Windows/Mac/Linux (Thunderbird): Harness the to-do-managing power of Remember the Milk from inside your mail reader with an alpha extension for Thunderbird. Once installed and authenticated with your RTM account, the task manager provided by the Lightning extension will have bi-directional access to your tasks, which you can add, delete, modify, and prioritise from inside your mail manager. Hit the video above to see a few of the things you can do with the extension, and hit the via link below for step-by-step installation instructions. Remember the Milk Provider extension is a free download, but requires a free Mozilla Add-Ons account to download, needs the Lightning calendar extension, and works wherever Thunderbird does.

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Email-based digital personal assistant Sandy can be a really helpful manager for to-do lists and calendar appointments, but only if you don't mind composing new messages for every change. Reader Wyatt writes in with a quicker way to get Sandy's attention, using Outlook, Windows keystroke launcher Launchy, and a custom line for its built-in Runner plugin. Create a new Runner command named "Sandy" or something similar and point it to the location of Outlook's executable file, but add the following switches at the end (substituting your Sandy username):

/c ipm.note /m sandybox@yourname.iwantsandy.com

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For the next week and a half, readers are submitting their best life hack for a chance to win an autographed copy of our new book, Upgrade Your Life.
Reader Denis wanted to embed a to-do list on his Windows desktop, and came up with a no-install solution:

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Lifehacker reader and mental state blogger Luciano writes about his main problem with creating a master task list, in the style of Getting Things Done: The "giant blob of threatening commitments" they can become after awhile. To keep a level head and get a daily feeling of accomplishment, he recommends the following:

Take your to-do list and pick a few tasks that you will do the next day: not tasks that you want to do, or tasks that you think you might do -- but tasks that you wholeheartedly commit to do. Replace your long list of intentions with a short list of commitments.

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One stumbling block when you're trying to get things done is getting in the habit of using a to-do list. The list can't help you if you don't check it.
So how do you get in that habit of checking in with your to-do list so you stay on top of tasks and deadlines?
First up I'd recommend that you set aside a few minutes at the start (or end) of each day to check in with your to do list. If you already have a morning ritual, it can make it easier to set up another habit at the same time. For example, if you have a cup of coffee first thing every morning, make that the time you 'check in' - soon you'll be in the habit of checking in with your to-do list and setting your course for the day.
But how do you get in the habit of using and checking the calendars or to-do list you've chosen to use?
If you like to work from a homepage, you can embed your Google Calendar or a simple To-Do gadget app on your home page. But admittedly although I've got those things set up on my home page, I very rarely *see* my homepage unless it occurs to me that I want to check in. So that's not a lot of help if you aren't in the habit of checking in with your to-do list.
Using a to-do list or calendar which pings you with reminders could do the trick - such as Google Calendar or Remember the Milk. Another option is I Want Sandy, a program which acts like a robot PA - you email it when you need to add an appointment or task to your to do list, it emails you tasks lists and reminders when appropriate. If you don't habitually check your email (or you turn it of while working) then 43Folders had a suggestion today which might help you keep I Want Sandy front and centre - by using Fluid  to create a site specific browser for Sandy, meaning it has a home on the desktop and will display on the Dock (if you're a Mac user) to ensure it's always visible and available. (A commenter noted that Windows users could use Prism for a similar effect.)

So how do you keep your to-do list in your face? If it's a favourite calendar or reminder service, or just pinning your to-do list to the desktop, please share in comments.

Mac OS X only: New task manager Things, now in alpha testing, is a promising new option for Mac users looking to get organised on the desktop. Structurally, Things categorises tasks in a very Getting THINGS Done way (get it?), with an inbox, projects, and "next" (or Next Actions) view, as well as support for contacts to whom you may delegate tasks and tags (which you can use for context.) After the jump, check out some screenshots of the alpha version of Things.

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Mac OS X Leopard only: Despite its unfortunate name, task manager Anxiety is a slick, good-looking, lightweight way to keep track of your to-do lists. Since Leopard now includes a "calendar store," or central repository of tasks from both iCal and Mail.app, Anxiety taps into those lists and displays the items on your desktop. Add, change or check off a to-do in Anxiety, iCal or Mail? And the info updates across all three applications. Neat. Anxiety is a free download (donations encouraged) for Mac OS X Leopard only.

If you live out of your inbox and don't have the luxury of a human assistant, check out newly launched webapp Sandy, an information tracker you interact with via email. Register for a free account and you'll get an email address you can send your to-do's, contacts, bookmarks, notes, and appointments to in keyworded messages. Sandy receives the email, parses, stores, and organises the information, and emails you back reminders and agendas only when you need 'em.

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In these situations, a calendar or to-do list doesn't quite cut it - unless it reminds you *ahead of time* of the tasks you need to do to be ready for the next day. Certainly programs like Remember the Milk or Google Calendar can send you reminders, and you could schedule a reminder for 24 hours before. But to ensure that even on days when I don't check my calendar or set reminders, I still get ready for the next day, I set up a small, specific list of "things to do for tomorrow".

I decided to use the ToDo gadget on the Google Homepage so that every morning when I fire up my browser, the list will be right there in front of me, letting me know the tasks I need to complete today in order to be ready for the next day. This will allow me to end each day with an empty to do list on my home page  - a nice feeling!

Why a separate list of things to do for tomorrow?

1. It gets you thinking through what you'll need to do the next day, giving your brain a chance to go 'hang on, you'll need to print out a map' or 'I should call Doug and see if he wants to share a cab to that event', and importantly, gives you time to set these things up ready for the next day.
2. It gives you peace of mind. You wake up knowing everything is in place for whatever your day has in store. When I have to catch an early flight, I sleep easy knowing that my clothes are laid out for the next day, my bags are packed, my ride to the airport is booked, and I have all my flight details printed out and stowed in the back pocket of my diary.

I chose to use the iGoogle To Do gadget because it's simple, easy to use and sitting there on my home page so I can't avoid seeing it. But avid To Do list fans may have a more elegant solution. So if you have a suggestion for an automated or manual way to remind yourself of tasks you need to complete for tomorrow, please leave them in comments. 

It's no wonder the majority of Lifehacker readers voted Remember the Milk the best web-based task manager out there. Remember the Milk's got all the best features modern webapps have to offer: email/SMS/IM integration, tagging, advanced search, keyboard shortcuts and even offline access with Google Gears. Chances are you work across several computers and need a single, always-accessible place to consolidate your work, personal, school, and family to-do's. Remember the Milk is a great way to do just that. Let's take a closer look at Remember the Milk's basic and more advanced features.

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