diff --git a/awesome/background_widget.lua b/awesome/background_widget.lua
index 62bede1..dfd5b10 100644
--- a/awesome/background_widget.lua
+++ b/awesome/background_widget.lua
@@ -37,46 +37,50 @@ end
 
 function add_background_widget(s)
 
-    local f = io.open(todo_path, "rb")
+    awful.spawn.easy_async_with_shell(":", function()
 
-    if f ~= nil then
+        local f = io.open(todo_path, "rb")
 
-        local content = f:read("*all")
-        f:close()
+        if f ~= nil then
 
-        todo = json.parse(content)
+            local content = f:read("*all")
+            f:close()
 
-        local margin = 25
+            todo = json.parse(content)
 
-        local l = wibox.layout {
-            homogeneous   = true,
-            spacing       = margin,
-            forced_num_cols = 3,
-            layout        = wibox.layout.grid,
-        }
+            local margin = 25
 
-        l:set_orientation('horizontal')
+            local l = wibox.layout {
+                homogeneous   = true,
+                spacing       = margin,
+                forced_num_cols = 3,
+                layout        = wibox.layout.grid,
+            }
 
-        local widgets = {}
+            l:set_orientation('horizontal')
+
+            local widgets = {}
+
+            for key, val in pairs(todo) do
+                l:add(todo_list_widget(val, s))
+            end
+
+            background_widget = awful.wibar({
+                screen = s,
+                height = s.geometry.height,
+                bg = "#00000000",
+            })
+
+            background_widget:setup {
+                wibox.container.margin(l, margin, margin, margin, margin),
+                layout = wibox.layout.manual
+            }
+
+            background_widget:struts({left=0, right=0, top=0, bottom=0})
 
-        for key, val in pairs(todo) do
-            l:add(todo_list_widget(val, s))
         end
 
-        background_widget = awful.wibar({
-            screen = s,
-            height = s.geometry.height,
-            bg = "#00000000",
-        })
-
-        background_widget:setup {
-            wibox.container.margin(l, margin, margin, margin, margin),
-            layout = wibox.layout.manual
-        }
-
-        background_widget:struts({left=0, right=0, top=0, bottom=0})
-
-    end
+    end)
 
 end