Creating to do lists in excel

The human mind is a powerful thing. 

But sometimes, it can suddenly blank out! 

Like forgetting to note down the grocery items missing in your pantry or the project changes your client wants by the end of the day. 

While our brain can do quite a lot, sometimes relying on our memory isn’t always the best way to keep track of our tasks. 

That’s why a to-do list in Excel can be helpful. 

It helps you break down your tasks into different sections on a single spreadsheet, which you can view at any time. 

In this article, we’ll cover the six steps to create a to-do list in Excel and also discuss a better alternative that can handle more complex requirements the easier way. 

Let’s roll!

What Is a To Do List in Excel?

A to-do list in Microsoft Excel helps you organize your most essential tasks in a tabular form. It comes with rows and columns to add a new task, dates, and other specific notes.

Basically, it lets you assemble all your to-dos on a single spreadsheet. 

Whether you’re preparing a move-in checklist or a project task list, a to-do list in Excel can simplify your work process and store all your information. 

While there are other powerful apps for creating to-do lists, people use Excel because: 

• It’s a part of the Microsoft Office Suite people are familiar with
• It offers powerful conditional formatting rules and data validation for analysis and calculations
• It includes an array of reporting tools like matrices, charts, and pivot tables, making it easier to customize the data

In fact, you can create Excel to-do lists for a wide range of activities, including project management, client onboarding, travel itinerary, inventory, and event management. 

Without further ado, let’s learn how to create a to-do list in Excel. 

6 Simple Steps To Make a To Do List in Excel

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to make a to-do list in Excel.

Step 1: Open a new Excel file

To open a new file, click on the Excel app, and you’ll find yourself at the Excel Home page. Double-click on the Blank Workbook to open a new Excel spreadsheet.

If you’re already on an Excel sheet and want to open a new file:

• Click on the File tab, which will take you to the backstage view. Here you can create, save, open, print, and share documents
• Select New, then click on Blank Workbook

Want an even faster route?

Press Ctrl+N after opening Excel to create a Blank Workbook. 

Your new workbook is now ready for you. 

Step 2: Add column headers

In our Excel to-do list, we want to track tasks and keep an eye on the progress by adding the column headers: Date, Task Name, Target, Status, and Comments. You can enter the column headers across the top row of the spreadsheet. 

These column headers will let anyone viewing your spreadsheet get the gist of all the information under it.  

Step 3: Enter the task details

Enter your task details under each column header to organize your information the way you want. 

In our to-do list table, we have collated all the relevant information we want to track:

• Date: mentions the specific dates
• Task Name: contains the name of our tasks
• Target: the number of task items we aim to complete
• Status: reflects our work progress 

You can also fix the alignment of your table by selecting the cells you want and click on the icon for center alignment from the Home tab. 

Step 4: Apply filters

Too many to-dos?

Use the Filter option in Excel to retrieve data that matches particular criteria. 

All you need to do is select any cell within the range of your data (A1-E11) > Select Data > then select Filter.

You’ll see drop-down lists appearing in the header of each column, as shown in the image below.

Click on the drop-down arrow for the column you want to apply a filter.

As shown in our to-do list table below, we want to apply the filter to the Status column, so we’ve selected the cell range of D1-D11.

Then, in the Filter menu that appears, you can uncheck the boxes next to the data you don’t want to view and click OK. You can also quickly uncheck all by clicking on Select All.

In our to-do list, we want to view only the Open tasks, so we apply the filter for that data.

After you save this Excel file, the filter will be there automatically the next time you open the file.

Step 5: Sort the data

You can use the Sort option in Excel to quickly visualize and understand your data better.

We want to sort the data in the Target column, so we’ll select the cell range C1-C11. Click on the Data tab and select Sort.

A Sort Warning dialog box will appear asking if you want to Expand the selection or Continue with the current selection. You can choose the latter option and click on Sort. 

The Sort dialog box will open where you have to enter the:

• The column you want to Sort by
• Cell values you wish to Sort on
• Order in which you want to sort the data

For our table, we have chosen the Target column and kept the order from smallest to largest. 

Step 6: Edit and customize your to do list

You can edit fields, add columns, use colors and fonts to customize your to-do list the way you want.

Like in our table, we’ve highlighted the Status column so anybody viewing can quickly understand your task progress. 

And voila! ✨

We’ve created a simple Excel to-do list that can help you keep track of all your tasks.

