While I was sorting some of my email at work today I came up with quite a useful idea for an Outlook based to-do list based on a search folder.

The setup:

1. Create a new search folder (File > New > Search Folder)
2. Scroll down to “Create a Custom Search folder”
3. Give it a name, and click “Criteria”
4. Got to the advanced tab, select Field > Frequently Used Fields > Follow up flag and set this to match “is not empty”
5. (Optional) You can also set other options here to narrow the list
6. With your search folder created open it and right click on the headings at the top of the message list, select “Field Chooser”
7. Select “All Mail Fields” > “Due By”
8. Click the due by heading to sort into date due

There you have it, a quick to-do list. To extend this a bit you could send yourself emails for other tasks and set the follow up date to when they need to be done by.

(I’ve only had chance to test this in Outlook 2003 (I think) as I use Thunderbird at home, but the same principal may hold for other versions).