Dr. Charles Hobbs, the time management guru of the 70's, was quite clear that "prioritization" of tasks was a process. He advocated a daily review of things to be done - anticipating the context of the next 24 hours. "What should I work on today?'

Perhaps a copy of a copy isn't a sharp as the original. After Dr. Hobbs ideas were popularized by Franklin Planner, and then Franklin-Covey enthusiasts - the notions of "priority" and "prioritizing" took a different direction in their popular usage.  Apparently, many folks began to think of priorities as intrinsic properties of action items, and this created a conflict.

Contrast this: "Working out tomorrow morning is my top priority." (The Dr.  Hobbs "daily prioritization" approach) with: "Working Out is my top priority." Do you see the difference?

The first and proper approach is the product of a frequent process of assessment immediately before opportunity for action. The second is an attempt to assign a priority to an action as an intrinsic characteristic of that action. This essentially elevates that action to the essence of virtue, regardless of time and situation. This second approach inevitably leads to daily conflicts between what I "ought to" be doing, and what I -must do- today.

Apparently, a lot of folks have made this mistake, because the web is buzzing with a "new" approach to time management called "Getting Things Done". (Here is an Amazon book link to the author, David Allen.) Open Source developers have developed an an Android app called "Shuffle" and a web based app called "Tracks" that implement one important concept from the GTD portfolio.

You are no doubt familiar with the basic task list. Evey Desktop email & calendar program seems to have them. There is a field to describe the task, enter a note, a due date, and (sometimes) a "task becomes active after..." date.  Tracks and Shuffle builds on this common structure.

Instead of adding a priority field (leading some down the wrong path), Tracks and Shuffle require that every task be placed in a "context"; a "when" or "where" describing the situation that action is appropriate. People have used "When I am Fresh", "When I Am Tired", "Weekend", "Errand Day", "When I See Jim", and so on.  This helps to automate prioritization. The software creates short, relevant, and "dynamic"  priority lists appropriate to the context.

Both Track and Shuffle support tagging tasks with Project Name, to organize tasks that cumulate in an an objective or sustain a capability. This creates a task matrix and you can shift perspectives with a mouse click. You can view tasks by project, or tasks by context.

There is much more to the GTD methodology, and other programs have attempted to automate other aspects of David Allen's materials. However, I am a fan of the "small sharp & simple tool" approach to automation. Shuffle and Tracks both have very easy learning curves. You use these tools without a lot of preparation, and without a lot of system housekeeping. Both have made the entry of new tasks a simple and fast process with a minimum of extra returns, tabs and clicks to get the task into the system.

iPod users should search for GTD, and may want to settle on an app  that "syncs" tasks, contexts and projects with Tracks,  as Shuffle does. Visit the Tracks developer site, and in the support documentation you will find free Tracks hosting services from small companies that hope to be the next "Twitter". (Be cautious about storing passwords and other sensitive information in these public systems.)

If you are a small business,you may want to look into setting up a TRACKS server for your employees. Just remember, these are tools for personal task management.  They do not replace other collaboration tools such as Google Apps, Zimbra, Drupal, Sharepoint, etc.  A new tool to organize and manage one's personal To-Dos is often the jump start people need to follow through on those new year resolutions!