How to Make the Most of Your To-Do List

The Smart Phone Smarties

Smart phone to-do-list makers have progressed past pen and paper to a notepad application or calendar function on their phone—but their lists can look as long and ill structured as their pen and paper predecessors.

Make the Most of Your Method

These smart apps will help you better manage your to-dos and (dare we say?) change your life.

• Todoist. Available for download on any smartphone, this app lets you group tasks, set email reminders, and even color code your to-dos for free. Upgrade to a premium membership ($5 a month) and receive alerts about important tasks sent to you via text message.
• Remember the Milk. This app for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry allows you to organize your tasks into tabs, set automatic reminders, and share tasks with others—perfect for those who want their husband to pick up bread without hearing huffing and puffing. Gmail users can stream to-dos directly to google calendars; iPhone users can add tasks with Siri (because typing is so 2011).
• Evernote. Perfect for the woman whose phone dies at inopportune times, this app lets you create a to-do list on your mobile device and access it anywhere. Using cloud technology, you’ll be able to pull up your lists on any computer, tablet, or mobile device.