There's something magical about watching the days tick down to something you're excited about. Countdowns turn waiting into anticipation, and Widbo makes it easy to count down to anything.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
Vacation Countdowns
This is the classic use case. Set a countdown to your next trip and watch the excitement build as departure day approaches.
- "Beach vacation in 47 days"
- "Disney World in 12 days"
- "Camping trip this weekend!"
Bonus: set a photo of your destination as the background and you'll really feel the anticipation.
Birthday Countdowns
Kids especially love watching their birthday approach. But adults can enjoy this too - there's nothing wrong with being excited about your own birthday.
You can set up countdowns for every family member's birthday, or just the next one coming up.
Holiday Countdowns
Nothing builds holiday spirit like watching the days count down:
- Days until Christmas
- Days until Halloween
- Days until Thanksgiving
- Days until summer break starts
These work especially well on a family command center display where everyone can see them.
School Milestones
Students (and their parents) often count the days until:
- First day of school
- Last day of school
- Winter break
- Spring break
- Graduation day
A visible countdown can help everyone stay motivated through long stretches of the school year.
Life Events
Big moments deserve big countdowns:
- Wedding day
- Baby due date
- Moving to a new home
- Retirement date
- Anniversary celebrations
These countdowns often span months or even years, which makes them extra satisfying to watch.
Recurring Countdowns
Some countdowns reset regularly:
- Days until Friday (reset weekly)
- Days until the weekend
- Days until payday
- Days until monthly date night
Widbo can handle these too - just set the target and let it count down.
Fun and Silly Countdowns
Not every countdown needs to be serious:
- Days until your favorite show returns
- Days until that movie you're excited about
- Days until the next big sports event
- Days until your coffee subscription renews
If it makes you happy to count down to it, it's worth tracking.
Tips for Great Countdowns
Make the text big - A countdown should be readable from across the room.
Use descriptive labels - "47 days" is less exciting than "Beach Vacation in 47 days!"
Don't go overboard - Three or four countdowns is plenty. More than that gets cluttered.
Update them - Remove countdowns once the event passes and add new ones to look forward to.
The Psychology of Countdowns
There's real psychology behind why countdowns feel good. They give us something concrete to anticipate, break up long waits into manageable chunks, and provide a sense of progress even when we're just waiting.
A visible countdown transforms "sometime in April" into "23 days from now." That specificity makes the future feel more real and more exciting.
So go ahead - set up some countdowns. Give yourself things to look forward to.