Daily Planner

Who this is for

One day on one page. The three things that matter most go at the top, the hours of the day run down the left with the smaller jobs in a column alongside, so a full day can be seen at a glance before it starts.

Anyone whose day has more in it than they can hold in their head — people working from home, carers, students, shift workers and anyone who likes a paper day.

What this helps you track

• The three things that must happen today, kept apart from everything else
• Appointments and blocks of work placed against the hour they belong to
• The smaller jobs, ticked off as they go
• What did not get done, which is tomorrow's first line

How to use it

1. Write the date at the top, then the three priorities — the things that would make the day a success on their own.
2. Fill the hourly schedule with fixed appointments first, then block out time for the priorities.
3. Add the smaller jobs to the to-do column, one per line; on screen you can add rows if you run out.
4. Tick things off during the day rather than at the end, and add anything that comes up to the next free line.
5. Before you stop, copy whatever is unfinished onto tomorrow's sheet.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why only three priorities?

Because a list of ten priorities is a to-do list with a grander name. Three is few enough that they can all be done; everything else goes in the to-do column below.

The hours do not match my day. Can I change them?

On paper, cross them out and write your own. In the browser version the hour column is ordinary text, so you can retype any of it or add rows before 07:00 and after 21:00.

Does the online version save my day?

Yes, in your own browser on the device you used, with nothing sent anywhere. Print it or download it as a PDF if you want to keep it beyond that.

Is there a version for the whole week?

The weekly planner has a row for each day with focus, appointments and to-do columns; the daily planner is for the days that need an hour-by-hour plan.