But why not show progress with status bars, like this: This technique was recently discussed in How-To Geek, and it's easy to do in Excel.

We explain how to make a Lollipop Chart in Excel. A Lollipop Chart resembles a Bar Chart but with a line on a point at the end.

Learn how to create a Timeline in Excel using a Column Chart, SmartArt, or an Excel Template. Timelines are essential for planning and communicating time-based data.

You can make a bar graph in Excel by first selecting the range you want to depict, and then using the dropdown menu to select the desired chart.

To create data bars in Excel, select your cells and then choose data bars from Conditional Formatting.