Want to save more time? 

Create a template from your existing workbook to keep the same formatting options that you generally use while making your to-do lists.

Or you can use any to-do list Excel template to get started instantly. 

10 Excel To Do List Templates

Templates can help keep your workbooks consistent, especially when they’re related to a particular project or client. For example, a daily Excel to-do list template improves efficiency and enables you to complete your tasks sooner. 

Here are a few Excel to-do list templates that can help improve efficiency and save time:

1. Excel project management task list template

Download this project management task list template.

2. Excel inventory list template

Download these inventory list templates.

3. Excel action item list template

Download this action item list template. 

4. Excel simple to-do list template

Download this simple to-do list template.

5. Excel bill paying checklist template

Download this bill paying checklist template.

6. Excel weekly assignment to-do list template

Download this weekly assignment template.

7. Excel prioritized to-do list template

Download this prioritized to-do list template.

8. Excel homework to-do list template

Download this homework to-do list template.

9. Excel to-do list with deadlines template

Download this to-do list with deadlines template.

10. Excel project task list template

Download this project task list template.

However, you can’t always find a template that will fulfill your specific needs. 

Additionally, data management in Excel is prone to human error. 

Each time a user copy-pastes information from one spreadsheet to another, there is a greater risk of new errors cropping up into successive reports. 

Before you commit to Excel to-do lists, here are some limitations to consider. 

3 Major Disadvantages of To Do Lists in Excel

Even though widely used, Excel spreadsheets aren’t always the best option for creating your to-do lists. 

Here are the three common disadvantages of using Excel for to-do lists:

1. Lack of ownership

When multiple individuals work on the same spreadsheet, you’re unable to tell who’s editing. 

You might end up repeating a task in vain if a person forgets to update the Work Status column in shared to-do lists after it’s done.

Additionally, people can easily alter task details, values, and other entries in the to-do lists (intentionally or unintentionally). You won’t know whom to hold accountable for the error or change! 

2. Inflexible templates

Not all of the Excel to-do templates you find online are reliable. Some of them are extremely difficult to manipulate or customize.

You’ll spend forever on the internet to find one that works for you.

3. Manual labor

Making to-do lists in Excel involves a significant amount of manual labor. 

It may take you quite some time to fill out your to-do items and create an organized system.

This doesn’t sit well with us because tons of project management tools can save you so much time and effort by creating and managing your to dos.

Moreover, the complexity increases with the increasing size of data in your Excel file. Naturally, you’d want a substitute to streamline your to-dos to track them and reduce the monotonous, manual work involved. 

And honestly, Excel is no to-do list app.

To manage to-dos, you need a tool that’s specifically designed for it.

Like ClickUp, one of the highest-rated productivity and project management software that lets you create and manage to-dos with ease.

Related Excel guides:

• How to create a Kanban board in Excel
• How to create a burndown chart in Excel
• How to create a flowchart in Excel
• How to make an org chart in Excel
• How to create a dashboard in Excel

Create To Do Lists Effortlessly With ClickUp

ClickUp can help you create smart to-do lists to organize your tasks. 

From adding Due Dates to setting Priorities, ClickUp’s comprehensive features let you create and conquer all your to-dos!

How?

One word: Checklists! 

ClickUp’s Checklists give you the perfect opportunity to organize your task information so you never miss even the smallest of details. 

All you need to do is click on Add beside To Do (you can find it within any ClickUp task), then select Checklist. You can name your Checklist and start adding the action items. Easy!

Checklists within ClickUp give your tasks a clear outline. Apart from noting down the essential details, you also get subtasks to break down your tasks further. 

You can also arrange and rearrange the checklist items with the easy drag-and-drop feature. 

Worried about some tasks getting overlooked?

With ClickUp, you can add Assignees to your specific to-dos to see things through. 

It also lets you reuse your favorite Checklist Templates to scale your work efficiency. 

To choose a template:

• Click Add from the To Do section of any task
• Click Checklist to reveal your options
• Choose a template and select Use Template

Still hung up on Excel? That’s okay.

ClickUp’s Table view can help you move on.

But our Table view isn’t a mere matrix of rows and columns. 

You can visualize your data clearly and create Custom Fields to record almost anything from task progress to file attachments and 15+ other field types.

Moreover, you can easily import your ongoing project details into ClickUp with our Excel and CSV import options!

