I guess you're after something practical. What I do is keep my action items away from my work environment, it helps keep me focussed. I keep a pad next to my desk, I write down each action item for the day at the top and half way down start keeping notes. When I've finished a task I tick it off, anything not ticked can be carried over to the next day (if it's still relevant). Been using it for about 3 years, I find it keeps me productive and helps me remember things. I've tried all kinds of software solutions, nothing works better for me.
