It can be tough to stay on top of everything when you’re a busy professional. From handling emails and attending meetings to taking care of deadlines, there’s always something vying for your attention. That’s why it’s helpful to have some work planning templates in your arsenal.
Daily, weekly, and monthly planner templates can help you map out your time and ensure that you’re staying on task. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or bogged down by your workload, these templates can give you the breathing room you need to reevaluate your priorities and create a plan of action.
According to a study conducted by Gloria Mark of the University of California, “It takes employees approximately 23 minutes to refocus on a task after they get distracted.”
“It takes employees approximately 23 minutes to refocus on a task after they get distracted.” Click To TweetThat’s why we’ve gathered 12 professional work templates to help all you hard-working professionals plan your days, weeks, and months more effectively. From to-do lists to goal tracking charts, we’ve got you covered.
Now, let’s dive into the 12 best work planning templates in 2022!
What Is a Work Planning Template?
A work planning template is a document that outlines the steps and timeframes necessary to complete a task or a project. It typically includes space for the task or project name, a brief description, and columns for tracking start and end dates, assigned personnel, and completion status. It can be used by individuals or teams and can be tailored to fit specific needs.
Work plan templates can be created in Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet applications. However, building out the first version of these templates can often be a time-consuming and tedious task. It is often easier to adapt an existing template from a project management tool like monday.com which curates a template library of over 200.
👉 Explore monday.com’s free work planning templates
Why Should You Use a Work Planning Template?
A work planning template is a way to organize and track the tasks you need to do to achieve a goal. It can help you stay focused and avoid procrastination. A work planning template can ensure that all the important tasks are completed on time. Having a work plan will also help you stay focused and avoid distractions especially if you are working remotely.
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Daily Work Planning Templates
A daily work planning template is a tool used to help map out and plan your day-to-day tasks. It helps you stay organized and on track during the course of a day. It can help ensure that all tasks are accounted for, and that important deadlines are not forgotten. Most templates include a section for daily goals, as well as a list of to-dos that need to be completed.
1) Daily Recap Flow
The Daily Recap Flow is a great way for employees and managers alike to summarize their work in an easy-to-understand format. You get the highlights of what’s going on with your projects, while also learning about any roadblocks or plans that may be slowing them down!
Why we love this daily work template: The Daily Recap Flow allows you to customize reports and include information like progress updates and any business plans for collaboration with other teams or managers in charge of specific projects throughout. This gives both parties an idea about how their allocated tasks are going and promotes transparency.
Tip: Reduce the number of in-person meetings by obtaining more useful information from your staff and their progress thanks to the Daily Recap Flow.
Where to get started: Daily Recap Flow
2) Daily Task Tracker
The Daily Task Tracker is the perfect way to get your day started on the right foot. This template will help you track your daily responsibilities and improve your time management so you can reach your goals.
Why we love this daily work template: Thanks to this user-friendly work planning template, you’ll be able to work more efficiently and effectively towards crossing items off of your list, manage deadlines better, prioritize important tasks, and achieve more in less time!
Tip: You may add, categorize and arrange your responsibilities and tasks in order of importance.
Where to get started: Daily Task Tracker
3) Productivity Planner
The Productivity Planner is designed to help you focus on your top priorities for the day. It includes a daily ‘To Do List’, as well as sections for reminders, deadlines, and follow-up items.
Why we love this daily work template: You can print out the planner templates for each day of the week, so you always have it with you when you need it. Plus, there are helpful tips throughout the planner that will teach you how to be more productive and organized in your work life.
Tip: Download the digital file instantly, print it out and start planning.
Where to get started: Productivity Planner
Weekly Work Planning Templates
A weekly work planning template is a document that outlines the tasks or goals that need to be accomplished during a given week. It can be used by individuals, teams, or organizations to track progress and ensure that all necessary work is completed.
