I used to be unorganized. I would start projects late, come close to missing due dates, and get overwhelmed because of all of things I needed to complete. My first step in getting organized was creating “To Do” lists. These lists helped a lot, but I ended up having many lists in different places. Items with due dates would go on calendars while general tasks would be on pieces of paper. Eventually, keeping track of all of my “To Do” lists became another task.

I know there was life before technology, but there are moments when I wonder how I functioned before computers and smartphones. I’ve tried various organizational programs and apps, but I didn’t like any of them. Either the interface was too convoluted and difficult to use, or I would have to spend a lot of time downloading and updating my lists. Again, maintaining my “To Do” list was a hassle.

Until now. I stumbled upon GoTasks while searching the iPhone app store. The app is free, and that’s just the beginning of how great this app is. I haven’t been paid for this glowing review; I just really like this app. 

GoTasks allows you to have different accounts. You can link it with your Google mail, but I haven’t linked it with my Google account, so I don’t know how well that function of the app works. I have two accounts, local and entertainment. My local account is for my regular tasks; it is where I list everything I need to do regularly. I have a category for what I need to do for my day job, writing assignments, regular activities, and so on. The entertainment account is where I keep track of recommendations for comics, games, books, movies, and TV shows. I’m a geek, so when I hear of something interesting, I put it in the entertainment section to catch up on later.

GoTasks is easy to use. After selecting the account, you pick “edit” and then the plus sign. You can give each category its own color, and you have as many categories as you want. To create an event, you choose a category, tap the plus sign, and type in the name of the event. Then you can select the event and set the task details. Events can be set to never repeat or repeat every day, week, two weeks, month, quarter or year. You can even set a time to be alerted. 

I use GoTasks to remind me of one-time events like doctor’s appointments, of my weekly office hour for work, of my job’s bi-weekly meetings, and of the daily task of taking medication. It is very important that I don’t miss a dose, and I haven’t because of this app. Birthdays, anniversaries, upcoming conventions—if it’s an event you need to remember, GoTasks will help.

Tasks can be organized alphabetically or chronologically, and you can manually move tasks around if needed. When you have completed a task, you tap the box next to the event. A green check appears in the box. I enjoy checking off completed tasks; the green check is great feedback. Tapping on the trashcan in the bottom right corner will clear the completed tasks. If your event is recurring, the next occurrence will appear after you have checked the recently completed task. 

The icon on the main screen of the iPhone has how many tasks you need to do in red. If you miss an event, the number will be in red on your lists, and the past-due event will be in red as well. 

GoTasks, by Evgeniy Shurakov, is designed for the iPhone and the iPad. GoTasks is free, easy to use, and clear to understand. If you need help getting organized and keeping track of all you need to do, then I highly recommend this app.