Easiest way to improve your productivity - Habit stacking Trello + Google Calendar

I've often used Trello to effectively manage my projects, but at some point, I just forget it exists and then my organisation goes out of the window.

This time, I want to start a Trello board, and seriously stick to it.

Habit Stacking

Creating completely new habits is really difficult. An easier way to create a consistent routine is to "stack" a new habit on top of an old one. Here's an article about habit stacking.

For me, an existing habit is that I check my Google Calendar every day - I already have the app downloaded on my phone and I'm used to using it to organise my life.

However, when I downloaded the Trello app, I used it for about 3 days and then forgot about it. Why? Because I just don't have the habit built yet.

That's why I've decided to stack this new habit I want to build (checking my Trello board every day), on top of this Calendar checking habit I already have. The aim was to make my Trello tasks show up on my Google Calendar.

Cronofy - Calendar Integration

Fortunately, I found a freemium product called Cronofy that integrates Trello + Google Calendar seamlessly!

It's super simple to setup, and it works with Google Calendar, Office 365, Apple and others. Also, there's two-way syncing, so any changes to your Trello appear on your Calendar and vice-versa!

Multiple projects

Like a good ol' startup founder, I'm working on two, very different projects, Choppity (an AI video editor which converts podcasts to TikToks) and Figmenti (a shop for digitally customisable clothing).

Unfortunately, Cronofy is only free to use with one Trello board, after which there is a monthly subscription. So, how did I connect both of my projects?

Well, I got around this subscription fee by simply creating one board called "Projects" and adding lists for both of my projects. It's not particularly scalable, but a simple Kanban setup with 2 projects is definitely possible - in my case it actually helps me keep a good overview of both projects simultaneously.

Here's how this Trello board looks, and how it appears on Google Calendar (notice that only the Trello tasks with a due date appear on my calendar).

KISS

I hope this helps you. It's very simple, but as they say, "keep it simple, stupid". I feel this is especially true for bootstrapping - a simple solution is better than a powerful one that's never used.

If you have any issues or questions I'm always happy to help!