4) Weekly Activity Planner
The Weekly Activity Planner is a dynamic dashboard that makes it easier to track all of your tasks. The template makes use of the drag-and-drop method. Simply choose your preferred sticky notes style from the supplied library, copy and paste into the Weekly Planner, resize as necessary, and input your activity or task.
Why we love this weekly work template: By using this planner, you will be able to accomplish more! You will have a plan that is tailored specifically to you and your goals. Plus, with this easy-to-use interface, you will be able to get started right away without any hassle.
Tip: Rows and stickers can be added with ease, making it ideal for people who are new to Excel templates.
Where to get started: Weekly Activity Planner
5) Weekly To-Do List
The Weekly To-Do List template can help you handle your time and responsibilities better. You may quickly move items around, establish due dates, and keep track of how long it takes to accomplish them. This will assist you in keeping track of your important activities and weekly to-dos.
Why we love this weekly work template: The Weekly To-Do List Template makes it easy to stay organized and in command of your job. You’ll be informed of deadlines, so you won’t have to worry about missing a beat again. Additionally, tasks may be easily prioritized based on their significance or urgency. With the Weekly To-Do List Template, you can get more done in less time!
Tip: With just a few clicks, you can export the template to Excel, as well as import your Excel file and convert it into a monday.com board in a matter of minutes.
Where to get started: Weekly To-Do List
6) Weekly Agenda
The Weekly Agenda is a planner that breaks down your work week into an easy and simple flow. You can plan out everything that needs to get done, prioritize, segment the tasks, track progress, move the priorities around, and cross them out. Having a planner like this will help you stay on top of your work and prevent burnout.
Why we love this weekly work template: With the Weekly Agenda, you can finally have a clear understanding of what needs to get done each week. This will increase your productivity, and you’ll feel less overwhelmed.
Tip: Select and organize the project’s personnel. Tag them so they may communicate their priorities or provide feedback, updates, or necessary information.
Where to get started: Weekly Agenda
Monthly Work Planning Templates
A monthly work planning template outlines the specific tasks that need to be completed each month to achieve specific goals. Most templates include a section for monthly goals, as well as a section for weekly assignments that correspond to the monthly goals. A monthly work plan template includes space for you to list out your goals, objectives, and tasks for the month, as well as a calendar to help you keep track of deadlines, milestones, and any new project.
7) Editable Monthly Planner
The Editable Monthly Planner features a template for each month, along with a general template you can use interchangeably. Prioritize your to-do list, focus on deadlines, get helpful reminders, organize communication, and make notes in the free space.
Why we love this monthly work template: The Editable Monthly Planner allows you to arrange your to-do list, add reminders, notes, and more in follow-up sections.
Tip: Take advantage of the fact that once you own the file, you can print out as many copies as you’d like to!
Where to get started: Editable Monthly Planner
8) Work Plan
Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list? The Work Plan template is the solution for you. It’s an online tool that helps you create a plan and then break it down into actionable steps. You can then assign team members to each step and monitor project goals and work progress at every stage.
Why we love this monthly work template: You’ll be able to work on the most important tasks first and avoid getting bogged down by distractions. Plus, with this work plan template’s time tracking feature, you’ll know exactly how much time each task took so you can optimize your workflow in the future.
Tip: Start by selecting one of more than 200+ pre-made layouts or adding and rearranging as many as 30 different column types to build the ideal process.
Where to get started: Work Plan
9) Wins List Template
If you ever get frustrated by your never-ending to-do list, then the Wins List Flow has you covered! It’s a task management template that encourages you to focus on your achievements rather than all of the things left undone. As a result, you can break free from procrastination and feel more productive in general.
Why we love this monthly work template: You deserve to celebrate every accomplishment, no matter how small it may seem. You can use Wins List Flow to record everything you do, as well as acknowledge each task completed. Plus, keeping all of this information in one location makes it simple to revisit and reflect on your achievements and wins over time.
Tip: Make the template yours by customizing it to meet your own, team, department, or even corporate requirements.