But wait, that’s not all!

Here are some other ClickUp features that’ll make you forget Excel in an instant:

• Assign Task: assign tasks to one or Multiple Assignees to quicken your pace of work
• Custom Tags: effectively organize your task details by adding Tags
• Task Dependencies: help your teammates understand their to-dos concerning other tasks by setting Dependencies
• Recurring Tasks: save your time and effort by streamlining repetitive to-dos
• Google Calendar Sync: easily sync your Google Calendar events with the ClickUp Calendar view. Any updates in your Google Calendar will automatically reflect on ClickUp too
• Smart Search: search Docs easily and other items that you’ve recently created, updated, or closed
• Custom Statuses: denote the status of your tasks, so the team knows at which stage of the workflow they currently are
• Notepad: jot down ideas quickly with our portable, digital Notepad
• Embed view: declutter your screen and add the apps or websites alongside your tasks instead
• Gantt Charts: track work progress, assignees, and dependencies with a simple drag and drop functionality (check out this Excel dependencies guide)

Tame Your To Do Lists With ClickUp

Excel may be a decent option for planning daily to-dos and simple task lists. However, when you work with multiple teammates and tasks, Excel might not be ideal for what you need. Collaboration isn’t easy, there’s too much manual labor, and no team accountability.

That’s why you need a robust to-do list tool to help you manage tasks, track deadlines, follow work progress, and foster team collaboration. 

Fortunately, ClickUp brings all of this to the table and so much more. 

You can create to-dos, set Reminders, track Goals, and view insightful Reports.

Switch to ClickUp for free and quit wasting all that brainpower on simple to-do lists! 

In this guide, we’re going to show you how to create a To-Do list in Excel with the help of checkbox controls and conditional formatting.

Download Workbook

Preparation before creating a To-Do list

Start by creating a 3-column range for the to-do list. These columns can include:

1. To-Do items
2. Checkboxes for status
3. Helper column for storing the values of checkboxes

Checkbox controls can go under the status column. You can add multiple checkboxes by creating one inside a cell and dragging it down for the rest.

See how to insert a checkbox in Excel for more details on how to add checkbox controls.

Once the checkboxes are ready, link them to adjacent cells under the Helper column.

Once linked, check and uncheck the checkboxes to make sure they are linked correctly. You will see that cells in the Helper column show either TRUE or FALSE value based on the checkbox selection.

Helper column is actually optional. Now, let’s take a look on further customization options for our To-Do list.

Adding conditional formatting

Conditional formatting is great way to help distinguish completed and not-completed items.

1. Select all of to-do items in your list.
2. Open the New Formatting Rule window by following Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
   
3. Select Use a formula to determine … item in New Formatting Rule
4. Enter a formula which is using the NOT function with the reference of the first cell of the Helper. Be sure to leave the row part relative: =NOT($D5) (Relative reference is important to let Excel copy the formula to other cells in the column).
   This formula allows you to format unchecked items, because FALSE will become TRUE thanks to the NOT function. TRUE tells Excel to apply the determined format.
5. Click the Format button to open Format Cells
6. We selected a grey font color and strikethrough font type to express completed items.
7. Click OK buttons in all windows to apply the formatting.
   

Once the formatting is applied, you will see something like below.

If you are satisfied with the result, just hide the helper column and you’re done. Next, we are going to place a progress indicator.

Progress

Since we are already keeping the values of checkboxes in the helper column, we can count them and calculate the ratio of checked items. The COUNTA and COUNTIF functions can help here.

If we name Helper column as «Helper», the formulas will be like below.

While the COUNTA function counts cells that contain a text, the COUNTIF function counts the cells containing only TRUE. The ratio between two gives us the progress.

You can also add a visualization to display this information. Although Excel doesn’t have a visualization called «progress bar», you can create one by modifying a bar chart.

1. Insert a bar chart by following Insert > Insert Column or Bar Chart > Clustered Bar (2-D Bar).
   
2. Right-click on your chart area and click Select Data.
3. Use Chart data range input to select the ratio.
   
4. Click OK to see the chart. With a couple of visual modifications, this bar chart will become a progress bar.
   
5. Double-click on the vertical axis to see the options. Open Axis Options and set Minimum to 0 and Maximum to 1.
   
6. Remove the vertical axis.
7. Remove the title.
8. Shrink the area by decreasing the height.
9. Add border to the Plot Area by right-clicking and setting Outline
10. Decrease the Gap Width.
    
