isn’t kept from napping when he wants. And his messes wait for no man.

Using Tasks, I asked ChatGPT to give me a Mary Poppins plan, or at least suggestions on organizing a day out, and that’s just what it did. Ahead of our day out for this experiment, the AI would remind me to make sure I did things like pack his diaper bag. The packing checklist wasn’t just generic; the AI customized it based on a few details about my son. On the day itself, it helped me structure the meals, the rest times, and how to work them around our plans for a long walk in the woods.

Tasks couldn’t prevent my son from throwing his sippy cup onto the forest floor a million times or keep him from being upset about having to go home, but it did make sure I was as prepared as possible without having to run through everything in my own mind over and over. I felt like I had things under control, as much as that means anything with a one-year-old.

Taskmaster

ChatGPT is not radically remaking my entire life, Tasks or not, it isn’t magically turning me into Emily Post at a party, George Harrison on guitar, or Bluey’s dad Bandit on my day out with my child. That said, it makes pursuing all those goals feel less haphazard and teetering on failure. Instead of juggling sticky notes and reminder alarms on my phone, I have a clear, structured system that helps me stay ahead without feeling overwhelmed.

The flexibility of the Tasks feature is the most remarkable aspect. What really makes Tasks stand out is how adaptive it is. Spotting what you’ve missed and suggesting where to go next in your plans is a real boon when you’ve got a lot on your plate. It’s not going to solve all of my problems, and there are times when you just have to wing it, and Tasks would be no help. Luckily, I asked it to lay out a plan for me to be better at thinking on my feet, and in six months, I’ll be ready to be successfully spontaneous.

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