As I’ve said before, items can sometimes linger on your TODO list a lot longer than you’d like, and it can be tricky to understand exactly why that is in each case. I’m convinced cringing is often a factor.

Looks like a good thread in the green to watch and maybe contribute to.

We’re fortunate right now to see so many great tools emerging to help people get their act together.

Products like 37 Signals’ Backpack and TaDaList are beautifully constructed, entirely usable, and have an amazingly high sense of fit and finish. It doesn’t go without saying that these products are also very fun to use. At the same time, a clever little app like GTDTiddlyWiki comes along that’s lightweight, portable, and is also very fun to use. And, although I haven’t played with Trumba or Sproutliner much yet, I understand they’re both turning a lot of heads and are—you guessed it—very fun to use.

These are all Good Things, and I couldn’t be happier that the quality of tools we’re seeing is so consistently high. Kudos, tool persons. You have all done a good job.

Still, as attracted as all we users naturally are to adopting these new apps, I have a growing concern that I want to share. And while it’s not directly related to these particular products, I do think it goes to important attitudes we have about seeing tools as panaceas for our productivity and time-management problems.

I’m curious about how GTD fans handle their “waiting on” items. I’ve decided to try something a bit different in my own setup, and I’m wondering if others have done something similar with any success.

GTDTiddlyWiki - all your tasks are belong to you

I’m really intrigued by GTDTiddlyWiki, which is a clever wiki for implementing David Allen’s Getting Things Done system. It’s fun to use and a bit of a technical marvel (tip: shutting off animations under “Options” greatly sped things up for me).

Since I’m in one of my periodic “No new tools!” modes, I’m really just playing with it right now, albeit enjoyably. But, from the popularity of the site, I gather that a lot of you are using GTDTiddlyWiki to implement your Getting Things Done system. I’m curious to hear how it’s going for you. Specifically:

In which I learn how to tidy the house in 19 minutes (and reluctantly confess my affection for Real Simple)

Great tips that are useful way beyond studying—really for any kind of work that requires your mind not to wander off on its own.

Got a good link that collects free podcasts from non-commercial radio shows? Have a favorite or obscure program to recommend in podcast format?

Our theoretically weekly roundup of stuff that didn't fit anyplace else.