I have got to tell you about the things I love about Asana! But I haven’t always used it. Way back in the day I started with Trello. It took some getting used to but I got there. And it became my hub for a lot of things in my business. Until I outgrew it.
Then I found Click Up. Which is another great tool and along the same level of Asana. I’ve used Click Up for the last year or two. I’ve tried a couple times to reorganize things on it to work better for me and my business needs. And it’s got some amazing features, but there’s a few small nuances that made me switch from it to Asana. All in all it’s more just a matter of preference.
And these small things that make me love Asana are the reason why I switched. Not to mention I like the user interface a tad better. But again, it’s all preferences.
I love Asana, it’s incredible and it’s got some key features that Click Up doesn’t have.
I know that using a new tool has a huge learning curve sometimes. So let me give you my free getting started with Asana guide so you can get up and running fast and make the most of Asana.
Now, let me show you those features and things that I love about Asana.
Adding Sections to Your Subtasks
So if you’ve ever used Trello, or even Click Up, the whole system works around tasks or cards as they’re called in Trello.
Now every tool has an option for you to add sub tasks or a checklist of some kind to each task. But Asana does something I love!!
Click Up gives you the option to use multiple checklists or one list of sub tasks. But there’s no way to divide these subtasks up.
Asana let’s you add a header inside your subtask. This way you can make a section within your subtask list. All you have to do is go to add a subtask and hold tab and hit N (on a PC). Enter in your section header and you’re good. Talk about being organized!!
Open Multiple Windows
So, this for me is a game changer!! Before I tell you about it, I have to clarify something. Trello uses Boards, Click Up uses Lists and Asana calls them Projects.
It’s all the same thing, just a change of the name. But the awesome part about Asana!?
You can have multiple windows open in Asana. Either on your browser or the computer app. Just click with your mouse wheel on a PC to open a project in a new window.
There were so many times in Click Up… I’d want to reference something in one list and work in another but I couldn’t and that killed me. Having to navigate all around like that.
Not any more, with Asana you can have multiple windows open.
Linking Cards to Multiple Projects
So now that you know that Asana uses the term Projects here’s another game changer.
Do you ever have something that could be referenced in multiple places? So you have to make the card / task twice just to get it in both places?
Not anymore with Asana. You open a task and it will list for you what Project it’s linked to. There’s a little plus sign next to this. Click this, add it to the new relevant project and list and you now have a card linked in two places.
Number of Tasks…
So one of the things that gives me a ton of anxiety to look at is how many tasks I have on a particular list. (Notice I didn’t say project?)
In Click Up (and I know they’re just trying to be helpful here), they give you a number on the left of how many tasks are on that list. But sometimes things are just for reference. Plus it adds to the busyness of the user interface.
I don’t really want to see how many tasks I have when I’m not working on that particular topic.
Asana doesn’t show you this. It keeps the user interface nice and clean. Plus it doesn’t give me anxiety thinking I’m uber behind and I should be working harder!
The My Tasks Section
One of the biggest things in Asana is that you have a My Tasks section. This is shown to you in a Calendar format.
This means you can assign any task to yourself and give it a completion date. Then go to your calendar and you have a weekly, or monthly view of your work on a calendar for you… listing out your tasks on a daily basis.
Seeing this calendar break down helps me visualize things much better. Plus, your calendar will show you previous tasks you completed. Talk about feeling accomplished! You can see all the things you’ve gotten done already.
And a Bonus!! – Templates!!
In recent years even Trello has created the option to make templates. A template is such a great way to make something once and easily reference and use it over and over again. Such a time saver!
While I stopped using Trello before they had started the whole template thing, I have used Click Ups. While they’re great at letting you use templates. I haven’t figured out how to update a template you’ve already made.
So in Click Up you’d make a task, and then add the checklist template from there. You’d search for the name of it and then you’d add it.
In Asana… you make a card and then save it as a template. It saves it to that project. When you want to make a card using one of your templates… you just add a task to the list and it gives you the option to add using a template. You can then name it and you’ve got your template made.
The best part, it saves more than just your list of subtasks. Want to keep a set of notes or information in the description for your template? Done, Asana keeps that too.
And updating them? I figured that out in less than 5 minutes. Talk about easy! You can go to the customize menu of the project your template is on, and you can scroll down and see all your templates. Just click on one, make your changes, and then hit done. And voila… template updated.
Asana is a powerful tool.
And while there are plenty of options out there. It all boils down to what you want in the features. Sometimes it’s those little nuances that can make us fall in love with something. If I’d have known all of this about Asana years ago… I’d have switched then.
I know you have your pick when it comes to tools. And sometimes the hardest part of using a new one is just figuring out how it works and learning the tool.
So if you’re interested in Asana but feeling a little apprehensive of learning a new tool, grab my free Asana guide to getting started and making the most of it.
