Having a daily to do list can help you stay on top of tasks and keep you focused. Whether you’re a busy parent who needs to keep track of your kids’ extra-curricular clubs, or love to plan out your work tasks, having a daily to-do list can help to ensure nothing gets missed.

Read on as we break down the different to-do lists and provide some template ideas as inspiration – so you can get started creating the perfect lists for your needs.

The benefits of using a to-do list.

Using a daily or weekly to-do list comes with a wealth of benefits. Some of these include:

• Focus and prioritisation. To-do-lists help you focus on what’s important and ensure that tasks are completed in a priority order.
• Organisation.  Not only does a to-do list help keep your tasks organised, but it also helps to plan your thoughts and make sure nothing is missed or forgotten.
• Reduce procrastination.  Having a to-do list in front of you can reduce procrastination by clearly outlining what needs to be done and by when.
• Track progress.  You can easily track progress with a to-do list and feel a sense of achievement when things start getting crossed off. Plus, it’s super satisfying.

Daily to-do list ideas.

If you want to start a to-do list, we’ve got some ideas below to get you started. Daily to-do list tasks don’t need to be big – they can be simple. And, while tasks will have priorities, no task is too small to be included.

1. Set a time to get up and ready.

Getting up early gives you more hours in the day. It could mean you have more time to make a balanced breakfast or have some you-time and watch your favourite TV shows. Or it could give you time to pick up your favourite coffee on the way to work.

2. Organise daily tasks by priority.

Whether you list in priority order to start with or you make your list and then reorder the tasks, prioritising them is essential. Decide which tasks need to be done ASAP and give each a deadline. For example, “Making party invites” for an upcoming event will be more of a priority over ”Make bread” as there is a deadline assigned to the task.

3. Factor in time for exercise.

Planning time for exercise is important, and this can be adjusted to suit your day. If you only have 20 minutes free in the afternoon, instead of planning a full workout at the gym, why not plan a 20-minute walk around your area?

4. Don’t neglect downtime.

Factor in time for you to relax and wind down. Whether it’s taking screen breaks and having a little tea or coffee break, or picking up a book for 15 minutes – downtime is important. For example, in your to-do list, this might look like: “6:30pm-7:30pm: Read Wuthering Heights”.

5. Put the day to rest before bedtime.

If something didn’t get done on yesterday’s daily to-do list, simply move it to another day. Try not to dwell on tasks that you didn’t complete. If they’re in priority order, you go to bed knowing the important tasks are all tied up.

10 free daily to-do list ideas.

Ways to approach your weekly to-do list.

Weekly to-do lists give you a much broader scope of what’s to come. These usually include much bigger tasks than your daily to-do list and can help shape your week.

1. Plan your week.

Using a weekly to-do list to plan everything from your days out to your meals into your calendar can remove the mental load of thinking about what you have coming up. It can also ensure you never miss a birthday or dinner date again.

2. Review your weekly budget.

Weekly to-do lists can also help you review your weekly budget. If you plan days out or trips to your favourite coffee shop, you can add those into your budget and see where on your to-do list you’ll be spending money.

3. Set time aside for chores.

Chores are something we know we need to do (not want to do). You can either plan to do one each day of the week or choose one day to tackle them all.

4. Schedule time to socialise and rest on the weekend.

One of the most important things to plan into your weekly to-do list is time for yourself and for catching up with friends. It’s not all about getting ‘jobs’ done, it’s about making things easier for yourself – and resting and socialising is an important part of that!

5. Meal prep.

Whether you cook new meals every day or meal prep for the whole week, planning what you’re eating and making each day can help you keep on top of the cooking.

10 editable weekly to-do lists from Adobe Express.

Monthly to-do list ideas and inspiration.

Try planning your monthly to-do list first and then let the smaller weekly and daily tasks branch off, Or perhaps try tackling the bigger monthly tasks last – as long as they’re not time-sensitive, of course.

1. Identify your most important tasks for the month.

Break down all of your tasks for the month. You can then separate them into daily and weekly jobs and prioritise them.

2. Be flexible with your time.

Priorities change and things come up. Monthly to-do lists should be made with some level of flexibility and movement.

3. Set out your budget for the month.

Setting out a monthly budget will help you to decide what weekly tasks can be done and when. If you want to factor in a day trip somewhere, knowing your budget will help.

4. Confirm appointments.

Make sure all of your already-booked appointments are the first ones on the to-do list. If these need to be changed you can make that a priority.

5. Learn a new skill.

If you’re wanting to learn a new skill or work on personal development, add this to the monthly to-do list. This is a big thing which doesn’t take one day to achieve. For example, you might want to take up a new sport, pick up a craft or learn how to bake. As long as you put some time aside – the opportunities are endless.

6. Check and respond to emails.

Are there mailing lists that you need to unsubscribe from? Is your inbox overflowing and are people waiting for responses? Add this to your list to organise your emails. You’ll thank yourself later.

7. Review last month.

You should make a note to reflect on and review the last month in your to-do-list. You can see what you did, what you didn’t do and note if there’s anything that needs improving on. For example, you may notice you’re always skipping your Wednesday morning gym session – could this be changed to an evening walk or run instead?

8. Put your to-do list somewhere you’ll see it.

Once you’ve made your to-do list, you need to place it somewhere you’ll see it. This could be on:

• The fridge
• The wall next to your bed
• Your desk
• Your phone’s lock screen.

10 simple monthly to-do list template ideas.

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Good to know.

What are the four types of to-do lists?

The four types of to-do lists include: daily to-do lists, weekly to-do lists, monthly to-do lists and a rolling list – which gets done when you have the time.

What should I do first on my to-do list?

You should always aim to complete your highest-priority tasks first. If you start with the most important items, those that definitely need to be done that day will get done. Then, if you still have time to complete the lesser important items, you can look at tackling them later.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 2GB of storage. See our  pricing page for details and to compare plans.