Ah, the task of managing your to-do list. Whether you’re a firm believer in using a combination of phone, tablet and computer for keeping your tasks up to date or committed to the good old paper and pen checklist, we’ve all got our ways of keeping things organized, and we could all probably use some improvement.
At Brit & Co., we tend to use a combination of digital and analog (surprise, surprise!) and are happy to present a few of our favorite online and offline tools. At the top of today’s to-do list? Downloading apps and ordering to-do list notepads, of course! ;)
Online To-Do Lists
First, we've rounded up 5 smartphone and web-based apps that run the gamut from bare bones checklists to to-do lists that transform into full on daily planners.
Teux Deux (Free): This browser-based to-do app is simple, designy and highly usable. We love the simplicity, but also that you can specify certain dates for your tasks. And when you're on the road, it’s super easy to fire up the iPhone app and check things off and add as you go. The “Someday” section of Teux Deux is also great for noting down books to read, albums to listen to, and other future projects you want to keep top of mind.
Google Tasks (Free): Working in conjunction with your Google account, Google Tasks is a no-frills way to keep on top of your tasks. The mobile app is as easy to use as the web-based one, and both can sync up with your Gmail, Google Calendar and any relevant Google Docs you might need.
Fetchnotes (Free): If you're like us, you often need multiple to-do lists for each aspect of your life. Fetchnotes takes the simple approach one step further by allowing you to add appropriate hashtags next to each item you add to your list. This makes it easy to type up all of your tasks from one screen, and with the ability to separate by category later. Best of all, Fetchnotes is available for just about every smartphone.
Remember the Milk (Free): Next, and with a little more heft, is Remember the Milk. This one lets you manage tasks quickly and easily, receive reminders anywhere (AIM, calendar, SMS, email, etc), organize by tag and topic, and you can even add mappable addresses to each task. The web app is just as convenient as the mobile one,
2Do ($9.99): Definitely the heaviest hitter, 2Do is a to-do list that turns quite magically into your personal assistant and full-fledged project management system. There are way too many awesome features to list right here, but here are a few of our favorites. You've got tabbed calendars and folders, can use Siri to add reminders, repeating To-Dos with end dates, can attach tags and people to any task, can add location info (with GPS assistance), and a heck of a lot more! This is a great investment for someone who's on-the-go all the time and needs to stay uber organized.
Offline To-Do Lists
In spite of loving everything tech, sometimes a good old pen and paper is the best way to gather your thoughts and figure out your to-dos. Plus, crossing something off with a thick black pen is sometimes the most satisfying part of completing a task. We’ve been known to include one or two tasks already completed on our paper to-do lists.
MUJI Chronotebook ($6): A different take on how you plan your day, the MUJI Chronotebook has one page for AM and one page for PM. You can write your to-dos around each page in a more creative list format. We don't think this would be ideal for actual scheduling, but is a fun and different way to structure your to-do list.
Stick-Up Weekly Calendar ($10): One that we like to think of as the analog Teux Deux, Poketo's stick-up calendar is a simple clear way to lay out your week's to-dos. Put it by your keyboard as a wrist pad, or use it as a way to lay out the weeks ahead.
Chalk To-Do List ($58): Oh hello chalkboard wall sticker, our good friend. This chalk to-do includes letters that spell out "To Do," chalk, and post-it notes to match. At $58 it's a bit on the steep side and ripe for a DIY.
I Will Do One Thing Today ($2): Sometimes you need to focus your to-do list. Instead of a million little tasks, how about committing to one major project? This may not work for everyone but is a great way to hone in on what should be at the top of your list each day.
To-Do List Notepad ($7): This notepad combines your to-do list with your shopping list. On the left you can list tasks and activities, and on the right you can list errands you need to run, materials you need, etc. And the shopping list section tears off!
