TODAY and NOW functions in Excel - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - TODAY and NOW functions

Dashboard Goal

This dashboard helps you track current dates and times for daily tasks and deadlines. It answers: "What is today's date?" and "What is the current time right now?" so you can plan your day better.

Sample Data

Task	Deadline Date	Deadline Time
Submit Report	2024-06-20	17:00
Team Meeting	2024-06-21	09:30
Client Call	2024-06-22	14:00
Project Review	2024-06-23	11:00
Send Invoice	2024-06-24	16:00

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Today's Date
  Formula: =TODAY()
  Shows the current date updating automatically each day.
• KPI Card: Current Time
  Formula: =NOW()
  Shows the current date and time updating every time the sheet recalculates.
• Table: Tasks with Deadline Status
  Formula in new column "Status": =IF(B2<TODAY(), "Past Due", IF(B2=TODAY(), "Due Today", "Upcoming"))
  This shows if a task deadline is past, today, or upcoming based on today's date.
• Countdown to Next Deadline
  Formula: =MIN(IF(B2:B6>=TODAY(), B2:B6))-TODAY() (entered as array formula or with LET)
  Shows how many days until the next upcoming deadline.

Dashboard Layout

+-------------------+-------------------+
|   Today's Date    |   Current Time    |
|   [TODAY()]      |    [NOW()]        |
+-------------------+-------------------+
|       Tasks with Deadline Status Table       |
|  Task | Deadline | Time | Status               |
+----------------------------------------------+
| Countdown to Next Deadline: [X days]         |
+----------------------------------------------+

Interactivity

You can add a date filter to show tasks only for a selected date range. When you change the filter, the "Tasks with Deadline Status" table updates to show only tasks in that range. The countdown updates to the next deadline in the filtered list. The "Today's Date" and "Current Time" cards always show the real current date and time.

Self Check

If you add a filter to show only tasks with deadlines on or after 2024-06-22, which components update?

• The "Tasks with Deadline Status" table updates to show only tasks from 2024-06-22 and later.
• The "Countdown to Next Deadline" updates to show days until the earliest deadline in the filtered list.
• The "Today's Date" and "Current Time" cards do NOT change because they always show the real current date and time.

Key Result

Dashboard showing today's date, current time, task deadlines with status, and countdown to next deadline using TODAY and NOW functions.