Family chaos finally avoidable with this Trello template
Plus, extracting info from descriptions, focus dates on cards, and combining checklists.
With the bulk of my moving project behind me now (thanks, Trello boards!) I’m working on getting into a better rhythm of creating Trello Templates for you.
And not just templates, but guided workshops walking through how to use them. I’m super excited to share the latest, which is a tool my partner and I have started using to make sure we stay in sync on things and support each other best. It’s great for balancing the mental load and making sure nothing gets forgotten.
Premium subscribers, you’ll see an invite soon, and for anyone else, you can get in on this template (including loom recordings to set up each automation, and access to a complimentary workshop walkthrough) here.
🌮 Dear Taco
This is a section where readers can submit their Trello questions, and each week I’ll pick one and answer it! It’s like “Dear Abby” but make it trello. Have a question you want to submit? Share it here.
I'd like to automate an email once a card is marked complete in the 'to post' list. I've managed to automate the email to the client, but cant figure out how to add one piece of unique data (the tracking number). I put in the {commenttext} variable in the body of the message thinking if I add the tracking number in the comment section of the card it would translate to the email, but it doesn't work.
Had a reader email me and ask this question and I thought it was a cool use case and maybe some of the rest of you want to explore extract information from your cards too.
Major caveat: this reader didn’t want to use custom fields, I assume because they’re on a free plan and don’t have access to those. Typically, I’d suggest using custom field, but that’s not something everyone uses and I was thrilled to share how to make it happen without them.
The reason this reader’s {commenttext} variable didn’t work is because that only works when the trigger is “when a comment is posted”. Otherwise, it’s not sure what comment text to grab.
However, here’s a way to do it, assuming you’re okay with using the card description.
Put the tracking number as the card description, and then use {carddescription} to send it? Or do you have other things in the card description? If you do, you can still make that work by using wildcards!
Here’s a rule I made to test it out…
And here’s a demo showing how it looks when the email comes in:
Want to submit your question? Maybe it’ll be featured next week!
🛎️ Newbie tips
Term of the week
Focus time: a Trello card that’s been added to a slot in your calendar, part of the new Trello 2.0
Tip of the week
Having a to do list is great, but if you don’t actually plan when you’re going to do the things, they’ll never happen. Use Trello’s focus time feature by opening the calendar in Trello (press g+p) and then dragging a card from your board to a slot on the calendar!
💡 Inspiration and ideas
Family meetings in Trello
This one might sound a little weird if you’ve never done it before, but stick with me. I don’t even have kids yet, but there are still a lot of moving parts to my household and my little family with my partner and our pets.
Having a weekly meeting where we sync up on important things helps us plan for the week and avoid as many surprises as we can. It also helps us make sure we’re actually supporting each other proactively and trying to prevent possible issues before they pop up (whether it’s that forgotten dentist appointment or avoiding situations where we double-book ourselves!).
I’ve even got some cool automations I’ve made to:
keep track of who added what items
save a list of what you discussed each week
assign action items (to your personal boards!!)
I’m including some videos in the template that walk through how to create these automations, but I’m also leading a workshop on June 7th helping folks build these automations together.
My workshop will also include a walkthrough of the board so you can see how it works at a high level and get started using it with your partner.
If you want access to the template and the 30-minute workshop, I’m offering it at no cost for my premium subscribers, and everyone else can get in on this for a one-time $4.99 fee—less than a cup of coffee!
🍷 Pairs well with Trello
Are you a checklist ninja? You’re going to want to check out the Checklist Summary Power-Up that lets you view all your checklist items in one place
Special shoutout to my premium sponsors!
Thanks to:
Mike Day - Dreamsuite Mike
🎉 New Website 🎉
Trello Consulting done differently
Notes and Docs
Advanced notes and documents like in Notion, OneNote, or Confluence, but designed to be part of your Trello experience. Keep everything together without the need to jump back and forth between apps.Amazing Fields
Build custom workflows with extra data for cards with formulas, formatting, styling, custom fields, and everything else you could imagine needing to make Trello do your bidding.Turn Trello into a business hub with robust Power-Ups for recruitment, customer support, employee directory, knowledge base and more.
The best all in one power-up for planning, tracking and managing work across boards. Use extended board, reports, master boards, Gantt views and card mirroring across boards.
Unito
With Unito you can easily connect Trello to your other business critical apps with live bi-directional sync. In just a few minutes you can create your first flow, no coding or technical resources needed. Try it free today.Sendboard - Email for Trello
Organize & automate your Email in Trello. Connect any Trello board with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo & more.Do more and enhance your Trello experience with the Handy Power-Ups Pack! Discover a variety of Power-Ups designed to boost your and your team's productivity. Try them out with a free trial and experience the difference today!
2-Way Card Mirror & Sync by FullZinc
Sync cards across boards and workspaces! Any edits to one card will be automatically mirrored to any other cards.
When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you
🤓 Need 1:1 help with Trello? I offer consulting on a limited basis, but I have a network of colleagues who can also support you! Fill out this form if you’d like to book a time for help with Trello.
📚 Looking for a 1-stop Trello resource? Check out my book, Supercharging Productivity with Trello. You’ll find everything you need, whether you’re getting started or taking Trello to the next level. Bonus - reply back to this email with your receipt, and I’ll send you some bonus video content going through each part of the book.
Thanks for reading!! I’ll see ya next week 👋
