Manual vs Auto Scheduling

Manual Scheduling

What it is Manual scheduling means placing tasks directly onto your calendar by dragging and dropping them into time slots. Motion treats these placements as fixed tasks; the system won’t automatically move them unless you manually reschedule.

Why it’s not the best option

• Static → Manually scheduled tasks don’t adapt if your day changes. A new meeting or shift in priorities may leave tasks overlapping or unscheduled.

• Time-consuming → Users must repeatedly adjust tasks themselves, which can become overwhelming with large workloads.

• Less predictive → Motion’s optimization engine is bypassed, so deadlines, priorities, and ETAs are not recalculated dynamically.

• Error-prone → Overlapping tasks and missed deadlines are common.

When manual scheduling makes sense

• Fixed commitments → When a task truly must happen at a specific time (e.g., client call prep at 8:30 AM).

• High-control scenarios: Critical tasks (e.g., finalizing notes before a board meeting).

Example Scenario:

You have your meeting prep at the same time every day before the company meeting, so you manually schedule a fixed-time task at 9:15 AM to complete before the meeting starts.

	Auto-scheduled Task	Manually scheduled task
Efficient	✅	❌
Dynamic	✅	❌
Reduced Errors	✅	❌
Streamlined	✅	❌
Fixed-time scheduling	❌	✅

Auto-Scheduling

What it is Auto-Scheduling is Motion’s core system for dynamically placing tasks into your calendar. Instead of manually blocking time, you provide parameters (duration, start date, deadline, priority, effort), and Motion automatically finds the best available slots. As your calendar changes, Motion continuously updates tasks to keep you on track.

Why it’s the better option

• Adaptive → Tasks shift automatically when meetings are added, rescheduled, or canceled.

• Optimized → Motion considers deadlines, priorities, and estimated effort to reduce the chance of missing important work.

• Time-saving → Removes the need to constantly drag and drop tasks into your calendar.

• Predictive → Provides ETAs and deadline alerts so you know when you’re at risk of falling behind.

When Auto-Scheduling makes sense

• Daily planning → For ongoing task management where work shifts frequently.

• Project execution → When balancing multiple deadlines and priorities across tasks.

• Team workflows → Ensures everyone’s tasks align with availability and deadlines without constant manual updates.

Example Scenario:

You add 10 tasks with varying durations and deadlines. Motion intelligently schedules them into the optimal time slots without overlap; creating the most efficient and effective schedule in an instant.

Manual vs Auto-Scheduling

Feature	Manual Scheduling	Auto-Scheduling
How it works	User drags and drops tasks directly onto the calendar.	Motion automatically places tasks into available time blocks based on parameters.
Adaptability	Tasks stay fixed unless the user manually reschedules.	Tasks shift dynamically as meetings or priorities change.
Effort required	High — users must adjust schedules themselves.	Low — Motion continuously recalculates and updates placement.
Optimization	Deadlines and priorities are not recalculated automatically.	Motion uses deadlines, priorities, duration, effort, and schedules to optimize.
Best for	Fixed commitments or tasks tied to external coordination.	Daily planning, project execution, and balancing shifting priorities.
Limitations	Time-consuming, static, risk of overlaps or missed tasks.	Requires accurate task data (duration, deadlines, priority) to be effective.