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ClickUp Daily Planning Guide

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How to Plan Your Day in ClickUp Like a Sunsama Pro

ClickUp can help you build a focused daily planning system similar to Sunsama, without juggling multiple apps or losing track of priorities.

This step-by-step guide walks you through setting up a structured daily workflow inspired by the alternatives compared on the Sunsama alternatives overview, using only native features inside ClickUp.

Why Use ClickUp for Daily Planning

Many Sunsama alternatives emphasize three ideas: timeboxing, task centralization, and daily review. ClickUp already supports these concepts with flexible views and automation.

Using ClickUp for daily planning lets you:

  • Capture work from multiple projects into one clear daily view
  • Estimate and protect your focus time with timeboxing
  • Review and improve how you plan every day
  • Work from desktop, web, or mobile without context switching

Step 1: Create a Daily Planning Space in ClickUp

Start by separating your planning system from the rest of your work, while still connecting tasks where needed.

  1. Create a new Space called Daily Planning in ClickUp.

  2. Inside the Space, add a Folder named Today & Weekly.

  3. Create two Lists:

    • Today – for tasks you commit to completing today
    • This Week – for tasks you intend to complete this week

This mirrors the structure of focused planning tools while staying fully integrated with your existing ClickUp workspace.

Step 2: Build a Timeboxed Day Using ClickUp Tasks

Timeboxing is a core feature of many Sunsama-style apps. In ClickUp, you can recreate this by treating each time block as a dedicated task.

  1. In the Today List, create tasks that represent focus blocks, for example:

    • Client work block (9:00–11:00)
    • Deep work block (11:00–13:00)
    • Admin & email block (15:00–16:00)

  2. For each task, set:

    • Start time and due time on the same date
    • Priority to indicate importance (e.g., High for deep work)
    • Optional task description to list what you’ll do in that block

  3. Switch the List to Calendar view in ClickUp so you can drag and resize tasks to adjust timeboxes visually.

This turns your Calendar into a timeboxed schedule that works much like popular Sunsama alternatives.

Step 3: Centralize Tasks From Other ClickUp Spaces

The real power of ClickUp daily planning comes from pulling tasks from everywhere into a single, manageable list.

  1. Open the Today List in ClickUp.

  2. Use the Task Relationships feature to link tasks from other Spaces and Folders instead of duplicating them.

  3. When you find an important task elsewhere in ClickUp, add a relation to a timeboxed task in Today, or move the task into your planning Lists if ownership fits.

This method keeps your original project structure intact while giving you a focused plan for the day.

Step 4: Use ClickUp Custom Fields for Effort and Context

To prioritize like the best Sunsama alternatives, you need quick insight into effort and context. Custom Fields in ClickUp make this simple.

  1. Open the Today List and create these Custom Fields:

    • Effort (hours) – Number field
    • Work Type – Dropdown (Deep Work, Admin, Meetings, Learning)
    • Energy Level – Dropdown (High, Medium, Low)

  2. Fill these fields for each task so you can:

    • Balance your total effort for the day
    • Match work type to your energy level
    • Avoid overcommitting beyond your available hours

You can then group or filter tasks in ClickUp by Effort or Work Type to create a realistic plan.

Step 5: Create a ClickUp Daily Review Checklist

Most Sunsama-style workflows include a daily shutdown ritual. You can implement this directly in ClickUp using a recurring checklist task.

  1. In the Today List, create a task named Daily Review.

  2. Add a checklist with items like:

    • Review completed tasks
    • Move unfinished tasks to This Week or another date
    • Estimate tomorrow’s capacity
    • Select 3 top priorities for tomorrow

  3. Set this task to repeat every weekday in ClickUp.

Opening and completing this recurring task gives you a structured end-of-day reflection.

Step 6: Use ClickUp Views to Mirror Sunsama Alternatives

You can combine multiple ClickUp views to mimic key layouts from dedicated planning tools.

ClickUp Calendar View for Timeboxing

In your Today List:

  • Enable Calendar view and group by Assignee if you collaborate with others.
  • Use the day or week layout to visualize timeboxed tasks.
  • Drag tasks to adjust timing as your day changes.

ClickUp List View for Priority and Effort

Switch to List view for fast planning:

  • Show columns for Priority, Effort, and Energy Level.
  • Sort by Priority first, then by Effort.
  • Hide completed tasks for a cleaner daily list.

ClickUp Board View for Kanban Flow

If you prefer a Kanban-style workflow similar to some Sunsama alternatives, add a Board view and group tasks by status:

  • To Plan – tasks you might do today
  • Planned – tasks with a timebox on your calendar
  • In Progress – what you are working on now
  • Done – completed tasks

Move tasks across columns during the day to show progress at a glance.

Step 7: Automate Routine with ClickUp

Automation in ClickUp can save time and keep your daily plan up to date without manual work.

  1. Set up an automation to add new high-priority tasks to your This Week List automatically.

  2. Create a rule so that when the due date is today, tasks are added to your Today List in ClickUp.

  3. Use notifications sparingly so you are reminded about your Daily Review and key timeboxed sessions.

This keeps your planning Space synchronized with the rest of your workspace.

Improving Your ClickUp Daily System Over Time

The Sunsama alternatives guide highlights the importance of reflection. You can refine your ClickUp setup regularly:

  • Adjust Custom Fields if you need more detail, such as tags for clients or goals.
  • Tweak your timebox length based on how long tasks actually take.
  • Review Calendar, List, and Board views weekly to see which layout helps you focus best.

For broader workflow strategy and tooling advice beyond ClickUp, you can also explore resources from consultants such as Consultevo to refine your productivity systems.

With these steps, you can turn ClickUp into a powerful daily planning hub that combines timeboxing, prioritization, and review—delivering much of what Sunsama-style apps offer, while staying fully integrated with your existing projects and teams.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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