I take the list with me any day I think I may have occasion to be near the stores in question.

2) notebook in my backpack to jot down any ideas or plans that come to me throughout the day.

3) another notebook for the upstairs in my house, so I’m near a place where I can make a note when it occurs to me.

Simple stuff, and it works.

That’s it! It works.

I have a bro in law who, and I don’t know how he does it, never uses a list, writes important things down on scraps of paper which then get thrown out, doesn’t use a palm pilot or computer program for organizing himself, is always late or forgetting things yets manage to run a business with employees, how he does it no one really knows but he does.

Case in point, spent the last hour or so reading and posting blogs, but I’ve learned, lesson prep done, shopping list done, dog walked, only need to eat and print off address of where I have to go. Have about 30 mins before I have to head out the door again. Will be back in 3 hours with an hour break before heading out to last class, but important stuff is finished, mostly

Biggest problem I face is I work a flex schedule, wonderful for avoid evening crowds but hard for organizing myself becuase I have large gaps of time free during the day. I tend to get distracted by less important things and forget about the important stuff.

Regarding lists, it’s pure habit. drive back home enough times to pick up something you forget and you will learn to check you list before leaving, trust me on that one.

Would be very interested to hear how you use it? I agree with vh – is a computer app really needed to remind you to brush your teeth?

I found myself reading Thursday’s post by Loonies And Sense about the very same topic! Makes me think maybe I should look into it and see if it might be useful for me.

The Dividend Guy

My favorite list program is the Microsoft Works Task Launcher that comes with my Dell Laptop. The program has several templates for to-do lists.

It also links my to-do list to my calendar with reminders and deadlines.,

I also like old school methods: mini notebook and a pen or pencil.

Lists are great, though, for organizing goals and microgoals (fancy term for daily to-do schedules).

It’d be nice to know if anyone has found a scheduling program (mobile or not) that works better than a pen-&-paper to-do list that you can magnet to the fridge or stick to the exit door. I’ve tried several programs, and none of them seem to be as useful as the ole-fashioned technology. “Reminders” that pop up and chime at me are so annoying I shut them off and forget them. Lists seem to work better. Am I alone in the Dark Ages?

I use lists most often when planning for a trip – I like to check things off as I pack (for work or pleasure).

I also make pro/con lists before any major life change (moving, accepting a job offer, etc). And I regularly journal “thankful” lists, as I mentioned on my blog last week.

And then, right before you need to use the list, just print it out and go. It works very well for grocery lists, whose items usually come from everyone in the household.

At crafts stores and (I think) at the Depot you can get little sheets of magnetized stuff, which you can cut with scissors. Take a smallish cardboard-backed notepad (I favor mini-yellow pads, about 5 x 8, available at drug and grocery stores or in a lifetime supply at Costco) and, with ordinary carpenter’s glue, stick a 1 x 3-inch strip of the stuff on the back. Then cut out a small, thin strip and glue that to one of the flat edges of an ordinary yellow pencil. When the glue dries, voila! A WHOLE PAD of paper and a writing instrument to go with it that will stick to the refrigerator.

I use these to jot down items I need to buy as the week progresses, so when shopping day comes around, everything I need is written down: one page for the grocery store, one page for HD, and one page for the monthly Costco run. You also can use it for your to-do lists.

When there’s something I need to remember to do when I’m out, I tape a reminder to the driver’s side window on my car.