How to create a to do list for freelance developers with GitHub, Jira, and email tasks in one place

As a freelance developer, juggling multiple projects means dealing with GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and urgent client emails scattered across different tools. A to do list for freelance developers with GitHub, Jira, and email tasks isn’t just a luxury—it’s the difference between wasting hours switching contexts or making progress with clarity. The solution isn’t using more apps; it’s centralizing everything in a system that understands your work isn’t a single project but several, each with its own rules and deadlines.

Why traditional to-do lists fail freelance developers

Generic task apps (or even spreadsheets) are designed for a single workflow. When you try to mix GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and emails into one list, you run into three problems:

• Lack of context: A task like 'Fix bug in /users endpoint' doesn’t specify whether it’s for Client A (who uses GitHub) or Client B (who uses Jira). Without colors or separate containers, everything blends together.
• Manual updates: Every time you close an issue in GitHub or complete a task in Jira, you have to remember to mark it off in your list. Double work is inevitable.
• Crossed priorities: An email from a client requesting an urgent change can get buried among technical issues from another project. Without a system that shows everything at once (but lets you isolate a project when needed), it’s easy to lose focus.

The typical alternative is keeping GitHub, Jira, and your inbox open in separate tabs, constantly switching between them. But that doesn’t scale: more projects mean more tabs, more notifications, and a higher risk of forgetting something. What you need is a to do list for freelance developers with GitHub, Jira, and email tasks that works like a command center, not just a notepad.

Step-by-step: Centralizing GitHub, Jira, and emails in Foco Plus

1. Create a 'work' for each project or client

In Foco, a work is a container for all tasks related to a single project or client. For example, you can create:

• Client X (GitHub): For issues from their private repository.
• Client Y (Jira): For tasks from their development board.
• Pending emails: For emails requiring action (like client requests or invoices).

Each work has a name and color applied to all its tasks. This way, when you view your list, you’ll instantly recognize whether a task is for Client X (blue), Client Y (green), or an urgent email (red).

2. Connect GitHub and Jira to automatically pull issues and tasks

With Foco Plus, you can link your GitHub and Jira accounts via OAuth. Here’s how it works:

• GitHub: Foco detects issues assigned to you in the repositories you select and converts them into tasks within the corresponding work. If an issue has a due date or labels (like 'bug' or 'enhancement'), Foco copies them as priority or tags in the task.
• Jira: Same as GitHub, but for issues in the projects you configure. If a task in Jira is 'In Progress,' it’ll appear as 'Doing' in Foco.
• Destination work: You can choose whether GitHub/Jira tasks go to a fixed work (e.g., 'Client X (GitHub)') or let Foco’s AI assign them automatically based on the issue content.

The key feature is 'complete also in the source': when you mark a task as done in Foco, the corresponding issue in GitHub or Jira is automatically closed or commented. This eliminates the need to update both tools manually.

3. Capture emails as tasks with a single forward

Foco Plus provides a unique email address (e.g., u-1234@in.heyfoco.com) for forwarding emails that require action. For example:

• A client emails you: 'Please review PR #45 by Friday.' You forward the email to your Foco address.
• Foco creates a task with the email subject as the title, attaches the email as a note, and automatically detects the due date ('by Friday').
• The task appears in the 'Pending emails' work (or in the client’s work if configured that way).

If the email includes attachments (like a design or document), Foco saves them as notes in the task. This way, you have all the context in one place, without digging through your inbox.

4. View everything together (or filter by project)

Foco has two viewing modes:

• Panorama: Shows tasks from all your works at once, each with its project’s color. Ideal for prioritizing your day: you see which GitHub issues are due today, which Jira tasks are in progress, and which emails need responses, all in one list.
• Focus: When you enter a work (e.g., 'Client X (GitHub)'), the dashboard filters to show only tasks from that project. Perfect for concentrating on a sprint or issues from a specific repository.

You can switch between views (List, Kanban, or Calendar) depending on how you prefer to work. For example, in Kanban view, you can drag tasks between columns like 'To Do,' 'In Progress,' and 'Done,' just like in a GitHub or Jira board—but with the advantage that tasks from all your projects coexist here.

Practical example: A day in the life of a freelance developer using Foco

Imagine starting your day with these tasks in your to do list for freelance developers with GitHub, Jira, and email tasks:

• Client X (GitHub): Issue #123 'Fix login bug' (due today, urgent priority).
• Client Y (Jira): Task 'Implement payment API' (in progress, due in 3 days).
• Pending emails: 'Review contract from Client Z' (no due date, but includes a PDF attachment).

With Foco, here’s how you’d handle it:

• In Panorama mode, you see that Client X’s issue is urgent and drag it to 'Today' in List view.
• You enter Focus mode for Client Y to work on the payment API without distractions.
• When you finish Client X’s issue, you mark it as done: Foco automatically closes the issue in GitHub and shows the next occurrence if it’s recurring.
• You review Client Z’s email in the attached note, respond from your inbox, and then archive the task in Foco.

A to do list for freelance developers isn’t useful if it doesn’t understand that your work consists of multiple projects at once, each with its own tools and deadlines.

Why Foco beats alternatives like spreadsheets or generic apps

If we compare Foco to other options for centralizing tasks, the differences are clear:

• Spreadsheets (Google Sheets, Excel): You can create a table with columns for 'Project,' 'Task,' 'Tool,' and 'Status,' but:
• - There’s no automatic sync with GitHub or Jira: you have to update everything manually.
• - No reminders or due dates that work like a calendar.
• - Filtering by project or priority requires complex formulas.
• Generic task apps (Todoist, Any.do): Great for personal lists, but:
• - No native integrations with GitHub or Jira (only via Zapier or IFTTT, which require technical setup).
• - Can’t view tasks from multiple projects at once with colors or filter by a single project.
• - Email capture is usually manual (copy-paste).
• Project managers (Asana, ClickUp): Designed for teams, not freelancers with multiple clients:
• - Too complex for a single user: require setting up workspaces, permissions, and approval flows.
• - No personal email address for capturing emails as tasks.
• - Steep learning curve for something that should be simple.

Foco is built specifically for those who manage multiple works at once (in addition to personal tasks). It’s not a generic productivity app but a system that understands a GitHub issue and a Jira task aren’t the same, yet both deserve a place in your daily priorities.

Conclusion: Fewer tools, more clarity

Centralizing GitHub issues, Jira tasks, and emails into a single list isn’t about using more tools—it’s about reducing noise. A to do list for freelance developers with GitHub, Jira, and email tasks like Foco lets you:

• See everything you need to do today, this week, or later without switching tabs.
• Close GitHub issues or Jira tasks with one click, without updating two tools.
• Capture emails as tasks without copy-pasting, with all context attached.
• Work in 'focus' mode when you need to concentrate on one project or in 'panorama' mode when prioritizing across several.

If you manage multiple projects as a freelancer, the question isn’t whether you need a tool like this—it’s how much time you’re wasting without it.