# Repeating Tasks Transform one-time tasks into powerful repeating patterns that support your daily routines and regular responsibilities. TickUp's repeating tasks help you maintain consistency with both work projects and personal habits through flexible scheduling and intelligent rollover management. > [!quote] Consistency Builds Success > The most effective productivity systems turn important activities into ==automatic habits== rather than daily decisions. ## Understanding Repeating Tasks Repeating tasks are any tasks that need to be completed on a regular schedule—daily exercise, weekly team meetings, monthly reports, or yearly reviews. Unlike single tasks, repeating tasks create multiple instances based on your chosen pattern. ### How Repeating Tasks Work > [!tip] Repeating Task Behavior > **Immediate creation**: All repeating instances are created when you set up the repeat pattern > **Independent completion**: Each instance can be completed separately > **Flexible scheduling**: Choose from daily, weekdays, weekly, monthly, or yearly patterns > **Smart management**: Automatic handling of incomplete tasks based on your preferences ## Setting Up Repeating Tasks ### Creating a Repeating Task 1. **Create or select a task** you want to make repeating 2. **Right-click the task** to open the context menu 3. **Select "Start Repeat"** from the menu options 4. **Choose your repeat pattern** from the available options 5. **Configure specific timing** based on your selected pattern 6. **Save your settings** to activate the repeating schedule ### Repeat Pattern Options > [!success] Available Repeat Patterns > **Daily**: Task repeats every day > **Weekdays**: Task repeats Monday through Friday only > **Weekly**: Task repeats on specific day(s) of the week > **Monthly**: Task repeats on specific date(s) each month > **Yearly**: Task repeats annually on the same date ### Advanced Scheduling Options #### Weekly Tasks - **Choose specific day**: Select which day of the week (Sunday through Saturday) - **Set frequency**: Every week, every other week, every third week, or every fourth week #### Monthly Tasks - **Specific dates**: Choose exact dates (1st, 15th, 30th, etc.) - **Special options**: Last day of month, every month, every other month, etc. - **Multiple dates**: Select multiple days within each month ## Managing Incomplete Repeating Tasks TickUp provides intelligent handling for repeating tasks that aren't completed on their scheduled day: ### Rollover vs. Deletion Settings Navigate to **Settings → Advanced → Daily Routines** to configure: > [!note] Incomplete Task Management > **Delete past repeat tasks**: Automatically removes incomplete recurring tasks from previous days > **Rollover tasks**: Moves incomplete tasks to the current day with a rollover counter > **Rollover time**: Choose when the system processes incomplete tasks (default: 12:00 AM) ### Understanding Rollover Behavior #### When "Delete past repeat tasks" is ON: - Incomplete repeating tasks are automatically removed at your configured rollover time - Keeps your task list clean and focused on current priorities - Best for habits where missing a day means starting fresh #### When "Delete past repeat tasks" is OFF: - Incomplete tasks move to the current day with a "rolled over X times" indicator - Helps ensure important repeating tasks don't get forgotten - Shows your consistency patterns over time ### Rollover Indicators > [!tip] Tracking Rollover Patterns > **Visual counter**: See how many times a task has rolled over > **Consistency insights**: Identify recurring tasks that may need schedule adjustments > **Motivation tool**: Track your success in maintaining regular habits ## Repeating Tasks and [[Projects & Labels]] Your repeating tasks work seamlessly with your [[Projects & Labels|matrix]]: ### Work Context Recurring Tasks - **Team meetings**: Weekly meetings with consistent project assignments - **Status reports**: Monthly reports tagged with appropriate work labels - **Planning sessions**: Regular strategic work sessions ### Personal Context Recurring Tasks - **Health habits**: Daily exercise, meditation, or health check-ins - **Learning goals**: Regular study sessions or skill development - **Home management**: Weekly cleaning, monthly financial reviews ## Repeating Tasks and [[Time Allocation Visibility]] Repeating tasks provide valuable insights into your time patterns: ### Time Tracking Benefits - **Habit timing**: See how long recurring tasks actually take vs. planned time - **Schedule optimization**: Identify optimal times for different recurring activities - **Capacity planning**: Understand how recurring commitments impact your available time > [!success] Repeating Task Time Insights > **Actual vs. planned**: Track whether your time estimates for repeating tasks are accurate > **Pattern recognition**: Identify which repeating tasks consistently take longer than expected > **Schedule adjustment**: Use timing data to optimize when you schedule repeating activities ## Repeating Tasks and Energy States Align your repeating tasks with your natural energy patterns: ### Optimal Energy Matching - **[[Peak Energy State]]**: Schedule demanding repeating tasks (strategic planning, complex analysis) - **[[Flow State]]**: Plan repeating creative or development work - **[[Steady State]]**: Set repeating meetings and coordination tasks - **[[Recharge State]]**: Schedule repeating administrative or organizational tasks ## Managing Repeating Task Options Once you've created a repeating task, you have several management options available through the task's context menu: ### Repeating Task Menu Options > [!note] Available Actions for Repeating Tasks > **Priority**: Change the task's priority level > **End Repeat After This**: Removes all future repeating instances while preserving the current task and all previously repeated tasks > **Delete all events**: Completely removes the current task AND all past and future repeating instances > **Duplicate**: Creates a copy of the task (without the repeating pattern) > **Copy link**: Generates a shareable link to the task > **Export**: Exports the task data (not yet available) > **Delete**: Removes only the current instance (repeating pattern continues) ## Modifying Repeating Tasks ### Understanding