Todo lists, do you use them?

[mack]

On a day to day basis, I need to create a todo list to keep me on track. I just open notepad at the start of the day and add what I need to do on a one item per line format. Then As I work through the items I remove them.

I find this helps me stay on target. If I didn't do this I would end up being a lot less productive.

It's a lot like planning. If you don't have a plan then the end result will be far short of what you had in mind. Planning your day is just as important as planning a project.

How do you address this issue.

Mack.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Hi Mack,

I use the calendar in MS Outlook. I put items to be done in there as appointments and when they are due I get an audible reminder. I can move actionable stuff to an appropriate time according to their specific priorities.

I know that this is not very clever but I have been doing it now for about 15 years or more and it works well for me. I seldom forget to do something using this method.

[dertyfern]

I use a combo of outlook reminders, cell phone calendar, and good old paper and pen. I find it works for me.

[creative craig]

I also use a combination of Outlook reminders, pen and paper and my phone calendar.

[dreamcatcher]

I have a free to-do program that I use, as well as a calendar, desktop sticky notes and good old fashioned pen/paper.

dc

[ergophobe]

I use Abstract Spoon TODO list because

- it's free and open source and I'm cheap

- it allows for dependencies, so I can have a task list like

*Take over the world
-- develop evil plan
-- create secret weapon
-- unnecessarily start by attempting to kill superhero

I can show and sort these tasks either as subtasks or individually (if that makes sense).

- one-click access from system tray.

- I can set due dates, start date (it also allows for some basic time trackign, but I don't use that).

- I can set priority and risk for any given task.

- full search

- unlimited task lists, so I usually have a task list for every project I'm working on, whether it's a website, a book, or tasks around the house.

- I can have "tasks" and "notes" so the view is really compact, but if I have a task and, while working on something else, come across a key piece of information, and idea or whatever, I open the todo list and add my thoughts to the notes, so I don't lose track of it, but I don't get sucked into working on the task.

[sem4u]

A combination of Outlook, Excel and pen and paper.