Breaking down a task

Breaking down a task asks Romi to split one big task into small, timed steps.

Start a breakdown

The quickest way to start one is from the task itself:

1. Open your to-do list: To-Do List in the desktop sidebar, Tasks in the mobile bottom bar.
2. Tap a task to open it, or start a new one and give it a title.
3. Tap Break it down.

There are two other ways to start one. In the Review tab, each overdue task has a Make Smaller button; see The Review tab. And in a voice conversation you can ask Romi to break a task down; see Talking to Romi.

Tell Romi about it

1. Check the title under What do you need to do? and edit it if needed.
2. Pick a Time frame, from Today up to 1 Month, or tap Custom to set an exact date.
3. Add anything useful under Add context: why you have been putting it off, or what the finished result needs to include.
4. Tap Generate Breakdown.

Romi replies with an Action Plan: a numbered list of steps, each with its own time estimate. When your time frame is longer than a day, steps can also carry a suggested date so the work is spread across the days you have.

Edit the plan

Nothing is saved until you choose to save. Tap the pencil on a step to edit its title, its minutes, or to Add date. Drag the handle on the right edge of a step to reorder the list; on mobile, press and hold first. Tap the cross to remove a step; on mobile you can also swipe it left and tap Delete. Add creates a new step for you to edit.

When you are happy with the plan, tap Save Task. If you started from an existing task, the steps are added to that task as subtasks, and any subtasks it already had are kept. If you started from scratch, Romi creates a new task with the steps attached. Either way you tick the subtasks off as normal; see Your to-do list.

Good to know