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.
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.
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.