Where to get started: Wins List Template
Work Breakdown Structure Templates
The WBS consists of a hierarchical list of tasks, starting with the overall goal of the project and then breaking it down into smaller and manageable tasks needed to achieve that goal. Each task is then assigned a level of detail, from high-level “chunks” to individual steps. This information can then be used to create a project schedule and budget and makes it easier to identify dependencies and allocate resources.
10) Project WBS
The Project WBS is a great way to start planning your work, whether you’re managing multiple projects at once or just starting one.
Why we love this work breakdown structure template: This free WBS format makes it easy for anyone with little experience in project management because they can use this one simple tool that guides them through every step of their job!
Tip: This WBS plan has a sample work breakdown schedule so you may observe how it works in practice.
Where to get started: Project WBS
11) Project Feed Template
The Project Feed Template assists teams in communicating more effectively and avoiding overlap or missed communications. It’s a must-have tool for keeping everyone up to date on modifications and activities.
Why we love this work breakdown structure template: It’s an essential tool for establishing a clear project timeline and roadmap and helping you decide on an action plan. This will assist you in staying on top of your game and ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.
Tip: Adjust the degree of visibility necessary for each activity.
Where to get started: Project Feed Template
12) Responsibility Matrix Template
A great project management template is a comprehensive assessment of the members and the assignments. That’s where the Responsibility Matrix Template helps out because it provides a framework for complex projects, simplifying the tasks and making the execution more efficient.
Why we love this work breakdown structure template: This RAM template can be accessed directly through Excel and it contains both a WBS chart and the RACI chart in one file. Exact info about every team members’ assignments is offered with this work planning template.
Tip: Utilize all three sections, which include settings, the responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), and the work breakdown structure.
Where to get started: Responsibility Matrix Template
People Also Ask These Questions About Work Planning Templates
Q: How do I create a work plan template?
- A: One way to create a work plan template is to start with a weekly or monthly calendar. This will give you a basic overview of the project that you are planning. Then, add in any major deadlines or events that will be taking place during that period. Next, list out the tasks that need to be completed and include information about who is responsible for each task and when it is due. Finally, add any notes or comments that will help.
Q: Why should I use a work planning template?
- A: A work planning template will help you stay organized and on track. It ensures you set a project plan to identify the tasks that need to be completed and when they need to be completed. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, especially when working on a large project. A work planning template will also help you set a project schedule or timeline and track your progress. This will allow you to maintain a positive reputation within your workplace and avoid any negative consequences. Lastly, using a work planning template can help you become more productive and efficient.
Q: What are the benefits of using a daily work planning template?
- A: There are several benefits of using a daily work planning template. It helps you organize and structure your workday so that you can be more productive and efficient. It allows you to track your progress and see how much you have accomplished at the end of the day. It keeps you motivated and on track, by setting goals for each day and seeing your progress over time. It also helps reduce stress levels, as it provides a clear overview of what needs to be done each day and breaks down tasks into manageable chunks.
Q: How do I choose the best work planning template?
- A: It depends on your specific needs and work style. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a work planning template. Make sure the template is comprehensive enough to cover all the aspects of your work that you need to plan for. A good template should include space for task lists, deadlines, notes, and any other relevant information. Consider how flexible the template is – can it be easily adapted to changing circumstances, or will you need to start from scratch each time something changes? Think about how easy the template is to use – is it straightforward and user-friendly, or does it convolute the work process?
Q: What can I use to help write a work plan template?
- A: There are many tools at your disposal that can make the process of writing a work plan template a lot simpler than if you were starting from scratch. One of the strategies that busy professionals use to get started is to begin with a ready-made template and then start to customize it based on their preferences. The first thing that is often added to a work plan template is a project timeline. Knowing how much time you have to complete your project can help you set reasonable goals that are attainable yet push you to work diligently. Not to mention, once you have solidified your project timeline, you can narrow down into specific tasks that need to be completed on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule.
