Are Task Lists With Time Estimates Effective? Reality Check & Alternatives

When you hear the sentence “Can you please provide me with task lists with time estimates?”, you:

a) Turn into The Office meme, where Michael Scott screams, “Please no!”

b) Channel your inner Joe Biden, mumbling something like, “Uh, well, um, listen… I’ll get it done, probably, maybe…?”

c) Grin and turn into Donald Trump confidently promising, “I’m going to get it done. It’ll be the best, the fastest, the most amazing schedule anyone has ever seen. Believe me!”

For most of us, it’s probably somewhere between a) and b). The idea of providing a task list with a timeline for each work day or week feels more daunting than answering awkward personal questions on Thanksgiving.

Why?

Because it seems impossible.

But is it really impossible? Is there a way to quickly generate task lists with time estimates, no fuss, no muss, without setting ourselves up for failure?

This article explores what task lists with a timeline require, their pros and cons, and provides a realistic, efficient, and effective alternative. The goal of this blog post is to enable you to quickly generate task lists without losing your mind or track of your schedule.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Generally speaking, what are task lists with time estimates?

Task lists with time estimates are just what they sound like.

They are (supposed to be) a productivity tool where you list the tasks you need to complete and estimate how long each task will take.

The idea behind these task lists is to create a detailed roadmap for your day or project so you can have a visible to-do list with a time management component.

Here’s how you can create a daily to-do list with times:

• First, you create the list (in an app or on paper). You write down all the tasks you need to accomplish according to their priorities.
• Then, you estimate the time. Next to each task, add how long you think it will take you to complete it. For example, you can add “Respond to emails – 20 minutes”.
• Once you’ve completed the estimation, you adjust time estimates according to your day and available time. If you work 8 hours per day, you must have time estimates that fit your schedule.

Pros of using task lists with time estimates

To-do lists with time estimates come with a few notable pros. Here they are:

1. You become more intentional about how you spend your day. Tasks lists are designed to help you reduce procrastination and keep you on track.
2. You can, to some extent, become more aware of your time. If you use time estimates regularly, you’ll understand how long tasks take and, hopefully, build a more realistic schedule.
3. You could get better at prioritization. Time estimates force you to think about tasks and time available for them, pushing you to focus on high-priority activities (e.g., if you only have 2 hours available in the afternoon, you probably won’t waste it on low-priority tasks).
4. You create mini-deadlines each day. When you assign a specific time frame to a task, you create a sense of accountability for yourself; there are no vague goals, and you know what you need to complete and in what time frame.

That all sounds nice, doesn’t it?

But let me ask you this: for all the creative work you do, where inspiration can’t always be timed, how will you estimate such tasks?

Moreover, if you work in a super dynamic environment with a lot of interruptions or last-minute changes, will you remember to include those time estimates, as well? How can you predict those changes in your schedule?

You see what I’m getting at? Task lists with time estimates fall short in so many ways.

Cons of using daily to-do lists with times

And here’s a list of cons of task lists with time estimates:

1. You’ll fall into the planning fallacy trap. This phenomenon refers to a psychological tendency for people to underestimate how long tasks will take, leading to frustration when they run over schedule.
2. You’ll want to create “perfect estimates”. Since task lists with time estimates are pre-planned, you’ll do your best to estimate time on tasks, but they rarely match reality, bringing more frustration and confusion to your workday.
3. You need to rely on a timer, a stopwatch, for every task. For accuracy, you need to rely on real-time tracking with timers—essentially using a stopwatch for every task. Such a system requires constant context switching, as you must remember to turn timers on and off while jumping between tasks.
4. You’ll feel pressured and stressed. Watching the clock or trying to “beat the timer” can make work feel rushed, especially for tasks requiring deep concentration or creativity.
5. You’ll lack flexibility. Task lists with time estimates can’t handle real-life interruptions like unexpected meetings or technical issues; these can throw off your carefully planned schedule.
6. You’ll neglect downtime. When you over-schedule with time estimates, you often forget to add time for breaks or buffer time, leading to inaccurate time estimates and exhaustion.

