Todo

A to-do list is a simple planning tool that enumerates tasks that need to be completed. It serves as a reminder system and a way to organize work, enabling individuals and teams to track obligations and prioritize actions.

The concept predates digital technology, appearing in paper form in personal organizers and notebooks. With the rise of personal computers and smartphones, digital to-do lists became widespread, leading to standalone apps, cloud services, and integrated project management tools that support collaboration.

A typical to-do item includes a title and optional details, such as a description, due date, priority, and status. Many lists support subtasks, reminders, recurring tasks, tags or contexts, and filters to organize items by project, person, or deadline.

Different methodologies influence how to-do lists are used. Getting Things Done emphasizes capturing tasks and organizing by context; Kanban applies a visual workflow with columns; the Eisenhower matrix sorts items by urgency and importance; bullet journaling combines logging tasks with notes and reflections.

In software development, the term todo often marks a piece of work that remains to be done in the codebase. These markers can be surfaced by editors or issue trackers to track future work and improvements.

Benefits include improved memory, focus, and accountability, while risks include overcommitment and maintenance burden. Effective practice involves regular reviews, realistic scope, prioritization, and alignment with broader project management processes.