Your Options When you right-click a repeating task, you'll see several options with different impacts: > [!tip] Repeating Task Management Options > **End Repeat After This**: Perfect when you want to complete the current task but stop the repeating pattern > **Delete all events**: Use when you want to completely remove a repeating task pattern you no longer need > **Delete** (single): Removes just one instance while keeping the repeating pattern active > **Duplicate**: Creates a one-time copy without the repeating behavior (not yet available) ### Changing Repeat Patterns 1. **Right-click any instance** of the repeating task 2. **Select the repeat option** you want to modify 3. **Choose new pattern** or adjust timing 4. **Save changes** to update all future instances ### Stopping Repeating Tasks > [!warning] Ending Repeating Tasks > **End Repeat After This**: Deletes all future repeating instances while keeping the current task > **Delete all events**: Removes the current task and ALL past and future repeating instances completely > **Individual deletion**: Delete single instances without affecting the repeat pattern ## Common Repeating Task Scenarios ### Work Repeating Tasks - **Daily priority reviews**: Morning planning and priority setting - **Weekly project analysis**: Consistent project evaluation and planning - **Monthly reporting cycles**: Regular report preparation and submission - **Quarterly strategic planning**: Deep strategic thinking sessions ### Personal Repeating Tasks - **Exercise routines**: Daily or weekly fitness activities - **Learning habits**: Regular study or skill development - **Household tasks**: Weekly cleaning, monthly maintenance - **Health appointments**: Regular check-ups and wellness activities ### Repeating Tasks for Habit Tracking Repeating tasks are perfect for building and maintaining personal habits. By creating repeating tasks and organizing them with consistent [[Projects & Labels|labels]], you can track your progress across multiple related activities: > [!success] Habit-Focused Repeating Tasks > **Learning a new language**: Daily Spanish practice, weekly conversation sessions > **Developing new skills**: Regular coding practice, music lessons, writing exercises > **Health and fitness**: Morning workouts, meditation sessions, meal prep > **Reading goals**: Daily reading time, weekly book reviews Since habit tracking works at the label level in TickUp, you can group multiple related repeating tasks under the same label (like "fitness" or "learning") to track your overall consistency across different activities that support the same habit. _Learn more about tracking your habits effectively in [[Habit Tracking]]._ ## Smart Repeating Task Strategies ### Group Similar Work into Recurring Blocks Instead of creating dozens of small individual tasks, use repeating tasks to create dedicated time blocks for routine work: > [!tip] Effective Repeating Task Patterns > **⭐️ Daily Priority Review (15 mins)**: Block time each day to review priorities, adjust plans, and prepare for the day ahead > **🚀 Daily Sprint Review (2 hrs)**: Dedicated block for focused work on current sprint items and project advancement > **💌 Email Review (15 mins)**: Scheduled time for processing emails rather than checking constantly throughout the day ### When to Use Repeating Tasks vs. Individual Tasks > [!success] Repeating Task Guidelines > **Use repeating tasks for**: Routine work that happens regularly (email processing, priority planning, regular reviews) > **Use individual tasks for**: Unique projects, one-time deliverables, specific meetings, or novel work items > **Combine both**: Create repeating blocks for routine work, then add individual tasks for unique items within those blocks ## Troubleshooting Repeating Tasks ### Tasks Not Rolling Over or Deleting > [!warning] Common Rollover Issues **Problem**: Past repeating tasks aren't processing as expected **Solutions**: > > - Check that current time has passed your configured rollover time > - Verify timezone settings in **Settings → Advanced** > - Refresh the app or restart to sync changes > - Ensure "Delete past repeat tasks" setting matches your preference ### Unexpected Task Behavior > [!warning] Repeating Task Sync Issues **Problem**: Repeating tasks appearing inconsistently **Solutions**: > > - Wait for the next rollover processing cycle > - Check if tasks were created vs. moved to past dates > - Verify repeat pattern settings are saved correctly ## Best Practices for Repeating Tasks ### Setup Recommendations - **Group routine work**: Create repeating blocks for regular activities instead of dozens of small tasks - **Start simple**: Begin with essential repeating tasks before adding complex patterns - **Schedule realistically**: Use actual time data to set appropriate durations for repeating blocks - **Review regularly**: Assess whether repeating tasks still serve your goals ### Strategic Task Blocking - **Consolidate similar work**: Group email processing, planning, and review activities into dedicated repeating blocks - **Protect focus time**: Use repeating tasks to create consistent blocks for deep work and strategic thinking - **Reduce decision fatigue**: Let repeating blocks handle routine work automatically - **Maintain flexibility**: Add individual tasks for unique work within your repeating structure ### Maintenance Tips - **Monthly review**: Evaluate which repeating tasks are working well - **Adjust timing**: Move repeating tasks to better time slots based on completion patterns - **Optimize duration**: Use [[Planned vs. Actual Times]] data to refine time allocations - **Clean up outdated**: Remove repeating tasks that no longer serve your goals ## The Power of Repeating Task Mastery > [!quote] Automatic Excellence > When important activities become repeating tasks, they transform from decisions into ==automatic systems== that compound over time. **Daily impact**: Reduced decision fatigue and increased consistency **Weekly impact**: Stronger habit formation and routine establishment **Monthly impact**: Measurable progress in both work and personal goals **Yearly impact**: Compound benefits of consistent action across all life areas --- **Next:** Optimize your task completion with [[Planned vs. Actual Times]].