Do It Tomorrow reminder - Anti-Procrastinator

[patteo]

There are important things that I need to get done and one of the ways is to have a constant reminder staring at me whenever I see my desktop.

So it would be nice to have a simple tool that I could hit a hot key, and it would the allow me to add the item and closing it would "burned" it into my Windows desktop.

Once I get it done, I could then hit the hotkey, check it off and then it would be erased from my desktop.

One not so elegant way is to use BGinfo.exe
"Use the Custom button to add special information you define yourself."
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897557.aspx

It allows me to add to a text file, the contents of which will be "burned" onto the screen - It allows me to determine which corner of the screen the text would be placed. Maybe, some might find this idea interesting and improve upon it.

This is not meant to replace one of those dedicated To do list programs that you might use for Getting Things Done where you list everything to get it out of your head.

This is to help me maintain a few items (probably no more than 10) that I want to keep in front of me - more like what's advocated by Mark Forster's Do It Tomorrow concept which I find more useful.

Update:
Just discovered a thread
Write on Windows Desktop - DonationCoder.com
"
Write on Windows Desktop"
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=11716.msg101342

No mention of BGinfo.exe there

[brotherS]

This is to help me maintain a few items (probably no more than 10) that I want to keep in front of me - more like what's advocated by Mark Forster's Do It Tomorrow concept which I find more useful.

Hi!

I only read the book partially so far (and a while ago), so I don't recall any specific advice regarding 'keeping it in front of you', but what I like to do is to use Google's free online calendar. I put things on when I think I'll be able to do them. Benefits:

• it's easy to move tasks around
• it's free
• you can even have it send you free SMS to your cellphone as reminders, also emails and pop-ups
• it feels good to see the things that you actually *did* do

[patteo]

I only read the book partially so far (and a while ago), so I don't recall any specific advice regarding 'keeping it in front of you'

There's no specific advice on keeping it in front of you. But he does talk about a "Closed List" - ie one that does not keep expanding.

On his 1 page Quick Start Guide - How to get everything done by Doing It Tomorrow just before page 1 of his book, he says :

1. Put all the work that you are behind on in backlog folders (email, paper, etc.) and put it where you can't see it.
2. Collect all your incoming work during the day and deal with it in one batch the following day. Group together similar activities like email, paper, phone calls and tasks. Aim to clear the lot every day.
3. If anything is too urgent to leave to the following day, write it down on a separate list and action it at a convenient time during the day. Never take even the simplest action without writing it down first.
4. Spend some time on clearing the contents of the backlog(s) first thing everyday. When you've finally cleared them, find something else you want to get sorted and start doing that first thing every day instead.

If you follow this simple process you will be totally on top of new work by tomorrow and you will be well on your way to clearing your backlog.

---------------
My take on the above is that :

I need to keep items in 2 above (what he calls a Closed List) "in front of me" somewhere and what better place for me than the desktop. And that can include items from 3 as well.

And that also ties in with items in 1 he recommends should be "kept where I can't see it"

[tomos]

not what you're looking for but throwing it out there as an idea:

I've just started using Justice's JustToDoIt - Fast ToDo lister
Simple ToDoList AHK programme

Works using a text file - each line shows in the GUI as a new ToDo item
You can add a list to a text file - so for example I can copy items from IQ/SQLNotes, add to text file and reload (Ctrl+R)
This way I can very easily create a "daily" list
Or of course you can very easily add items using the GUI !

I leave it open then and check the list every now and again - this is probably more suitable to me as I rarely see my desktop anyways!

[brotherS]

I leave it open then and check the list every now and again - this is probably more suitable to me as I rarely see my desktop anyways!

Hehe, same here, that's another good point for my Google Calendar solution.

[brotherS]

On his 1 page Quick Start Guide - How to get everything done by Doing It Tomorrow just before page 1 of his book, he says :
[...]

Thanks for the detailed reminder! I now plan to fully read the book.