Shortcut Guide to Set Up ASANA
Feeling overwhelmed and burnt out by EVERYTHING that needs to get done?
You’ve decided that you will no longer be flustered by all your “to-do” list and tasks. You want to provide your team with crystal clear communication that’s simple and accountable.
You have committed to setting up a system that works for you…but you’re short on time for figuring it all out.
Welcome to the Shortcut!
WHY ASANA?
Asana is free software that helps you stay on track and organized for your business tasks, client “to-do”s, and even personal lists. This tool will provide an easy-to-follow guide to help you set up Asana and get it working FAST with the FREE version!
Step 1:
Create an Account
Go to Asana.com and try for free - I recommend the Basic Plan. Once you have signed up, you will need to verify your email address and complete your profile setup.
Step 2:
Creating Projects
There are many different ways to set up your projects within Asana.
For Example-
Client Name
Business Name
Social Media
Lesson Library (great for adding Loom videos)
Agenda
Templates
Personal
When creating each project, you can colour code it. Be mindful when choosing colours and make them meaningful.
PRO TIP: Create a Template section. The template feature in Asana is part of the paid version. But I’ve got a hack to this: Create a project, and once you name it, add “template” to it. Alternatively, you can colour code all your templates. When you want to use your template, go to the three dots on the right-hand side of each project name and select "duplicate project." Be sure not to use your original template. Templates are recommended for any project types you would need more than once. This will save you so much time from re-writing your project sections and tasks.
Step 3:
Sections and Tasks
Once your Project(s) are created, you can add sections. Sections are the "headings" for that project. And under each section, you will add your tasks that fall under that section.
Project: Client name or Project (Marketing, Templates etc.)
Section: Separates and divides your lists based on the section title
Tasks: Step-by-step instructions or to-dos for this section
Sub-tasks: Sub-task of main tasks
When creating tasks, add a description with all essential information and details. You can find details in each task as you hover over the task with your cursor. Don’t forget to assign tasks - even if it’s for you. Once created, assign each one to the person responsible for completing it with a due date.
PRO TIP: You can view all project tasks, incomplete or completed tasks, by going to “all tasks” in your project. If you adjust it, be sure to go to the three dots (…) and save it as default view.
Step 4:
View Options
There are several view options:
Calendar View
Board View
List View
These views can be saved as a default view, and you can make changes at any time. Go to the top of your screen on the right-hand side under the three dots ( …) (beside customize) and "save as default view."
PRO TIP: CUSTOMIZE
Customize and add the project and tasks columns or remove columns you won't use on the top right-hand side. This will give you more features and provide a way to customize your projects. You can do this by going to the top right-hand side above your columns in a project where it says "Customize." Here I like to add Projects and Tags. The dependencies and priority options are for the paid version and will only be free for your first 30 days. (I don't select these features as I don't want to pay for them). Once customization is complete, you can add tags. Again, keep the colour coding meaningful. So, for example, you could identify urgent items as "red"; emails could be "blue."
PRO TIP: ADDING LINKS AND TEMPLATES
You can add documents from your computer, Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, and SharePoint. You can hyperlink to folders, websites, and videos inside your projects. This is a great way to streamline your systems, and I highly recommend using this feature.
Step 5:
Customize My Tasks
In your task section (top left-hand side), you will see EVERYTHING assigned to you. I like to create sections in my tasks by the days of the week:
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
NEXT WEEK
NEXT MONTH
You can further customize your preferences and drag and drop your tasks within it.
You can sort these by projects and due dates. Any new task assigned to you will show up at the very top. I recommend using this as your daily work "agenda," and at the end or beginning of each day, organize it to set yourself up for your following day.
PRO TIP: If you sort by the due date, you will NOT be able to drag and drop/move any of your tasks within the "My tasks." To adjust, you must remove the "sort by due date."
There you have it; a quick setup guide to get you started in Asana. For further help with this Project Management tool, please send me an email at hello@eggerconsulting.ca.
The above is a small example of one of my bonus lessons from my new course, How to Streamline your Business using Google. Every lesson has an accompanying how-to video to follow along with. It’s low-cost, thorough, and well worth the small investment as it will save you time and money and get everything organized so you can increase your focus and productivity.
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