The to-do list planner for today
Pick three priorities. Put the rest on a checklist. Try it right here, then see a list that plans the day with you.
Today's 3 priorities
Checklist
Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.
The short answer
A to-do list planner is a list that also plans your day. The simple way: three priorities and a checklist, like the planner above. SayBriefly does it for client work: tasks from your calls, Gmail and projects land on one list, Plan My Day picks today's focus, and a task with a time shows on your calendar. Mac and Windows.
How to plan a day with a to-do list
- Dump everything. Every task on the checklist, big or small.
- Pick three. The ones that make today a good day. Start each with a verb.
- Check your calendar. If meetings fill the day, cut to one priority.
- Do the first one first. Before email, if you can.
- Close the day. Press New day tomorrow. Unfinished checklist items carry over, priorities start fresh.
SayBriefly: the to-do list and planner in one
A paper planner waits for you to fill it. In SayBriefly the list fills from your work, and the planning is one click.
Plan My Day
One click. It looks at your calendar, email, notes and projects and picks what to focus on today.
One list
Tasks from calls, email and projects land on the same checklist, each with a link back to where it came from.
Tasks on the calendar
Give a task a time and it shows on your calendar day, next to your meetings. Google Calendar stays in sync.
A focus timer
Pick tasks for a focus round, run the timer and tick them off.
- No mobile app. Mac and Windows, plus a browser extension.
- Gmail only for email. No Outlook yet.
To-do list, planner, or both?
A to-do list answers "what do I have to do?" A planner answers "when will I do it?" Most people keep one and ignore the other, and that is where days go wrong. A long list with no time attached feels endless. A calendar full of meetings with no tasks on it leaves you busy all day and done with nothing.
A to-do list planner joins them. You keep one master list, and each morning you look at your calendar and pick the few tasks that actually fit today. That is the whole method. The planner at the top of this page does the picking step: three priorities, then a checklist for the small stuff.
| Format | Good at | Weak at | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper planner | Focus, no notifications, satisfying to tick | No search, no carry-over, stays at home | Students, one desk, simple days |
| Spreadsheet | Sorting, filters, sharing a sheet | Slow on a phone, easy to let rot | Long project checklists |
| Browser planner (this page) | Fast, nothing to install, prints clean | One browser only, no calendar link | A quick daily plan |
| To-do app | Carry-over, reminders, calendar view | You still type every task in | Busy personal and work lists |
| App fed by your work | Tasks arrive from calls and email with a link to the source | Needs setup and a desktop app | Client work, many meetings |
General trade-offs, not a review of any single product.
Three sample days, planned
The method is the same for everyone. What changes is how much of the day is already taken. Here is how three different people might fill in the planner above.
A freelance designer with two calls
Calendar: a 10:00 check-in and a 15:00 client call. That leaves 8:30 to 10:00 and 11:00 to 13:00 for deep work, so the mockup goes first, in the morning block. The quote is short and fits before lunch. The icons are the "if there is time" slot. After the 15:00 call, anything the client asked for goes straight onto the checklist, not into memory.
A student in exam week
Lectures take 9:00 to 12:00. The past paper needs two unbroken hours, so it goes at 13:00, before energy drops. Flashcards work well in short rounds: four 25-minute sessions with the study timer or the Pomodoro timer. The tutor email takes five minutes and is a priority only because it unblocks tomorrow.
A studio lead with a full calendar
This is the rule "if meetings fill the day, cut to one priority" in action. With five hours booked, a studio lead has maybe ninety minutes of real time. One priority that has to happen, a checklist of quick sign-offs between calls, and nothing else. Writing three priorities on a day like this only guarantees two failures.
A plan that fits the day beats a plan that looks good.
From a daily list to a weekly planner
A daily list works best when it pulls from a weekly one. Ten minutes once a week saves you from deciding everything from scratch each morning.
- Empty your head. Every open task from notes, email, messages and last week's leftovers goes on one list.
- Look at the week's calendar. Count the free blocks of an hour or more. That number is your real capacity.
- Pick the week's three. The three outcomes that would make this a good week. Not tasks, outcomes: "Harbor homepage approved".
- Pencil them in. Put the first step of each on a specific day with a free block.
- Each morning, copy one over. That day's pencilled task becomes priority one in the daily planner.
If you plan in blocks of time, the schedule planner and the time blocking guide go deeper on putting tasks onto the calendar itself.
Copy these planner templates
Paste these into a note, a doc or the planner above. Plain text works anywhere.
