How to Move from Notion To-Do Lists to ClickUp
If you’re ready to upgrade your Notion to-do lists, ClickUp gives you a more flexible workspace for organizing tasks, projects, and daily routines. This guide walks you through building a powerful to-do system using ClickUp, inspired by the best practices shown in the original Notion templates.
The goal is to recreate and improve familiar list styles, so you can manage everything from simple tasks to complex projects in one place.
Step 1: Plan Your To-Do System Before Using ClickUp
Before you create anything in ClickUp, decide what you want your to-do system to track and how detailed it needs to be.
- Daily quick tasks
- Work projects and milestones
- Personal errands and reminders
- Recurring habits or routines
- Long-term goals and ideas
Then choose which structures you need in your workspace:
- Simple lists for fast personal to-dos
- Project-style lists for work with multiple steps
- Weekly or monthly planning to see tasks on a timeline
This planning step makes the next stages in ClickUp much easier and keeps your workspace clean.
Step 2: Create a Basic ClickUp To-Do List
Now you can build a simple, flexible personal list that functions like a Notion to-do page but with more structure and automation.
2.1 Set up a space and list in ClickUp
- Create a new Space for personal productivity or tasks.
- Inside the Space, create a Folder called “To-Do Lists” (optional but helpful).
- Add a new List named “Personal To-Do”.
Use the List view to get a clean, table-style layout similar to structured Notion pages.
2.2 Add core task fields in ClickUp
Make your list more powerful by adding essential fields (Custom Fields) that mirror and improve on typical Notion templates:
- Due Date for deadlines
- Priority (Low, Normal, High, Urgent)
- Status (To Do, In Progress, Done)
- Tags or a Dropdown for categories (Work, Personal, Errands, Learning)
These fields help you slice and filter your tasks in ways that basic Notion checklists cannot match.
2.3 Build recurring sections with ClickUp
If your old Notion pages used sections like “Today”, “This Week”, or “Someday”, you can reproduce them efficiently:
- Create a Custom Field called “Timeframe” with values such as Today, This Week, Later.
- Assign each task a Timeframe value.
- Save filters or views based on this field to quickly focus on today’s work.
This gives you the same feel as sectioned Notion lists but with dynamic filtering and automation.
Step 3: Recreate Weekly and Daily Planners in ClickUp
Many Notion templates focus on weekly and daily task planning. You can reproduce that style using views and task properties in ClickUp.
3.1 Create a weekly planner view in ClickUp
- In your To-Do List, create a Calendar View.
- Group or color tasks by Status or Priority.
- Use filters to show only tasks due this week.
This gives you a weekly board similar to a Notion calendar-based planner while keeping everything connected to the same task database.
3.2 Set up a Today view in ClickUp
To mimic “Today” pages in Notion:
- Create a new List View called “Today”.
- Filter by Due Date is today OR Timeframe = Today.
- Save this as a favorite for quick access.
Each morning, you can open this view to see a focused, clutter-free list of today’s tasks.
Step 4: Build Project-Based To-Do Lists in ClickUp
Notion templates often include project trackers. You can build a more structured version in ClickUp by combining lists, statuses, and dependencies.
4.1 Create a project list in ClickUp
- Add a new List named after your project, such as “Website Redesign”.
- Use task groups for phases: Planning, Design, Development, Launch.
- Create tasks under each group for each actionable item.
4.2 Use statuses and priorities in ClickUp
Configure project-specific statuses to track progress clearly:
- Backlog
- In Progress
- Review
- Completed
Combine statuses with priorities to decide what to tackle first when your list gets large.
4.3 Add dependencies and subtasks in ClickUp
To go beyond the flat list structure common in many Notion setups, you can use hierarchy:
- Create subtasks for detailed steps within a larger task.
- Use dependencies so some tasks can’t be started before others are completed.
- Switch to Gantt View for a visual timeline of connected tasks.
This transforms a basic to-do list into a lightweight project management system inside ClickUp.
Step 5: Automate Repetitive To-Do Items in ClickUp
Where many Notion to-do templates rely on manual duplication, ClickUp allows you to automate recurring work.
5.1 Create recurring tasks in ClickUp
- Open a task you want to repeat (for example, “Weekly Review”).
- Set it to recurring on your preferred schedule.
- Choose whether to create a new task or reuse the same one each cycle.
This ensures that your regular routines appear on time without needing new pages or template copies.
5.2 Use templates for repeating structures in ClickUp
If you had Notion template pages for things like content creation or meeting notes, you can create task templates instead:
- Design a task with all the fields, subtasks, and checklists you need.
- Save it as a Task Template in ClickUp.
- Apply the template whenever you start a similar task.
This gives you consistent structure while still fitting inside a unified task system.
Step 6: Connect Views for a Unified ClickUp System
One advantage of ClickUp over many Notion-based to-do setups is its ability to show the same tasks in multiple visual styles without copying anything.
6.1 Combine list, board, and calendar in ClickUp
On any list or folder, add several views:
- List View for detailed editing
- Board View to drag tasks through statuses like a Kanban board
- Calendar View to see tasks by date
Each view reads from the same tasks, so you never need to maintain separate pages for different perspectives.
6.2 Use filters and sorting in ClickUp
To avoid the clutter that sometimes happens with complex Notion dashboards:
- Filter by Assignee to see only your work.
- Filter by Priority to focus on important tasks.
- Sort by Due Date or Timeframe for a natural workflow.
Save your favorite combinations as named views you can reuse every day.
Step 7: Learn from Notion-Style Examples While Using ClickUp
The original inspiration for this workflow comes from how power users build Notion lists and templates. To see the starting point and compare ideas, review the reference article on advanced Notion to-do list templates here: Notion to-do list templates. You can then adapt those concepts directly into ClickUp and customize them even further with views, fields, and automation.
Next Steps: Optimize Your ClickUp Workspace
Once your basic to-do lists and project views are live, continue refining them by:
- Archiving completed lists or projects regularly
- Standardizing your Custom Fields across spaces
- Consolidating duplicate views so your navigation stays simple
If you want expert help designing scalable structures, automations, and reporting for your workspace, you can also consult implementation specialists like Consultevo for strategic ClickUp setup and optimization.
By combining ideas from proven Notion to-do templates with the flexible tools in ClickUp, you can build a single, reliable system that supports personal tasks, team projects, and long-term goals without juggling multiple disconnected pages.
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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