Managing projects can get quite complicated. Each task usually comes with a bunch of smaller tasks, making things a bit messy. To stay on top of things and finish tasks on time, it's crucial to keep track of the smaller subtasks. For example, if you were to publish a blog on Notion, you might need different subtasks for writers, designers, and reviewers.
Notion is a popular tool for managing projects. It allows you to create subtasks in different database views like Kanban and timelines, right within your Notion workspace.
You can set up a parent-child structure in Notion with tasks within other tasks. This way, you'll be able to track progress at a detailed level, making it easier to get things done on time. This article is all about creating subtasks in Notion.
Here are the six steps to do that:
1. Open the database
Notion databases make it easy to manage projects efficiently. Whether you're planning a content calendar or maintaining a personal tracker, your project database in Notion becomes the central hub for efficient task management.
Now, let's dive into a practical example of utilizing Notion's features. We'll specifically focus on maintaining a reading list using the Notion subtasks board view, as depicted in the image below.
Our starting point is the task of finishing reading a book. To break down this task into more manageable parts, we'll create subtasks within the Notion subtasks board view.
2. Click on the “...” icon and then click on “Sub-items”
To get started with the database page, open it and click the three-dot icon at the top-right corner. From the dropdown menu, select "sub-items" as shown in the image below:
3. Click on the “Turn on sub-items” button
As the next step of creating Notion tasks with subtasks, click on the "Turn on sub-items" option.
This action signals Notion to present a user interface (UX) specifically designed to simplify the creation of subtasks.
4. Click on the “Expand” option and then on “New sub-item”
Refer to the image below to visualize the user interface (UX) facilitating the creation of sub-items in Notion.
Once you're on this screen, locate and click on the "Expand" icon. This action reveals the current sub-items in the list.
Now, to kick off the process, click on the "New sub-item" button. This prompts the initiation of the first subtask, marking the beginning of a structured hierarchy within your Notion tasks.
5. Name the subtask
Concluding the process, the final step involves naming the subtask. In our illustration, we'll designate the subtask with the page count. This empowers the reader to track their progress, specifically noting when each set of 100 pages is completed.
6. Repeat the steps
To expand your task breakdown, replicate the above steps to add more subtasks. This way, you can create additional subtasks under the primary task or even introduce new subtasks beneath the existing ones.
In our example, considering the task of tracking page counts, you can further segment the subtasks. For instance, dividing the initial 100 pages into smaller increments like 1-10, 11-20, and so forth, provides a more detailed breakdown.
