[dmux]

As other people have said, to-do lists are great, but one thing I'd like to point out is that using a physical notebook over an electronic method of recording things has -- at least for me -- been highly beneficial. I carry a pen and small (fits in my back pocket) notebook everywhere I go. Taking hand written notes and doodling along side them is an excellent way to help your memory. Also, the slower act of manually writing can be very therapeutic.

[greenyoda]

In addition to a to-do list, I started several years ago to keep a running log of what I'm working on from moment to moment. In the short term, it's useful for getting back into the flow of work after an interruption like a phone call or a meeting - you don't have to remember what you were doing when you were interrupted and what you wanted to try next. In the long term, it lets you go back and figure out why you did something a particular way. I'd prefer to be able to use a paper notebook for this since that would make it possible to draw diagrams and such, but I reluctantly use a text editor so that it's more easily searchable.