The short answer
A to-do list template is a ready-made layout for your tasks, so you start writing instead of setting up. The one above has three layouts, saves in your browser and exports to paper, text or a spreadsheet.
SayBriefly makes a to-do app for Mac and Windows where the list can fill itself from your calls and email. This template is the plain version: no account, no app, just a list that works.
How to use a to-do list template
- Pick a layout. Daily for one day, Weekly to plan the week, Work to split tasks by what they wait on.
- Dump everything first. Type every task into Later. Do not sort yet. Press Enter after each one.
- Pull three into Today. Use the arrows to move the tasks that matter most to the top section.
- Check them off. Tick a box when it is done. Press Clear done at the end of the day.
- Keep a copy. Print it for your desk, or download .csv to open it in Excel or Google Sheets.
Daily, weekly or work: which template to use
Daily to-do list
Must do, Should do, Could do. Best when your day is full and you need to see what can slip.
Weekly to-do list
Monday to Friday plus the weekend. Best for planning on Sunday night or Monday morning.
Work to-do list
Today, Waiting on others, Later. Best when half your tasks are stuck on someone else's reply.
Keep the list short
Most lists fail by getting long, not by being badly laid out. A few rules that help:
Start every task with a verb
"Send Lena the invoice" gets done. "Invoice" sits there for a week, because you have to work out what it means each time you read it.
Three to five tasks in Today
If Today has twelve things, it is not a plan. Move the rest to This week or Later and be honest about what fits.
Write where it came from
"Reply to Sam about the logo (email, Tuesday)" saves you a search later. A paper list can't link back to the email. That is the part an app can do.
The hard part is not the list. It is remembering to write it down.
Filled-in examples
A blank template is easier to use once you have seen a good one. Here is how three people might fill in the layouts above.
Daily: a freelancer's Tuesday
Two items in Must do, not five. On a day with two client calls, that is what fits. Could do is where tasks go to be dropped without guilt.
Weekly: a student's exam week
Each day has one study task that needs a long block and one small errand. Short study rounds work well with the study timer or the 25-minute timer.
Work: a studio lead's week
The Waiting on section is the one most templates miss. It stops you from redoing work that is blocked, and it gives you a ready list to chase at the start of each call.
Plain text templates to copy
No tool needed. Paste these into Notes, a doc, an email draft or a sticky note app.
Simple daily to-do list
TO DO: ____________ (date) MUST DO [ ] ______________________ [ ] ______________________ SHOULD DO [ ] ______________________ [ ] ______________________ COULD DO [ ] ______________________
Weekly to-do list
WEEK OF: ____________ MON [ ] ______________ [ ] ______________ TUE [ ] ______________ [ ] ______________ WED [ ] ______________ [ ] ______________ THU [ ] ______________ [ ] ______________ FRI [ ] ______________ [ ] ______________ WEEKEND [ ] __________ [ ] ______________ NEXT WEEK - ______________________
Work to-do list
TODAY [ ] ______________________ (client / project) [ ] ______________________ WAITING ON - ____________ from ____________ since ______ LATER - ______________________
Daily checklist (repeats every day)
[ ] Check calendar and pick today's top task [ ] Clear inbox to under 10 [ ] Write down tasks from every call [ ] Update Waiting on [ ] Pick tomorrow's first task before logging off
Paper, spreadsheet or app?
The same template works in any format. Which one suits you depends on how often your list changes.
| Format | Good at | Weak at |
|---|---|---|
| Printed template | No distractions, easy to glance at, satisfying to tick | No carry-over, you rewrite unfinished tasks |
| Excel or Google Sheets | Sorting, filters, due-date columns, sharing | Fiddly on a phone, easy to stop opening |
| This browser template | Nothing to install, exports to print, .txt and .csv | Saved in one browser on one device |
| To-do app | Carry-over, reminders, calendar view | You still type every task in |
| App fed by calls and email | Tasks arrive with a link to where they came from | Needs a desktop app and some setup |
General trade-offs, not a review of any single product.
Turn this into an Excel or Google Sheets to-do list
- Download .csv from the buttons above the template.
