Smart To-Do List

How many software applications do you have on your computer that require a license input when installed? Did you ever notice how when you need to install your software on a new computer that you can never seem to find that license key? Was it in an email, on a box, who knows? This short post will go over how I use Smart To-Do List to store all of my license keys.

The first thing I did was create a new project called Software Licenses.

After creating the project I simply added each license one by one into my new list. I did this by typing the product name and version followed by the license number.

As you can see I tagged each license @Work or @Home. Using these tags allows me to easily filter my list depending on where I’m at (work or home) since I always have my to-do list with me.

It doesn’t get any simpler than that, all of my license keys in one place, easily accessible wherever I am.

Tags: gtd , productivity , software , to-do list

Today I’d like to introduce my first productivity application, Smart To-Do List. Smart To-Do List is a Microsoft Windows based to-do list manager that is simple, elegant, and extremely easy to use.

As you can see, the software has a very simple, clean interface. The simplicity helps keep users focused on emptying their minds. Many to-do list applications available today have between 5 and 10 fields for an individual task. Having all of these fields available may make you feel powerful when you first start using the software, but over time you will lose motivation due to the amount of work needed just to add a task. To add a task to Smart To-Do List simply select a project, type the task, tag it if you’d like (it’s optional) and press enter. The software is so easy, you’ll actually use it.

Tagging

Every task that is added to a project can have one or more associated tag. The tags are important because they allow you to filter the list. For example, if you have a presentation project, you may have certain tasks that need done at the office. These tasks could then be tagged Office. You could then filter your list to show just the items that need to be done at the office.

Prioritizing

Each task can be given a high, medium, or low priority. This can be done by clicking the little box next to the task. You can also prioritize them by typing a shortcut key when adding the task. For example, typing “h:Practice Timing” will automatically add this task as a high priority item. One other way to change the priority is to type h, m, or l followed by the task number shown below. Typing “m:1″ would make the first item a medium priority item.

Keyword Commands

One of the items that differentiates Smart To-Do List with other to-do list applications are the keyword commands that are available. I’ve already talked about a few of the commands in the prioritizing paragraph above. Basically anything that can be done with the mouse can be done with the keyboard alone. This includes printing, exporting, prioritizing, editing tasks, deleting tasks, filtering, etc.

Filtering

Task lists can be filtered to allow you to show only the items you desire. Lists can be filtered based on priority or tag.

Templates

Another item that differentiates Smart To-Do List from many other to-do list applications is the ability to save any list as a template. This is convenient if you have a list that you plan on using over and over again. For example, every time I travel I know I can just open up my travel template and find exactly what I need to bring.

That’s it for now, I truly welcome feedback and would love to hear any suggestions or requests.

Tags: to-do list, todo list, gtd, Getting Things Done, productivity, software