How I Use Trello to Stay Organised (Without Losing My Mind)

Have you tried Trello yet?

It calls itself “the free, flexible, and visual way to organize anything with anyone.” And honestly, that’s a pretty good summary.

Trello helps you ditch long email threads, clunky spreadsheets, and forgotten sticky notes. It’s designed so you can see everything you need to do in one quick glance.

If you don’t have an account, you can sign up here (not an affiliate link, but I do get a free month of Trello Gold if you use it—cheers if you do).

My Personal Trello Setup

I first signed up for Trello years ago. Like many people, I’ve had phases of using it intensely… and then forgetting it existed. But recently, during a productivity push, it’s become a daily staple again. It’s one of the tabs that’s always open in my browser.

I’m following a variation of a system I once found in Forbes. It’s a simple board I use for personal organisation, broken into seven columns:

🗂 My Trello Columns:

  • Five Balls – Inspired by a speech by former Coca-Cola CEO Brian Dyson. This column holds my big-picture goals across five core areas of life.
  • Today – Everything I want to get done today.
  • Incoming – A catch-all inbox for new ideas, tasks, or requests. I don’t process anything in here until I plan the next day.
  • This Week – Tasks I’ve committed to completing sometime in the next seven days.
  • Later – Things that matter, but not urgently.
  • Waiting On – Tasks where I’ve done my part but am waiting on someone else.
  • Done – Completed tasks go here. If something is repeatable, I create a checklist that others on my team can use.

This board helps me stay focused, reduce decision fatigue, and build repeatable systems in my business. You can copy the template here and adapt it for your own needs.

Trello Is More Than a To-Do List

While I mostly use it for personal productivity, Trello can be used for just about anything:

  • Collaborating with your team
  • Managing a blog or YouTube channel
  • Planning events or holidays
  • Shopping lists (yes, really)
  • Even cooking your Christmas turkey (or Thanksgiving if you’re in the U.S.)

You can access it on desktop, phone, tablet—even your smartwatch. It’s one of the most versatile tools I’ve ever used.

Need Inspiration?

Trello has a library of inspiring public boards on just about every topic you can imagine, including:

  • Blog post ideas
  • Birthday party planning
  • Employee reviews
  • Marathon training
  • Growth hacking frameworks

If you’re looking for templates, check out the board created by Daniel Root, author of Trello Dojo. It’s packed with ready-to-use formats for both personal and business use.

Final Thoughts

Trello’s power is in its simplicity. You can use it to track your daily tasks or run an entire company. It’s free to start, endlessly customisable, and surprisingly fun once you get into the rhythm.

If you’re already using Trello, I’d love to hear how you’re using it in the comments. And if you’re just starting, let me know what you’re building—I’d be happy to help.

Have questions? Drop them below and I’ll do my best to answer.mission, but it will give me a free month of