Free To-Do List Template (Printable PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the to-do list template

Tick box

The whole point of a paper list. Ticking a task off is satisfying in a way that deleting it from an app is not, and a page of ticks is a record of a productive day.

Priority

High, medium or low, or A, B and C. Mark it as you write the task, then work through the A items first.

Due date

When it has to be done, not when you would like to do it. Tasks without a real deadline can stay blank.

Categories

On the categorized list: work, home, errands and calls. You cannot pick up dry cleaning from your desk, so group tasks by where they can be done.

Date added and date done

On the running list. A task that has been on the list for three weeks is either not important or needs breaking into smaller steps.

How to make a to-do list that works

Write tasks as actions you could start right now: "call the dentist to move Leo's appointment", not "dentist". Vague items sit on the list for weeks because the first step is unclear. Keep each task small enough to finish in one sitting; anything bigger becomes a project with its own steps. Mark the priority as you write, and pick one item as the most important for the day before you start anything else. At the end of the day, cross out what is done, move what is still needed to tomorrow's list, and drop anything you have stopped caring about. A list that only ever grows becomes something you avoid looking at.

Which version to print

• Classic: one list for everything, twenty-eight lines, priority and due date. Most people need nothing more.
• Categorized: for people juggling a job, a household and family logistics. When you're out, look at errands; when you've ten minutes by the phone, look at calls.
• Running list: for people who lose tasks between pages or notebooks. Each sheet is numbered and open tasks carry forward with their original date, so you can see what keeps slipping.

For a list built around one day with a schedule, use the daily to-do list; for the week laid out by day, the weekly to-do list; for sorting by importance, the priority to-do list; for a team with owners and status, the task list template.

Paper or app?

Apps are better for recurring reminders and for sharing with other people. Paper is better for actually doing the work: a printed list on the desk is always visible, never buzzes, and doesn't tempt you into a different app. Plenty of people use both, keeping long-term and shared tasks in an app and copying today's handful onto paper in the morning. The fillable PDF sits in between: type the list on a computer or tablet, save it with the date, and print it if you want it on the desk.

Common to-do list mistakes

• Too many items for one day. Twenty tasks on a day's list guarantees a sense of failure. Five to ten realistic items is plenty.
• Mixing projects and tasks. "Plan the trade show" is a project; "book flights for the trade show" is a task.
• No priorities. Without them you do the easy things first and the important one at 5 PM.
• Never reviewing it. A weekly look at the whole list, deleting what no longer matters, keeps it trustworthy.

Editing the Word and Excel versions

In Word, change the column headings (replace "Priority" with "Project" or "Client"), add lines, or put your name and the categories you use into the header before printing a stack. In Excel, the lists sort and filter: sort by due date or priority, filter out the done items, and keep a running list on one sheet for months. The ODT and ODS versions open in LibreOffice and Google Docs.

Questions

How many tasks should be on a to-do list?

For a single day, five to ten realistic tasks, with one marked as most important. A longer master list is fine as long as you pick from it each day.

What is the best way to prioritize a to-do list?

Mark each task A (must be done today), B (should be done soon) or C (nice to do), and work through the A tasks first. The priority to-do list has more structured methods.

Can I type into the to-do list?

Yes. The task lines, priorities, dates and tick boxes are all fillable in the PDF. Open it in Acrobat Reader, Edge, Chrome or Preview.

What is a running to-do list?

A single list you keep adding to over days or weeks, dating each task when it's added and when it's done, and carrying open items to the next sheet.

Is there a version for a team?

Use the task list template, which has columns for owner, due date, status and percentage complete.