The alternative: Memtime

Not an alternative, THE alternative that can help you overcome all the pitfalls of over-relying on rigid systems.

The alternative that supports realistic expectations and flexibility when using task lists with time estimates.

I proudly present to you Memtime, your productivity sidekick that doesn’t expect you to do all the time estimates heavy lifting.

What makes Memtime special?

Well, Memtime is like Jarvis to your Iron Man. It does the work for you:

• It tracks your activity. Whether you’re drafting reports, creating a presentation, coding, or scrolling through endless document pages, Memtime automatically captures ALL your time spent on tasks.

• There’s no pre-planning. No stopwatch management. No missed minutes. As soon as you turn on your computer, Memtime ensures that your time is tracked without you lifting a finger. Plus, looking at your captured activities, you can create time entries and export them to a project management tool or log them under Memtime Projects if you don’t use such software.
• There’s no “planning fallacy” of estimating wrong, only real-time tracking. Memtime is like a reverse timeline to-do list—it tells you what you’ve achieved and how long it really took.

Simply put, Memtime identifies the programs and tabs you work in automatically, no matter if you are juggling a chaotic workload or just want a clearer picture of where your time goes.

Plus, Memtime’s big on privacy.

With our app, all your time data is stored securely offline, visible only to you; it’s private and under your control. The only way someone can “access” your time tracking information is if you download productivity reports and email them.

Best of all? You can try our tool for free for 14 days.

No more channeling Michael Scott or Joe Biden. Memtime will bring Chandler Bing out of you and his famous quote, “Could this BE any easier?”

Still hung up on task lists with time estimates?

Old habits die hard.

If you are used to planning your day, jotting down all the time estimates, and can’t let go of the perfectionist in you, we’re not here to judge. We’re here to give you a hand.

Here’s a free task list with time estimates template to help you out. Keep in mind that this is a view-only file. If you wish to edit it, go to File → Make a copy to create your own copy of the template.

And if you are rolling your eyes now thinking, “I don’t use Google Sheets for my to-do lists and time estimates”, check out the 3 following apps that provide you with task lists that you can add time estimates to. Interestingly enough, their names all start with “T”.

Todoist

Todoist is a well-known app and a popular choice that allows you to organize tasks, add due dates and times, set priorities, and integrate with other apps (including time tracking ones, like Time Doctor and Toggl Track).

The free version supports 5 projects and allows you to add 5 collaborators per project, which is ideal for personal and small-scale task management​. However, if you want to balance your personal and professional life, choosing the Pro plan seems like the most optimal option, as it allows you to add 300 projects.

TodoTime

This free app is designed for time-based task management.

TodoTime allows you to estimate task durations, helping you visualize productivity and manage expectations better. It focuses on giving a clear overview of your time spent on tasks throughout each day.

TickTick

TickTick is a task management app designed to help you organize daily tasks, manage time, and improve productivity.

With this app, you can create task lists, organize tasks (with their subtasks) according to priority levels, color-code them, set reminders for important tasks, and track daily habits.

There’s a free plan with basic features. TickTick Premium costs $35.99 billed annually.

Wrapping up

While task lists with time estimates seem like a productivity dream, they often turn into a nightmare.

The need to predict exactly how long each task will take can increase stress, leading to planning fallacies and a lack of flexibility in daily routines. Add in the pressure of timers and constant context-switching, and it's easy to see why managing your tasks this way may not be the best idea.

Luckily, Memtime can save the day.

Unlike traditional task lists that rely on rigid time estimates, Memtime offers a more realistic approach by automatically tracking your time in real time.

It frees you from the burden of constant pre-planning and stopwatch management, giving you an accurate overview of your day. With Memtime, you'll be able to focus on what really matters—getting things done, without the guesswork.

Try Memtime for free and see exactly where your time goes.