I have a number of regular jobs that break into a series of tasks and I record the job as a task in Outlook, in the notes I list the first task and set the appropriate category. When that task is complete I note the date completed and enter the next task above the completed task, again changing the category.

The jobs are usually setting up user access to a specific database and the tasks run in a simple order - acknowledge user request, contact user accounts and request access, wait, add user to correct access level, notify user and send training documents - by listing them all in the notes of one task I can easily see where the job is at and estimate how long the job will take to complete.

This works for me but is only for a simple, linear task chain. More complex branched chains would probaly be better set up as projects