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• Aug 8, 2005 9:20 am US/Central
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  To-Do Lists Go Hi-Tech

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To-Do Lists Go Hi-Tech

Manage Your Lists Online

(CBS) If you're like many stressed-out Americans these days, you live and die by your to-do lists. They help you get stuff done at home and at work, but what happens if you lose that scrap of paper? CBS 2's Jim Williams gives you a heads-up on a new hi-tech way to keep your tasks in check.

Like many of us, Kim Nelson has a jam-packed work day. "I work for three different sales reps," she says. "So I'm always multi-tasking and doing different things for each person."

She scribbles to-do lists to clear her head of clutter. "If I don't write something down, I will not do it," she said.

Now Kim may want to trade in her page of paper for a homepage. Web-based task managers are growing in popularity. Sites like backpackit.com, tadalist.com, and usetasks.com help you keep track of what you need to do...and what you've already done.

Web list creator Jason Fried said, "There's people using it to manage their weddings, there's people using it to manage home improvement projects, there's people using it to manage their vacations."

Jason Fried is the creator of both Backpack and Ta-Da Lists. He says inputting information is easy, and you can access your list from a computer, PDA, or cell phone. "And you can print them out, and you can search them, you can categorize them, and things like that," he said.

You can keep your lists private or share them with others. "Let's say, for example, you're going on a trip with your family. The whole family can get involved with like making a list of things they might want to do," Fried said.

David Allen is a personal productivity guru. He says any kind of to-do list is helpful, but with the hi-tech ones a computer or PDA can send you a reminder. Obviously paper can't.
But Allen also warns there are two sides to the Internet sword. "You have all the technology glitches that can go on between you and the Web," he said.

We asked Kim to put down her pencil and paper and try out backpackit.com. She thinks the Internet is a great tool, but will stick to writing her lists by hand. "It doesn't take as much time," she said.

Each site has different features. Some even allow you to upload images and keep notes.

(© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)