Daily Task Tracker in Excel – Simple, Visual & Automated

A good tracker doesn’t need to be complex. With just a few Excel features, you can create something that’s visual, functional, and satisfying to use. Here’s the exact step-by-step process of how I made a simple daily tracker to track my activities.
🟩 Step 1: Table Setup
Begin by creating two columns:
Task and Status
Enter a list of tasks to track. For readability, use the shortcut Alt + H + O + I to auto-fit column width and Alt + H + O + A to auto-fit row height.

🟩 Step 2: Status Dropdowns
Enable quick updates by adding dropdown menus:Select the Status column
Go to Data > Data Validation
Choose List and enter: Complete, Incomplete
Each row now offers a simple way to mark progress.

🟩 Step 3: Conditional Formatting
To add visual clarity:
Highlight the Status column
Apply rules under Home > Conditional Formatting:
“Complete” = green fill
“Incomplete” = red or orange fill
This instantly shows which tasks are done or pending.

🟩 Step 4: Progress Calculation
Insert a formula to calculate the completion percentage:
This is simply the count of completed tasks/total number of tasks.
Format the result as a percentage. This value will automatically update based on task status.

🟩 Step 5: Chart Visualization
A donut chart can be used to represent task progress visually:
Insert a Donut Chart
Link it to the “Complete” and “Incomplete” values
Remove unnecessary elements like title and legend
Adjust chart colors to match the formatting
To center the percentage, a text box can be placed manually in the middle of the chart.

🟩 Step 6: Layout Design
Enhance presentation by grouping elements into a dashboard layout:
Add a rounded rectangle shape behind the title, chart, and summary for structure
Align elements neatly for a clean appearance
Use consistent color themes and spacing to create a balanced design

🟩 Extend or Customize
This tracker can be expanded to manage more than just tasks — such as habits, study plans, workout routines, or project milestones. Additional columns (e.g., due dates, categories, priorities) and advanced formulas can be added to fit more specific needs.