Free tool
Free printable to-do list template, with the goal each task moves
Write today's tasks, put the three that matter most at the top, and mark which goal each one moves. The list prints on one A4 or Letter page or saves as a PDF, with a box to tick beside every task. It's free, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Make your to-do list
Fill in as much as you like. The list beside the form fills in as you type and prints on one A4 or Letter page.
Print this page for a blank to-do list to fill in by hand: use your browser's Print command (Ctrl+P, or Command+P on a Mac).
To do
Goals
- A
- B
- C
Top three
| Done | Task | Goal |
|---|---|---|
If there's time
| Done | Task | Goal |
|---|---|---|
Notes
Free template from leapsteps.ai/tools/to-do-list-template
How to write a to-do list you'll finish
A list you finish beats a long one you don't. Four moves, the first time and every day after.
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Start with the top three
Before anything else, write the three tasks that would make today count if nothing else got done. They go at the top, so you see them first and do them first.
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Make each task one sitting
Start each task with a verb and keep it small enough to finish in one go: call, send, book, read. "Taxes" can sit on a list for weeks. "Find last year's tax return" gets ticked off tonight.
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Mark the goal it moves
Write your goals as A, B and C, then give each task the letter of the goal it moves. Errands can stay without a letter. If none of the top three has one, swap one in, so every day moves something you care about.
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Write tomorrow's list before you stop
In studies by E. J. Masicampo and Roy Baumeister, an unfinished goal kept intruding on people's thoughts during other tasks until they made a specific plan for it. Writing tomorrow's top three before you stop for the day is that plan.
Why each task names a goal
A to-do list on its own says what to do and nothing about why. That's fine for errands, but it's how a whole week fills up with tasks that don't move anything you care about. A letter beside each task fixes that at a glance: if A, B and C barely appear, the week went to other people's priorities.
The research points the same way. In a review of 35 years of studies, the psychologists Edwin Locke and Gary Latham found people do better when they know why a goal matters and can see their progress. The letters give each task its reason, and the ticked boxes beside them show the progress.
When the list stops working
Every list breaks sometimes. Here's what to do when yours does.
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The list is longer than the day.
Plan fewer tasks. In five studies with 465 students, Roger Buehler and colleagues found people expected to finish tasks sooner than they did, and the bias went away when they connected the estimate to how long similar tasks had taken before. Count how many you finished yesterday and plan about that many.
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One task keeps moving to tomorrow.
It's probably too big or too vague. Ask what the first physical step is, write that as the task, and put it in the top three tomorrow.
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A week passes and goal B never shows up.
Give it one small task at the top of tomorrow's list, even a ten-minute one. Then decide whether B is still a goal you want, or one to set aside for now.
Sources checked October 24, 2026.
Questions, answered
What should a to-do list template include?
A to-do list template should hold the date, the tasks and a box to tick beside each one. This one adds three parts that make a list easier to finish. The top three go first, so the tasks that matter most don't get buried under errands. Up to seven more go under "If there's time", which says what they are: welcome, not required. And a goal column lets you mark which of your goals each task moves, so you can see at a glance whether today is doing anything for them. There's a short notes line at the bottom for phone numbers and reminders.
Is the template free, and does it save what I type?
It's free, and it saves nothing. There's no account or sign-up. What you type stays on this page in your browser: it isn't sent to us or to anyone else, and no AI reads it. Close or reload the tab and it's gone, so print the list or save it as a PDF before you leave. If you'd rather write by hand, leave the form empty and print the blank list. A printed list also works where a phone doesn't: on the desk beside you, where it can't send you notifications.
How do I print the list or save it as a PDF?
Press Print or save as PDF, then choose where the list goes in your browser's print dialog. In Chrome and Edge, set the destination to Save as PDF. In Firefox, choose Save to PDF. In Safari on a Mac, open the PDF menu at the bottom of the dialog and choose Save as PDF. On Android, pick Save as PDF from the printer list. On iPhone and iPad, tap the Share button in the print options, then Save to Files. The list fits one A4 or Letter page, so leave the scale at its default. Your browser may add the date and the page address in the margins; you can turn those off in the same dialog.
How many tasks should go on a daily to-do list?
Fewer than you think. People tend to expect to finish tasks sooner than they do, and in Roger Buehler's studies the bias went away only when they connected the estimate to how long similar tasks had taken before. So count how many you finished yesterday and plan about that many. That's why this list has three places at the top and seven under "If there's time": three you commit to, and the rest only if the day allows. If you tick off all ten most days, plan a little more.
Should I make a daily or a weekly to-do list?
Both, at different sizes. A weekly plan, like the weekly planner template, says what this week is for and which day each task goes on, and a daily list takes that day's tasks. Make the daily list the night before or first thing, from the weekly one, with the top three on top. Use a fresh sheet each day rather than crossing out and rewriting one long list: tasks that didn't happen either move to tomorrow on purpose or come off the list. For planning a goal across weeks, the goal setting worksheet is the bigger picture this list fits into.
Can I keep this list in LeapSteps instead?
Yes, if you'd rather keep it on your phone or computer. LeapSteps is our app, a to-do list where any task can link to a goal's next step. You write the long-term goal in your own words, and when you tap Generate on the mid-term or short-term step, AI drafts three options; keep one, edit it or write your own. Finished steps move to Steps achieved, so you can see how far the goal has come. It can't import this list, so you'd type the tasks in again. LeapSteps is free to start, and Pro comes with a 7-day free trial. The template stays free either way.
Keep today's list next to the goal
LeapSteps puts this list on your phone or computer, so each task can point to the goal it moves and the next step is waiting when this one's done. LeapSteps is out now on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows.
Get LeapSteps
Free to start. Pro comes with a 7-day free trial.
Keep going
- Goal guide How to achieve your goals The method behind the list: start with today's tasks.
- Free tool Goal setting worksheet Write one goal at three levels, add this week's tasks and print it on one page.
- Guide How to stop procrastinating Six moves to start the task you keep putting off, and what to do after a slip.
- Comparison To-do list vs goal planner What each one is for, and how to get the best of both.