- Open it. In Excel, open the file directly. In Google Sheets, use File, then Import, then Upload.
- Add a Due column next to the task column and fill in dates for anything with a deadline.
- Turn on a filter on the header row, then sort by Due or filter Done to hide finished tasks.
- Insert check boxes in the done column if you want clickable ticks (Insert, then Checkbox in Google Sheets).
Common to-do list mistakes and fixes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| One long list of forty things | Split by when: Today, This week, Later. Only look at Today. |
| Tasks that are really projects, like "launch site" | Write the next physical step: "Send Dev the final copy doc". |
| No Waiting on section | Move blocked tasks there with the name and date you asked. |
| Rewriting the whole list every morning | Keep the list, and only move three tasks into Today. |
| Never clearing finished tasks | Press Clear done at the end of each day. |
| Forgetting what you promised on calls | Write call tasks down before the next meeting starts, or let an app capture them. |
Who this template is for
Freelancers
Use Work, and keep one line per client in Waiting on.
Students
Use Weekly for exam weeks, Daily for normal term days.
Team leads
Use Work. Today stays short, Waiting on gets long.
Need to plan the day around your meetings too? The to-do list planner helps you pick today's three priorities, and the schedule planner puts tasks into time blocks.
A list that fills itself
A template only holds what you type. Most tasks don't start as a thought; they start on a call or in an email, and they get lost between the call ending and you opening your list.
The SayBriefly to-do list app is one list fed from your calls, email and client projects. Switch on auto tasks, and after a call the action items that are yours land on the list. Each task keeps a link to the call or email it came from, and tasks with a time show on your calendar.
Example of the layout. Auto tasks from calls and email are off until you switch them on.
From calls
No bot joins. Your action items reach the list after the call.
From Gmail
Asks and deadlines in your email become tasks, linked to the thread.
By voice
Double-tap Shift and say the task. It is typed where your cursor is.
Want to plan tasks by the hour? See calendar to-do list. On a Mac? Read the best to-do list app for Mac. Need to focus on one task? Use the Pomodoro timer.
Questions people ask about to-do list templates
Is this to-do list template free?
Yes. The template on this page is free to use in your browser, with no sign up. Your list stays in this browser, and you can print it, copy it or download it as a .txt or .csv file.
Where is my list saved?
In your browser's local storage on this device. Nothing is sent to us. If you clear your browser data or use a private window, the list is gone, so download a copy if it matters.
Can I use this as a weekly to-do list template?
Yes. Switch the layout to Weekly and you get a section for each part of the week. You can rename any section and add your own.
Can I open it in Excel or Google Sheets?
Download it as .csv. Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets all open it, with one row per task and columns for section, task and done.
Can I print a to-do list template?
Yes. Press Print and the page prints only the list, with check boxes, in black and white.
What is the best way to organize a to-do list?
Split it by when, not by topic: Today, This week, Later. Keep Today to three to five tasks, start each task with a verb, and move anything you keep skipping to Later.
What is a daily to-do list template?
A short list for one day, usually split into must do, should do and could do. It is the Daily layout in the tool above.
Is there a to-do list template for Excel?
Yes. Fill in the template above and download it as .csv. Excel opens it with one row per task. Add a Due column and a filter and you have a sortable to-do list.
Can I use this as a Google Sheets to-do list template?
Yes. Download .csv, then in Google Sheets choose File, Import, Upload. You can add check boxes to the done column from the Insert menu.
What is a printable to-do checklist?
A list with empty boxes you tick by hand. Press Print above and the page prints only your list with check boxes, or copy one of the plain text templates on this page.
What goes in a work to-do list template?
Three sections: Today, Waiting on others, and Later. The Waiting on section is what makes it a work list, because so many work tasks are stuck on someone else.
How often should I update my to-do list?
Twice a day is enough: pick Today's tasks in the morning and clear done tasks at the end of the day. Once a week, move old tasks from Later or delete them.
How is a to-do list app different from a template?
A template is a blank list you fill in yourself. An app like SayBriefly can add tasks for you from your calls and email when you switch that on, keep a link to where each task came from, and put tasks with times on your calendar.