    

Whether you have to plan an event or manage a project, a to do list helps you set priorities and track your progress. By listing out all the necessary steps in one place, you can break down your goal in small, bite-sized chunks and organize your time accordingly. 

In this article, you’ll find nine to do list templates in Excel. We’ll walk you through the steps to creating your own to do list with checkboxes in Excel and the most common uses for a to do list template.

We’ve also provided to do list templates in Smartsheet, a spreadsheet-inspired work execution platform that makes managing to do lists more collaborative and real-time than Excel.

We’ve all had those days when our to- do list seems endless and that was before we had an Excel checklist template. In the old days, we had whiteboards and sticky notes as our aids; we’ve since moved on to smarter methods to create a prioritized to-do list.

One of the earliest and most basic options for creating a to-do list was Microsoft Excel. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to make a list in excel, and introduce you to a flexible alternative— monday.com Work OS.

We’ll also look at an alternative option — monday.com Work OS — to see if we’re any better or faster.

Get started with monday.com

What is the function of an Excel checklist template?

When you find yourself juggling multiple items in your head, it’s incredibly difficult to assign priority to the tasks. A to-do list’s purpose is to make sense of this information.

Download Excel template

The simple—and outdated—solution is to put pen to paper and then decide the order you should tackle each task. You check each off as you go, and then the note usually gets tossed in the bin.

There are some clear downfalls here:

1) If you assign the wrong priority to an item, all of these changes will result in some pretty messy paper and leaves literal room for notes, changes, and more.

2) Once you’ve crumpled the to-do list, you have no record of progress made against the list.

3) It’s very difficult to share this list with others in a professional setting.

The world is your to-do list oyster— there is a wide array of apps and software out there who’s aim is to help you organize your to-do list in a way that works for you.

Microsoft Excel is just one of them and it’s sometimes favored because:

• It’s a familiar software, so almost anybody who has used Microsoft Office will be able to create a to-do list easily
• Anyone can access an Excel list template and use features like conditional formatting that combine with reporting tools such as charts and matrices. Pivot tables can be used to customize data if required.

Let’s get building.

How to create a simple to-do list in Excel

This whole process revolves around using Excel’s Filter feature to create an editable, trackable list that you can format according to your preference.

Step 1: open Excel and add column headers

Open a new Excel spreadsheet and enter new column headers.

I’ve added the following:

• Task name
• Status
• Deadline
• Note

You could add additional columns as needed such as budget, owner, tools, etc.

Step 2: fill in task details.

Add your tasks in the column, the status of each, and a deadline.

In the table below you’ll find:

• Monthly report — ongoing
• Confirm venue reservation — pending
• Send thank you note to event attendee — done
• Financial report — done

Note that you must fill out the tasks and status columns so that the filter can be applied. The other fields can be filled out at a later stage.

Get started

Step 3: apply a filter to your list.

To add a filter to your list, simply click on one of the headers and select Filter under the Sort & Filter icon on the top right corner of your Taskbar.

Once you save the file, Excel will remember this and the filter will be there the next time you open the file.

Step 4: sort your tasks using the filter.

You’ll now be able to see tiny arrows on the headers of your column.

Click on the arrow to sort your tasks by status. You can select or deselect options to see lists of…

• Your pending tasks
• Your ongoing tasks
• Completed tasks
• Any combination of these

Step 5: done!

We’ve created a simple Excel to-do list that can help you keep track of all your tasks.

You can edit fields, add as many columns as you want, or add custom colors and fonts to make it reflect your needs.

Get started

We recommend something different, however.

If you just want a basic, free (if you already have Microsoft Office) way to organize and manage your day-to-day life, Excel is fine.

The advent of project management software has enabled us to get creative, whether you want to build a simple daily or monthly to-do list, or if you prefer sortable, drop-down lists.

Despite being more complicated than it should be, it does the job. And it’s free — if you have Microsoft Office.

When you’re working on even slightly more complicated tasks or projects, you’ll find that you need additional features to manage your master list.

You’ll need the ability to, at the very least, share tasks with other people. You’ll need to add due dates, visualize your progress, upload project information and share files easily and communicate with your team.

