From Overwhelmed to Organized: Use a Kanban Board to Remember and Manage Tasks

Microsoft Planner (Microsoft 365 subscription)

Microsoft Planner is included in a paid Microsoft 365 subscription. Planner allows for the Kanban board style of task management with columns and task cards which can include files, checklists, and more.

If you are using a free Microsoft account, you can use Microsoft To Do to manage tasks or create a Kanban board in Excel. Microsoft To Do has task cards in a grid or list view, but does not have columns to create task management stages. Find instructions for using Micrsoft To Do our article, To-Do App Advantage: Task Mastery & Memory Support. To create a Kanban board in Excel, follow the instructions in the article by ClickUp, How To Create A Kanban Board In Excel? (With Templates).

Microsoft Planner

1. Log into your Microsoft 365 subscription account.
2. Click the waffle icon in the top left corner of your screen to view a selection of Microsoft apps. Select Planner.
3. Click + New Plan in the left side bar and select New Blank Plan.
4. Type a name for your plan in the Enter Plan Title field and press Create.
5. The first column is already titled To Do. Click the words Add New Bucket in the second column and type the word “Doing.” Press Enter. Title the third column “Done.”
6. Under To Do column heading, click + Add Task.
7. Enter a task name in the field. Set a due date. Assign the task if you are working with a team. Press Add Task or press Enter.
8. Now, if you double-click on the task, you can add more details including the priority, notes, a checklist, attach files, and more.
9. Repeat the process for each of your tasks.
10. As you work on your task list, drag and drop each task card to the next column.

Microsoft Support Article: Planner help & learning

Google Tasks

1. In your internet address bar, type tasks.google.com and log into your Google account.
2. To create a Kanban board, click + Create New List from the left side bar. Title the list “To Do.” Press Enter.
3. Press + Create New List again and title the list “Doing.” Enter.
4. Again, press + Create New List and title the list “Done.” Enter.
5. Checkmark To Do, Doing, and Done under the heading Lists in the left side bar. The lists will appear as columns.
6. To add a task, click on the words Add a Task.
7. Complete the Title field, Details field, and add a Date and Time for a deadline (if desired). Press Enter.
8. To add steps or a checklist to a task, click on the task and select More (three dots). Press Add a Subtask.
9. If the task is a priority, click on the task and mark as important by pressing the Star icon.
10. Repeat the process for each of your tasks.
11. As you work on your task list, drag and drop each task card to the next column.

Google Support article: Google Tasks Help

Another option is to create a Kanban board in Google Sheets. Follow the instructions in this article by Zapier, How to DIY Google Sheets Kanban boards (or use one of these 6 templates).