by
Bill Adler
Sometimes the simplest things are are the most useful.
When it comes to going paperless, or at least being able to see over the pile
of papers that doubles as a window shade, you have no better friend than the
task list.
The task list is easy and effective, because that's all
it is: a simple list. Because you can put anything you want to into your task
list, it can be as effective in reducing your paper burden as having a hungry
fireplace nearby.
Do you need to write down a phone number? Put it in your
task list. There's no rule that says something has to be a traditional task
with a starting and ending point in order to be on a task list. (Besides,
because you're going to eventually do something with that phone number, it is a
task.) Did you just see an ad on the Internet for shoes you must have? Copy and
paste that URL into your task list. Did you remember something you wanted to
tell your roommate when you got home? That's right for your task list, too.
I'm not ashamed to say that I often fire up my task list
to add a note, rather than using my #1 favorite program Evernote. Why? It's
faster.
Where to put your task list? A lot of people still use
and like Microsoft Outlook's tasks, and that's perfectly fine. I like Google
Tasks, which offers a number of features:
- It's drop dead simple
- Tasks can be dragged onto your Google calendar, so if a task is due on a particular day, you'll see that task on your calendar, too
- Gtasks by Google syncs with all your mobile devices
- You can organize tasks into multiple lists
- You can toggle between completed and uncompleted tasks.
- Sub-tasks can be indented and reordered by dragging
- Email can be converted to tasks
- Notes can be added to tasks
There are a lot of other websites and apps that give you
access to your task list on your PC or mobile device. One of the oldest, and
most feature-rich services is Remember the Milk, www.rememberthemilk.com, which will
even sync with Microsoft Outlook.
Wunderlist, www.wunderlist.com,
is a beautiful to-do service for iPhone, Android and web, Windows and Mac. In
addition to being a strikingly stunning to-do app/service/program, Wunderlist
can notify you of tasks when they're due. It looks so good you don't mind
seeing the 20 things you need to have finished by 5pm.
Any.do, www.anydo.com,
for Chrome, Android, iOS and (coming soon), the web, is as slick as it is easy
to use.
Astrid, www.astrid.com,
and Toodledo, www.toodledo.com, are also
powerful task services that give you many ways to organize and be notified
about your tasks.
Many of these task list services and apps let you share
tasks with other people, a feature that I've never used. I generally don't want
to share tasks with others. I either want them to do it all, in which case I'll
send an email rather than creating a task, or I don't want anyone to know
what's on my task list, as in my list of things to pick up at the unhappy tummy
section of the pharmacy.
I haven't detailed the features of these various task
list apps and services, because whether or not a task list suits you is
something you can't tell from a list of features alone. And they all perform
the same core function of keeping you from forgetting to renew your driver's
license and pack an umbrella for Seattle. But whichever you choose, a task list
service, especially one that syncs with
smartphone app, can go a long way toward freeing you from paper.
---
Bill Adler is the co-publisher of the Cleveland Park
Listserv, www.cleveland-park.com.
He is the author of "Boys and Their Toys: Understanding Men by
Understanding Their Relationship with Gadgets," http://amzn.to/rspOft. He tweets at
@billadler.
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