For all of these and more, you’ll need a versatile task management system that can help you juggle multiple to-do lists with ease and convenience.

monday.com Work OS is a visual workflow platform that helps teams manage and track any kind of work in a single place.

Here’s how you can create a to-do list on monday.com.

Step 1: Create a board

A board is a central location to organize your work, in this case, your to-do list.

Step 2: Choose one of our pre-loaded templates

For a to-do list, we have the “weekly to-do list” template, as well as hundreds of other customizable options to choose from.

Step 3: Create your groups

Each board consists of groups that can indicate different phases of a project, whether it’s weekly iterations or interview processes.

Step 4: Add your columns.

This can include options such as task, owner, deadline, status update, dates, rating, or tags.

Step 5: Add your list of tasks on your board.

Simply assign tasks, update information and collaborate with team members — all within the same space.

It only takes a few clicks to get started with the easy and intuitive system. Once you visualize your workload with monday.com’s stellar features, we promise you won’t go back.

Here are just a few advantages of using the monday.com Work OS to-do list functionality:

• The drag and drop functionality makes it super easy to organize your daily tasks
• Communicate and collaborate better with your team by adding comments, sharing updates, and uploading documents in real-time
• Visually track your progress and manage your team with a bird’s eye view
• Automatically notify the next person responsible when a stage of a project is completed.
• Make your workflow seamless with dozens of integrations with commonly-used apps and tools.

Check out our weekly to-do list template to get started.

Get started

How to import from Excel to monday.com Work OS

If you’ve decided to make the switch to monday.com, you’ve made a great choice!

It easy to get started and transfer your Excel data to monday.com Work OS:

Step 1:

Click your profile picture on monday.com Work OS and select Import data, then Excel:

Step 2:

Drag and drop your file into the screen (or browse and select it from your computer). You’ll see a dialog box notifying you that it’s done.

Step 3:

Select the row in your spreadsheet that will serve as the headings for your new board. Click Next.

Step 4:

Select the column in your file which will be the first column on your new board. Click Next.

Step 5:

If you need to, you can change the Column type by clicking the drop-down menu on each column.

Initially, you can import columns as status, number, date, email, or text column. You can update this only after you import your data.

Click Create Board.

You should now see your Excel data imported to the Work OS.

You’ve got some thinking to do

You can see that Excel can be a basic tool for task management that doesn’t require much complexity or collaboration.

In contrast, monday.com can really make a difference when you want a more dynamic and intuitive experience across teams and priorities.

Whether your project or team is big or small — or anything in between — monday.com makes managing your task list an absolute breeze.

So go on, give the Work OS a go, you’ll not only have an Excel checklist template, but much, much more.

Get started

One of the best ways to learn new techniques in Excel is to see them in action. This post demonstrates how to add some fun and useful features to simple to do lists including drop-down lists, check boxes, progress bars, and more. The images show Excel 2016, but instructions are similar for Excel 2010 and Excel 2013.

1. Simple Drop-Down Lists via Data Validation

Many task lists include a Priority or Status column, such as the Homework To Do List shown below. It’s very handy to use an Excel drop down list for columns like these.

To create a simple drop-down list, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells you want to edit
2. Go to Data > Data Validation
3. Choose «List» in the Allow field
4. In the Source field enter a comma-delimited list such as High,Medium,Low

2. Conditional Formats for the Priority Column

In the example above you will see that the values in the Priority column have been highlighted differently. This can be done automatically and is a great way to easily identify your high-priority tasks. Follow these steps to create the type of formats shown in the example above.

1. Select the cells in the Priority column
2. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Text That Contains
3. Enter the word high and choose the «Light Red Fill with Dark Red Text» option

The image below shows how to get to the correct option from the Home tab.

3. Conditional Formats for Numeric Priority

If you want to use a numeric priority like 0-4, then you can use Icon Sets to display images instead of (or in addition to) the numeric value. You can see this demonstrated in the Simple Task Tracker below.

1. Select the cells in the Priority column
2. Create a drop-down list with the options 4,3,2,1
3. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Icon Sets > More Rules
4. The image below shows you how to modify the settings for this rule.

4. Checkboxes using Form Fields

I don’t like this method. If you like to sort and delete and insert rows, form fields get all messed up. They may be nice for a spreadsheet layout that is not meant to be modified, but so far I haven’t found a to do list that I haven’t wanted to modify frequently.

