Microsoft Planner

This app is extremely useful for organizing ones to do list and having the ability to prioritize each item - setting a due date - seeing where one is at with individual items and you can group them into different buckets so if you have your Basic Miscellaneous group to do list - or if you have a Shopping group to do list - you can then organize these lists effectively- for example there may be particular stores that you are going to be going to whether it’s for groceries or possibly Walmart and individually within those ‘to do’ tasks you can list the different items you need to pick up via a checklist and add to them immediately. It’s so useful for staying on top of things.

I’ve been using Planner for several years to manage assignments within my engineering department. It’s a great communication tool with good features. I like the fact that it provides a comment log and checklist so that projects can be handed off to other engineers or teams. I also like the mobility when using the app. I use it at weekly one-on-one reviews to discuss progress and prioritize. However, any member of the group can change or even delete a task. There is no security so that the owner of the task has control. Furthermore, once a task or bucket is deleted, that’s it! Sayonara baby. It’s gone forever. No undo. No warning the owner or even the deleter that it will be lost permanently. My IT department backs up OneDrive files, but no way to backup Planner. I lost two years’ worth of project info this way. It’s like losing your house to a fire after the Insurance company handed out torches to your guests and then after the fire they tell you “oh that’s too bad. We’re sorry that happened. “

Seriously, this app is everything I could need in my life right now. I'm pretty old fashioned and like to write most of my events and tasks down in a physical planner, but I have learned I also need that info on the go as I have become a busy adult. I’ve searched for different apps to assist with my organization, but none have done it quite so well as this one. Working on my PhD coursework, research, advisor tasks, plus new-mom duties to take care of my 6 month old, and building a business... this app helps me keep my head together. I need this app to stay around forever, so please don’t disappear or phase out!! When I tell others (everyone, basically) about why I love this app, my description boils down to “lists, on lists, on lists” which is perfect for an organizer like myself!! I never thought I would be over the moon anything by Microsoft but this app pleasantly surprised me. Keep doing your thing, y’all!!