Hierarchical Goal, Project, and Tasks Folders in Outlook

Aug 9, 2013

This article was extracted from my Outlook book Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook (3rd Edition). I am placing it here because we are editing down the size of that book as we create its fourth edition and so are removing it in that new edition. Since this material is still useful, we wanted to make it available online.

Are Hierarchies of Goals and Tasks Useful?

When you start planning your goals, projects, and tasks, it won’t take you long to realize that there is a natural hierarchy that goes something like this: From our goals we create projects and from our projects we create tasks. So we should be able to trace many tasks back to a project and then to a goal. In fact, some people say that every task we list we should be able to trace back to a goal, and tasks that are not related to our goals should not even be in our task list.

The logic in this is undeniable. However, the utility of doing much work on it is debatable. Every time I spend much time creating goal>project>task hierarchies I don’t get much value out of it compared to the time it takes to create the hierarchies and maintain them. But that’s just me, and a large and vocal group of task system users feels very strongly about using such hierarchies in task systems. So to that end, let me show you one way to do this in Windows Outlook that works relatively well.

Creating Hierarchical Folders in Windows Outlook

Windows Outlook has a strong capability to create hierarchical folders. I am going to use that capability to create a goal>project>task hierarchy. In fact I can make these hierarchies as deep as I want. For example, I could add subgoals or subprojects in the middle of the hierarchy. One thing I cannot do is create a subtask. That’s because the parent task above it will not show up in my To-Do Bar. But that’s okay—I just use various levels of projects to enable that, and only declare tasks at the bottom level.

Here is an example that you can use as a guide for your own implementation. In it I use a deep hierarchy—just to show you how deep this can go. I create a Goals tasks folder in my main data store (my Exchange Mailbox), and under that I create three goal entries as task subfolders. Under each of those folders I create task subfolders that I call projects, and under some of those, task subfolders I call subprojects. Finally, within the bottom folders I create actual tasks. Surprisingly, all of the actual tasks from all folders will show up in my To-Do Bar task list where I can track them. The reason this works is due to the Search Folder–like nature of the To-Do Bar task list, where tasks are collected from all Tasks folders.

How to Create This

In the the figure below you can see my Goals tasks folder halfway down the list, with three subfolders that are named after my three goals. I put G: in front of each to make that clear. I create the Goals folder simply by right-clicking the first folder group and choosing New Folder, and then creating a Tasks folder called Goals.

After that is created I right-click it, choose New Folder and create my first goal (G:Create insightful teachings) as an Outlook Tasks folder as well. Then I create two more goals as shown above.

I right-click the goal G:Expand business (shown above) and enter projects (as Tasks folders with P: at the beginning) and subprojects (as Tasks folders with SP: at the beginning) and then actual tasks under the subprojects. The next figure also shows how this looks, with one subproject (SP:Delivery) selected and the tasks inside it shown at the right. Examine carefully the bottom half of the Folder List.

As I said, the tasks on the right side of Figure 12.7 are contained within the subproject folder SP:Delivery, because that is what is selected. These tasks will appear in the To-Do Bar (if the start date is on or before today). Notice I set the start date to 2/2/2222 for most tasks to keep them out of the To-Do Bar (that date is far in the future and easy to type, as discussed in Lesson 12 of the book). They are dependent tasks and not yet ready to be worked as Now Tasks.

Summary

The Outlook folder system and To-Do Bar offers quite a bit of flexibility for creating hierarchical relationships among tasks. I encourage you to experiment with this capability should you want this kind of approach to tasks.

Michael Linenberger

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15 Responses to Hierarchical Goal, Project, and Tasks Folders in Outlook

  1. Eileen Janeke says:

    Hi Michael from Cape Town
    Hope there is not *too* much change in 4th edition!
    Still very happy with Outlook 2010 + Clearcontext 🙂
    When can we expect new book?
    Regards, Eileen

    • Michael Linenberger says:

      Eileen. Not too many changes. Book is due out Oct 8. You can see it on Amazon, now, for pre-sale (search Amazon on title of book). We’ll formally announce it on this blog soon. Michael

  2. Sabine says:

    Michael this is an interesting article. But I am wondering what to do with such folders when all tasks are completed. In my opinion, deleting would not be the right decision because you lose all historical tasks. The other alternative could be placing the whole project-folder in another pst file.
    What would you recommend?

  3. Dale says:

    This blog is a little old now, but I thought I would point out the problem with this method appears when you click on the Tasks Button in the Navigation Pane. The hierarchy of the Task folders and sub-folders is flat again. All the folders appear in a simple list by name.

    Is there a way to change this?

    • Michael Linenberger says:

      You need to click on the Folder List or Folders button. That gives you the hierarchy. Look up Folder List Button in the index of the Outlook book. Michael.

  4. Karl says:

    hello
    how can this be done in windows 8 – outlook 2013.

    cant seem to create or get a task folder on my folder list – to create the goal folders…?

    can you help please?

  5. Michael Linenberger says:

    Karl, you used the “Folders” button under the ellipsis at the bottom? Then right click Inbox (or some other top-level file location) and choose New Folder. In the dialog box that pops up give it a name and then choose Task items from the Folder Contains drop down. (Keep in mind the goal folder is really just a task folder.) You did all that and it did not work? Michael

    • Karl says:

      thanks – I have managed to do that now, but how do you get that task folder to show in with your email folders list please?

      • Michael Linenberger says:

        Karl, task folders (or any other type) cannot be shown in an email folders list–per definition–it’s an email folders list. You’ll have to navigate either to the Folders list or the Tasks list. Michael

  6. Elby Cloud says:

    I would also like to know if there is a way to export this view, as I need to find a way to use Outlook not only to track tasks but to report on their progress. Anyone have a suggestion?

    • Michael Linenberger says:

      Elby, All I can think of is taking a screen shot. Michael

      • Elby Cloud says:

        Thanks – that doesn’t show the actual tasks with their folders. I’ve gotten a fairly close crack at showing the whole project by printing my To Do list after grouping and sorting by folder, but that doesn’t work if the folder is a subfolder. I think I’ll need to use a combination of folders and categories.

  7. Wayne Breen says:

    Great article, just what i was looking for without scripts or add-ons and the like. Thanks

  8. Dale says:

    Michael, thank you for sharing this. I just spent hours reviewing various affordable outlook addins which will create simple projects and subprojects for tasks. I really could find anything that impressed me or worked right. This is a great alternative solution. It’s ironic that like so many things in life, it was right there in front of me that whole time. Keep up the great post!

  9. Artem says:

    Michael,

    Thanks for this post! I was looking for solution and this is the best one so far.

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