The form field checkbox is found in the Developer tab shown in the image below. If you don’t see the Developer tab, go to File > Excel Options > Customize Ribbon and find and check the Developer tab.

5. Checkboxes via Data Validation

I wish Microsoft would add an in-cell checkbox feature (Apple’s Numbers software does it), but until they do that we have to come up with clever alternatives.

One method I like is using a data validation drop-down list because it works pretty well in Excel on touch-enabled devices, and it is also compatible with most versions of Excel and OpenOffice and Google Sheets.

The simplest checkbox to make using a drop-down list is probably just a list with a single character (x), or you could use a special character like the square root sign (√) that looks like a check mark in some fonts. In the example below, I’ve used this technique plus a small square ascii character (□,√).

Another approach that I really like is to use custom Icon Sets via Conditional Formatting. This isn’t as compatible with other spreadsheet programs (like Google Sheets) but it looks good. The simple Task Tracker Template shows an example of this:

1. Select the cells you want to use for the check boxes
2. Create a drop-down list with the options 1,0,-1
3. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Icon Sets and select any set you like
4. With those cells still selected, go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules and find the rule you just created and edit it to create a custom icon set with the setting shown in the following image.

6. Progress Bar for % Completed

In some of the examples above, you’ve already seen progress bars in the «% Complete» column. Now you’ll learn how to do it. Conditional formatting comes in handy yet again:

1. Select the cells in the % Complete column
2. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Data Bars > More Rules
3. Modify the bar based on the settings shown in the image below

Want a Progress Bar in Google Sheets? No problem. In cell A1 enter the % Complete and then in the cell to the right of it you can use the formula =REPT(«█»,ROUND(A1*10,0)). You can change the color of the bar by just changing the font color. That’s a pretty old trick for Excel users, but it’s something that will work in Google Sheets, too.

Progress Bar via SPARKLINE in Google Sheets

The new SPARKLINE function allows you to create a progress bar in Google Sheets very easily. Enter a percent complete in cell A1 and the following SPARKLINE function for the bar chart in cell A2.

A1=87.2%
A2=SPARKLINE(A1,{"charttype","bar";"color1","blue";"max",1;"min",0})

See the Simple Gantt Chart (Google Sheets version) for an example of how the SPARKLINE function can be used for progress bars.

For more ways to modify the color and look of the in-cell progress bar, see the SPARKLINE function documentation.

7. Gray-Out Tasks When They are Complete

If you like the effect of seeing your completed tasks crossed out or grayed out or both, you can do that fairly easily using conditional formatting.

In the example below, the first rule is applied when column A is equal to the special square root character. The placement of the dollar sign in the $A4 reference is very important in this formula because we want all the columns in the table to reference column A.

Also note that the first rule has the «Stop if True» box checked. That is why you don’t see the priority cell highlighted red or the % Complete showing a green bar in the example. When the task is marked as complete, I don’t want to be distracted by formatting that no longer matters to me. So I’m using the rule order to prevent the following rules from being applied if the task has been marked as done.

8. Highlighting Overdue Dates

When you have a Due Date, you may want to highlight the date when it is overdue. You can do that with a simple conditional formatting rule shown in the example below.

You can see an example of this in the Homework To Do List shown at the very top of this article.

9. Autofilter and Sorting

The little arrows that show up in the header of an Excel table or list are a result of turning on the Filter Button feature. If you don’t see the little arrows in the header row already, select a cell in your table (or the entire table) and go to the Data tab and click on the Filter button.

10. Create a Gantt Chart

Although a Gantt chart is a great visualization and management tool for projects, creating one from scratch is not nearly as simple as the other ideas shared in this article. The two most common ways to create a Gantt chart in Excel are (1) using a stacked bar graph chart object and (2) using conditional formatting. Visit my Task List Templates page to find an example that uses a chart object and try the free Gantt Chart Template to see the conditional formatting technique in action.

11. Drop-Down with Current Date

Update 10/9/2018 — I recently created a new wedding checklist where a user requested the ability to enter either a checkmark or the current date. To do this with data validation, create a list somewhere in the worksheet with the first cell containing a check mark unicode character ✔ and the next cell containing the formula =TODAY().

Then, use data validation to create a drop-down list referencing those two cells. This will allow you to select either a checkmark or the current date as shown in the image below.

To avoid having Excel show warnings when cells contain older dates, make sure to turn off the warnings and errors when setting up the data validation.