Daily to-do list planner
DATE: ____________ Meetings today: ____ hours TOP 3 [ ] 1. ______________________ (the win) [ ] 2. ______________________ [ ] 3. ______________________ (if there is time) CHECKLIST [ ] ______________________ [ ] ______________________ [ ] ______________________ WAITING ON - ______________ from ______ END OF DAY Carry over: ______________________
Weekly to-do planner
WEEK OF: ____________ This week's 3 outcomes 1. ______________________ 2. ______________________ 3. ______________________ MON first step: ______________ TUE first step: ______________ WED first step: ______________ THU first step: ______________ FRI first step: ______________ + review Later / someday - ______________________
After-call checklist
CALL: ____________ DATE: ______ What I promised: [ ] ______________________ by ______ [ ] ______________________ by ______ What they promised: - ______________________ Next call: ______
Common to-do list planner mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Ten priorities | None of them get done, the day feels like a failure | Three at most. One on meeting-heavy days. |
| Vague tasks like "website" | You re-think it every time you read it, then skip it | Start with a verb: "Write the About page intro". |
| Planning without the calendar | You plan six hours of work on a day with four hours of calls | Look at meetings first, then pick tasks. |
| Email before priority one | The morning goes to other people's asks | Do the first priority first, even for thirty minutes. |
| Carrying a task forever | It turns into guilt, not a plan | After three carry-overs: do, split, hand off or delete. |
| Tasks from calls kept in your head | Promises slip and clients notice | Write them down before the next call starts. |
Who a to-do list planner is for
Freelancers
Several clients, each with their own asks. A daily three keeps one client from eating the whole week.
Students
Lectures fix part of the day. The planner fills the gaps with study rounds and small errands.
Studio and team leads
Days full of calls. One real priority plus a checklist of sign-offs between meetings.
Anyone who forgets things
Getting tasks out of your head and onto one list is half the benefit, even before planning.
If most of your tasks come out of meetings and email, that is where a plain planner runs out. You still have to type every promise in. SayBriefly is built for that case: after a call, the action items that are yours can land on your list with a link back to the call, and asks from Gmail do the same. Read more on the to-do list app page or see how the AI meeting assistant handles follow-ups. You can also add a task by voice with dictation: double-tap Shift and say it.
Where to go next
The to-do list app
One list fed from calls, email and projects.
To-do list template
Daily, weekly and work lists to print or download.
Schedule planner
Block out your week and send it to Google Calendar.
Questions people ask
What is a to-do list planner?
A to-do list that also plans your day: it holds everything you need to do, and helps you pick what to do today and when. The mini planner on this page is the simplest version: three priorities and a checklist.
Why only three priorities?
Because a day rarely fits more than three important things next to meetings and email. Finish those and the day was a good one. Everything else goes on the checklist.
Is this to-do planner free?
The mini planner on this page is free and runs in your browser. It saves in this browser only and nothing is sent anywhere.
What is a good to do checklist app?
One you actually keep open. For client work, SayBriefly is a to-do checklist app that fills itself: tasks from your calls and Gmail land on one list with a link to their source, and Plan My Day picks today's focus.
Does SayBriefly work on iPhone or Android?
No. SayBriefly runs on Mac and Windows, with a browser extension. There is no iPhone or Android app yet.
Can I print a to-do list planner?
Yes. Press Print under the mini planner. For a longer list with daily and weekly layouts, use our to-do list template.
What is the difference between a to-do list and a planner?
A to-do list holds tasks. A planner holds time. A to-do list planner joins the two: you keep one list, and each morning you pick the few tasks that fit around the meetings already on your calendar.
How do I make a weekly to-do planner?
On Sunday or Monday morning, list every task for the week, mark the three outcomes that matter most, and pencil the first step of each onto a day with a free block. Each morning, copy that day's pick into today's three priorities.
What should a to-do checklist include?
Small, clear tasks that each start with a verb and finish in one sitting. Anything bigger than an hour or two should be split. Recurring chores can live on the checklist too, so they stop taking up headspace.
How many tasks should be on a daily to-do list?
Three priorities and a short checklist of quick jobs is plenty for most people. If you have more than four hours of meetings, cut to one priority.
What do I do with tasks I never finish?
If a task carries over three days in a row, decide: do it first thing tomorrow, split it into a smaller first step, give it to someone else, or delete it. Carrying it forever only adds noise.
Does SayBriefly schedule my tasks for me?
No. SayBriefly does not auto-schedule. Plan My Day suggests what to focus on, and you choose. If you give a task a time, it shows on your calendar next to your meetings.
It's 4pm on a Friday. The brief is locked, the client is happy, and Scribbble already sent the meeting recap. You close the laptop.
That's the point.
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Studio Bloom
A list that plans
the day with you.
Calls, email and projects feed one list.
Plan My Day picks the focus.
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