Weekly Planner Template (Copy and Paste, Plus Kanban)

Below is a weekly planner template in plain text (Markdown) that you can copy into any notes app. After it you'll find a short weekly review routine and a Kanban version for anyone who would rather drag cards than tick boxes.

A weekly plan has three jobs. It picks the few outcomes that matter this week, it puts fixed commitments where you can see them, and it gives every task a day. The template covers those three jobs and nothing else.

The weekly planner template

Copy everything in the block. The # lines are headings and the - [ ] lines are checkboxes. Apps that render Markdown checklists show them as headings and tickable boxes. Any other app shows readable plain text.

# Week of ____ to ____

## 3 outcomes for this week
- [ ] 
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Fixed commitments
- Mon:
- Tue:
- Wed:
- Thu:
- Fri:
- Sat/Sun:

## Monday
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Tuesday
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Wednesday
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Thursday
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Friday
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Weekend
- [ ] 

## Waiting on
- 

## Habits (mark with x)
- Exercise: M _ T _ W _ T _ F _ S _ S _
- Reading:  M _ T _ W _ T _ F _ S _ S _

## Notes and ideas
- 

## End-of-week review
- Done:
- Moved to next week:
- What got in the way:
- One change for next week:

Short version

If the full template is more than you need, this one fits on a sticky note:

# Week of ____

## Must happen
- [ ] 
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Should happen
- [ ] 
- [ ] 

## Appointments
- 

## Next week
- 

Using the template in different apps

• Plain text editors (TextEdit in plain text mode, Notepad): paste it as is. The markers stay visible. To mark a task done, change [ ] to [x].
• Markdown apps: paste it and the headings and checkboxes render. Our Markdown checklist syntax page covers the details.
• Apple Notes: if the - [ ] markers paste in as plain text, delete them, select the task lines and click the checklist button in the toolbar.
• Gubb: the formatting shortcuts work as you type, so you'll get a cleaner result by typing the outline in than by pasting the whole block. At the start of a line, type # or ## and then Space to make a heading. Type [ ] and then Space to make a checklist item. Use [ ] on its own, not - [ ], because a leading - makes a bullet. Return adds the next checklist item, and Return on an empty item ends the list. You can also set heading levels with ⌘1 to ⌘6 (Command-1 to Command-6).

Weekly review: how to fill in the planner

The review is the part that makes a weekly planner work. Pick a fixed slot, such as Friday afternoon or Sunday evening, and keep it every week.

1. Open last week's page and fill in End-of-week review. Be honest about what got in the way.
2. Copy every unfinished task into a scratch list. Delete anything that no longer matters.
3. Start a fresh copy of the template for the new week.
4. Open your calendar and write next week's appointments, deadlines and travel under Fixed commitments.
5. Choose 3 outcomes. Write results ("Send the proposal"), not activities ("Work on proposal"). If you can't narrow the list to three, the 4 quadrants of time management can help you sort urgent from important.
6. Break each outcome into tasks and spread them across the days, working around the fixed commitments.
7. Leave each day lighter than feels necessary. Unplanned work turns up every week, and an overfull Monday spills into the rest of the week.
8. Move the remaining tasks from your scratch list to a day, to Waiting on, or to a "someday" list outside this week.

During the week, look at the page each morning. Tick what's done and move what slipped. If you plan your days in more detail, our daily planner template gives each day its own page, and the time blocking template turns those tasks into hours.

Kanban version: plan the week as a board

A list works well when you plan by day. A board works better when tasks move through stages, or when you want to see how much is left without reading every line. If Kanban is new to you, start with what a Kanban board is.

The steps below use Gubb, because we make it and its boards live inside a note. Any Kanban app with columns and cards works the same way.

Two board layouts for a week

The day board has eight columns, so widen the Gubb window first. It starts at 600×600 and you can resize it.

Build the board in Gubb

1. Hover over the title bar and click + (Create New Note).
2. Type gubb@board on a line by itself, with nothing else on that line. If the trigger sits inside other text, the board may not work properly.
3. The note turns into a board and gets the title "Kanban Board". It starts with three columns: To Do, In Progress and Done.
4. Rename the columns to match your layout with Edit column. For example, rename To Do to "This Week" and In Progress to "Today".
5. To add a column, click Add another column, type a name in Column title and click Add Column. Remove columns you don't need with Delete column.
6. Click Add a card in a column, type the task in Enter a title for this card..., and press Return.
7. Click a card to open its details. Under Add to card you can set a Due Date, add Labels such as "Priority: High", or add a Checklist for the steps.
   Each card shows small badges for its labels, its due date and its checklist progress (for example "Checklist: 2/5"), so you can see the state of the week without opening anything.

Run the week on the board

• Monday: put the three outcome cards in "This Week" and give each one the "Priority: High" label.
• Each morning: drag today's cards into "Today". Keep that column short.
• When you're blocked: drag the card to "Waiting" and add a comment saying who you're waiting on.
• When a task repeats: hover the card and click Copy card instead of retyping it. The copy's title ends in "(Copy)", so rename it if needed.
• At the weekly review: read the "Done" column for your review notes, remove those cards with Delete card, and drag unfinished cards back to "This Week".

Reuse the same board every week rather than creating a new one. If you do create another, Gubb adds the time to its title (for example "Kanban Board 14:05"). In Notes History, the Board filter lists all your boards.

Tips that make a weekly planner stick

• Plan outcomes, then tasks. Three outcomes you finish beat 15 tasks you shuffle around all week.
• Write commitments first. A day with a 3-hour meeting has less room than the to-do list assumes.
• Keep one "Waiting on" list. Blocked tasks stop cluttering the days.
• Move tasks on purpose. If a task has slipped three weeks running, delete it or break it into smaller steps.
• Pair the plan with focus blocks. Work through each day's tasks in timed sessions. Our post on how many Pomodoros a day helps you size a realistic day.
• Prefer dated lists to a board? In Gubb, type gubb@todo on its own line to get a to-do list. Tasks you give a Due Date are grouped under "Overdue", "Today", "Tomorrow" and "Upcoming". It does not send reminders, so check it each morning.
• Make it look like paper. In Gubb, open Settings ▸ Appearance, pick Lines, Dots or a grid under Paper Type, and click Apply Changes.

If you want the list, the board and a timer in one window, Gubb runs on Mac and Windows. The Mac version from gubb.net is a $59 one-time purchase (as of November 2026), and the Mac download includes a 7-day free trial.