🤝July: Connection

What if the most important things got the same attention as everything else on your to-do list?

This month, 73 of us are flying to Thailand.

From Scotland to Singapore, from Brazil to Bangladesh – the majority of the team behind Todoist is converging in one place. The logistics alone are a nightmare (try coordinating that many travel schedules! - thankfully that’s not part of my job 😅), but it's worth every complicated visa application and red-eye flight.

This retreat exists because even in a world-wide remote-first company built around autonomy, nothing replaces actual human connection.

Watching the sheer effort the Retreat Crew have put into that core objective has me reflecting on how much intention there is behind connecting with people at work.

Should the same level of intention apply to our personal lives? I'll happily plan DIY projects, vacations, even meal plans. But day-to-day for the people who matter most? I tend to leave those check-ins to sporadic thoughts, luck and WhatsApp notifications.

It feels weird to admit. Maybe I’m alone in waiting for those ad-hoc prompts. But it’s got me thinking, if relationships really are the most important part of our lives, do they deserve a little structure, too?

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How not to forget the good stuff

My colleague Angélica has this brilliant project in Todoist called "Little Big Things." It's not a social calendar or networking tracker – it's her way of keeping the things that matter to other people visible when life gets busy.

When her friend mentions a job interview next week, it goes in Little Big Things. When her neighbor's dog needs surgery, when her nephew has an exam, when her colleague is training for their first marathon – all of it gets captured so she can follow up at the right moment.

It's not about scheduling coffee dates every two weeks. It's about remembering that your friend's kid had surgery last month or that your colleague was nervous about that presentation.

The beauty of Angélica's approach is that it amplifies genuine care and attention. Instead of hoping she'll remember to ask how things went, she's given herself a trusty system to free up her own mental bandwidth while still showing up in ways that matter the most.

What this actually looks like

There are so many things that most of us rely on our memory to surface, that put into a system would release some cognitive load and help build deeper relationships.

Follow up on the big stuff: Create tasks like "Check in with Sarah about the house closing" or "Ask Tom how his mom's treatment went" while you're completing your weekly review.

Remember small personal moments: Set reminders to "Congratulate Maya on her pottery class graduation" or "Ask Alex if his daughter enjoyed her first day of school"

Nurture long-distance relationships: Set recurring reminders to call parents, text old college roommates, or send care packages to friends you don’t naturally see often.

Celebrate milestones: Create an Important Dates project to track recurring tasks for birthdays, anniversaries, or big events like school plays or races. Calendar layout is particularly good for this kind of project. Use comments to jot down links to gift ideas or subtasks to remember to actually buy that gift (the part that costs me more in “Express Delivery” than I’d like to admit 😅)!

Show up during hard seasons: Add a weekly task like “Text Ellie – thinking of her while she's off work” and use the comment section to keep track of what you last talked about. If your mind’s scattered across things, you’ll then remember where you left off when you last checked in.

Build stronger work relationships: Create a shared project in your team workspace with your closest colleagues. Use it to prep for meetings, track joint priorities, and jot down personal check-ins like “How did your move go?” or “This project seems tricky, do you want to bounce ideas around?.” These are the small touches that build real trust.

You might see some of this as a little transactional. But for me, it's just about making sure the people I care about don’t get lost in the mental clutter of everything else.

Your Todoist doesn't have to be all work and errands. Sometimes the most important task is simply "Ask my friend how that thing went."

"I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship."

Brené Brown

Behind the scenes 👀

We’ve started sharing more productivity tips and behind-the-scenes peeks over on Todoist’s LinkedIn. If you’re curious about how we work, come follow along.

Chase (our heroic Head of Operations and retreat wrangler) often shares updates on planning the whole shebang. Amir, our CEO, is also super active on the platform and always has thoughtful takes on leadership and tech.

And if you’re wondering what the marketing team gets up to in Thailand, keep an eye on Brenna’s and my LinkedIn - we’ll be sharing both the fun and the work. 🍹

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Let's chat 💬

Have you ever tried using a system to nurture your relationships? Does your own "Little Big Things" project sound like too much admin or a good idea?

Here's to a July full of meaningful connections – whether you're traveling halfway around the world or just texting a friend to check in. 🤝

See you in August!

Naomi (👋 real human) and the Todoist team

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