How to Use ClickUp for Digital Planners

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How to Use ClickUp as a Digital Planner

ClickUp can work as a flexible digital planner that replaces static Goodnotes planner templates with dynamic tasks, views, and automation. This guide shows you how to recreate the structure of popular Goodnotes planners inside a powerful productivity platform.

The steps below are based on ideas from this Goodnotes planner templates guide, adapted into a practical workflow you can follow.

Why Plan in ClickUp Instead of Static Templates

Traditional Goodnotes planner templates often look beautiful but are difficult to update, search, and reuse. A workspace built in ClickUp keeps the visual organization while adding live data, tags, reminders, and automation.

Using a digital workspace gives you:

  • Editable pages for yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily planning
  • Task status and due dates instead of handwriting everything
  • Searchable notes and attachments
  • Real-time collaboration with your team or family

Step 1: Set Up a ClickUp Space for Planning

Begin by creating a dedicated area for your personal planner or life OS.

  1. Create a new Space and name it something like “Life Planner” or “Personal Hub”.

  2. Choose a color and simple icon, similar to themed Goodnotes planner covers.

  3. Turn on features you need: Tasks, Docs, Goals, Whiteboards, and Dashboards.

  4. Turn off extra items you do not need right away to keep your planner clean.

This Space will become the home for every planner list and view you create in ClickUp.

Step 2: Build Lists That Mirror Goodnotes Sections

Goodnotes planner templates usually have sections like yearly overview, monthly pages, weekly spreads, and habit trackers. Recreate those planner sections with Lists in ClickUp.

  • Yearly Overview List for big goals and milestones
  • Monthly Planner List for events and priorities
  • Weekly Planner List for sprints and schedules
  • Daily Planner List for tasks and time blocking
  • Habits & Routines List for trackers and checklists

Each List can then hold tasks that act like individual planner entries or note pages.

Step 3: Create Planner Tasks and Custom Fields in ClickUp

Planner pages become tasks, and stickers or labels become fields and tags.

  1. Inside your Yearly Overview List, create one task for each major goal.

  2. Add Custom Fields such as:

    • Goal Area (Work, Health, Finance, Learning)
    • Target Date
    • Progress (numeric or dropdown)

  3. In Monthly and Weekly Lists, add tasks for events, deadlines, and priorities.

  4. Use checklists inside tasks to replace handwritten bullet lists from Goodnotes planners.

With this setup, ClickUp lets you sort and filter your planner tasks by field, something you cannot easily do in a static notebook.

Step 4: Design ClickUp Calendar and List Views

Goodnotes planner templates rely on linked calendar pages. In a workspace, you use Views to achieve the same effect with more flexibility.

Create a Monthly Calendar View in ClickUp

  1. Open your Monthly Planner List.

  2. Add a new Calendar View and group tasks by status.

  3. Display tasks by due date so every item appears on the correct day.

  4. Color-code tasks by List or Custom Field to visually separate work and personal plans.

This replaces printable monthly spreads and keeps your planner data live and interactive.

Build Weekly and Daily List Views in ClickUp

  1. Add a List View for weekly planning, grouped by due date.

  2. Create a filter that shows tasks due this week only.

  3. Build another View filtered to “Today” to act like a daily planner page.

  4. Save these filters and sorting rules so you can switch layouts with one click.

Views like these let ClickUp emulate the layout of weekly spreads without needing to copy or redraw templates.

Step 5: Use ClickUp Docs as Planner Notebooks

Many Goodnotes planner templates include lined or dotted pages for journaling. You can replace those pages with Docs in ClickUp.

  • Create a “Journal” Doc inside your planning Space.
  • Add headings for prompts, reflections, and gratitude logs.
  • Link relevant tasks into the Doc to connect notes with action items.
  • Use table blocks to mimic habit trackers from printable templates.

Docs can be linked or embedded in Views, giving you a smooth jump between tasks and written notes.

Step 6: Turn Planner Routines into Templates in ClickUp

Goodnotes planners often rely on reusable layouts. You can save repeating structures as templates inside ClickUp.

Create Daily Planner Task Templates

  1. Open your Daily Planner List and create a sample task named “Daily Template”.

  2. Add a checklist for morning, afternoon, and evening routines.

  3. Insert sections for priorities, notes, and wins.

  4. Save this task as a Task Template.

  5. Each day, create a new task from this template instead of redrawing pages.

Save Weekly and Monthly Review Templates

  • Create a task for Weekly Review with checklist questions.
  • Create another for Monthly Review covering goals and habits.
  • Save both as templates and schedule them to recur.

Using templates, ClickUp gives you a repeatable structure, similar to planner pages, while keeping everything digital and searchable.

Step 7: Add Time Management Features in ClickUp

Static planners cannot easily track workload or reminders. The workspace adds tools to support time blocking and realistic planning.

  • Time Estimates: add expected duration to tasks.
  • Reminders: set notifications for important deadlines.
  • Priorities: mark items as urgent or high impact.
  • Recurring Tasks: schedule habits and routines automatically.

These features turn ClickUp into a living planning system instead of a simple digital notebook.

Step 8: Customize Design to Match Goodnotes Aesthetics

If you enjoy the look of Goodnotes planner templates, you can still bring personality into your workspace.

  • Choose Space colors and icons that match your favorite planner theme.
  • Use List emojis to symbolize different life areas.
  • Add cover images and attachments for inspiration boards.
  • Organize fields and columns so your Views feel clean and minimal.

Visual polish makes it easier to enjoy planning while still benefiting from ClickUp functionality.

Step 9: Connect Planning With Real Projects

One of the biggest benefits of using ClickUp instead of a stand-alone notebook is that planning and execution live in the same place.

  • Link daily planning tasks to project tasks in other Spaces.
  • Use Goals to tie personal intentions to measurable outcomes.
  • Create Dashboards to track habits, goals, and progress across Lists.
  • Share specific Lists with collaborators instead of forwarding PDF pages.

This integration ensures that your planner is not just decorative, but a driver of real progress.

Extra Optimization Tips for Your ClickUp Planner

Once you have the basic setup in place, improve and refine your system regularly.

  • Review Lists weekly and archive old tasks to reduce clutter.
  • Experiment with Board Views for Kanban-style weekly planning.
  • Use tags to group themes such as health, learning, or finance.
  • Combine Docs, tasks, and Dashboards into a single command center.

For more advanced planning strategies and optimization ideas, you can also explore specialist resources like Consultevo, which offers guidance on building high-performing digital workflows.

Start Replacing Goodnotes Templates With ClickUp

You can gradually move from static Goodnotes planner templates to a dynamic workspace by following the steps in this guide. Build your planning Space, mirror your favorite layouts with Lists and Views, then add templates, reminders, and automation.

As you refine your setup, ClickUp becomes more than a simple planner. It turns into a complete life and work system where ideas, notes, and tasks come together in one connected, searchable hub.

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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