With everything you have going on in your busy life, it can seem like there isn’t enough time to complete everything you want to get done.
Work schedules, school calendars, field trips, doctor’s appointments, and other daily commitments are difficult to keep track of in your head.
A daily schedule template can make it all seem more manageable. With only so much time in a day, it’s empowering to plan ahead for what tasks you will complete each day.
We found 7 daily planner templates that will bring clarity and ease to organizing your day and managing your daily routines.
These calendar templates are from Canva, and they are available for your free personal use. Simply click on them to open them in a new window, and print!
We recommend printing in a landscape orientation to gain more writing space.
A good calendar is one of the most effective time management tools, so we hope you find the right planner for you from these options.
Free Printable Daily Planners
1. Classic White
This classic white printable daily planner will help you hone your time management skills.
There’s space for today’s schedule, a section for your main goals and three high priority tasks, a water intake habit tracker, meal tracker for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, gratitude section entitled “I’m Grateful For”, and a notes section to jot down reminders and reflections.
You can even customize this calendar on Canva, but you’ll have to create a free account to do so.
For example, you could customize it so the hours are divided by the half hour or to fit your own schedule in some other way.
2. Minimalist Beige
This simple brown and beige minimalist hourly planner gives you room to write down what needs to get done in each hour starting from 3:00 to midnight (hello, early birds!). It uses military time.
There’s also a section for you to stay focused with one big goal entitled “Today’s Big Goal”, and a space to meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
At the bottom, there’s space for notes that you can use to keep track of important dates, important tasks, reflections on your personal life, etc.
Print one off for all the days of the week, and watch your productivity skyrocket.
3. Simple Pink
This printable planner also divides your day with an hourly schedule starting at 3:00 a.m. to midnight.
It is very similar to the first on this list, offering a space for today’s big goal and general notes, but it also includes space for the date at the top as well as space to write down what you are grateful for each day. The style is softer and more casual.
4. Organic Style
This organic-theme daily calendar offers time blocks to schedule your day from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., plus a space to write the date and day of the week, a to-do list with bullet points and check-off boxes, a mood tracker, and a habit tracker for tracking water intake.
Habit trackers are proven to help form and sustain new habits. They provide a visual cue that reminds you to complete the action you’re trying to track.
It’s satisfying to record the action you’ve completed in the moment. There’s nothing better than checking off a task! They also help motivate you as you see the progress you’ve made. You’ll be incentivized not to break your streak.
The mood tracker can help you better understand your moods, which in turn helps you make better lifestyle and health choices, prevent or avoid triggers of negative moods, and feel better faster.
5. Your Daily Plan
This free template sets you up for success with an hourly planner section from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., a to-do list section with space for five tasks, a reminder section, notes for “tomorrow”, and a space for general notes.
6. Cute Abstract Daily Planner
This whimsical daily planner enables you to plan your day in the hour section from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., plus gives you a space for your to-do list and notes.
7. Pastel Watercolor Planner
This colorful printable daily planner template will brighten your day while helping you manage your time effectively. There’s space to plan by the hour from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., manage your to-do list, and take notes. We love the nostalgic 90’s style.
Tips for Creating a Daily Schedule:
1. Start with what you’re already doing.
Begin by reflecting and making note of what you’re already doing. When do you typically wake up? What do you do right after you wake up? When do you normally leave for work or school? When do you eat meals? When do you typically go to bed?
By taking an honest inventory of what you’re currently doing, you’ll naturally find a part of the day that could be used in a better way to move towards your personal and professional goals.
2. Choose your “Big 3” each day.
There’s only so much time in the day, so it’s important that you identify the three biggest tasks you’d like to complete that day. They might be urgent tasks that have a deadline or important tasks that you’ve been putting off.
It’s not that you’ll only get three things done all day, but by focusing on the top three most important things to do, you are prioritizing your time effectively, gaining personal momentum, and the other tasks you complete are icing on the cake.
Pro Tip: Some people choose to create a Big 3 for the entire week, as well.
3. Carve out time for fun and connection.
It’s normal for daily planners to be filled up with appointments, daily tasks, chores, extra-curricular activities and other mundane items.
But you can also use your daily planner to be more intentional with your time and ensure it reflect what’s really important to you.
Schedule time for one-on-one time with each of your children. Make a dinner reservation for you and your partner to have some alone time. Set aside time to learn or practice a musical instrument or take a pottery class.
By being intentional with your time each day, you can help ensure that your schedule reflects your true priorities. It’s your life, after all. Nothing is more important than how you spend your time.
4. Don’t forget weekends.
It’s easy to scoff at making a daily plan for the weekend. And yet, many people wonder where the time goes on the weekend, and feel like their time was not as well spent as it could have been. The weekend days can benefits from a daily plan, as well, but with a very different focus.
Plan intentionally for how you will rest and rejuvenate. Is there a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try? A book you’ve been wanting to read? When will you exercise and be active? When will you nap?
How can you set up your weekend so that when Monday arrives, you will feel rejuvenated and ready for the week?
Write down an intentional plan for resting and rejuvenating on your weekend days for a more balanced and productive life.
4. Revisit regularly.
Your schedule needs tweaking. School and work schedules shift, your goals evolve, and your personal growth may necessitate a change of your daily routines and schedule.
Revisiting your daily schedule on a regular basis (monthly or quarterly, for example), ensures that your time and energy is well-spent.
Benefits of Using a Daily Planner:
Using a daily planner helps you manage your time, increase your productivity in your personal and professional life, and it means you’re less likely to forget something important. This naturally leads to less stress, and can also help you be intentional and free up time for fun and creative pursuits.
We hope these printable planners help you manage your busy daily life, work schedule, and personal goals.
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Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
