How To Pick The Perfect Planner

Photo Courtesy of Kaboompics.com via Pexels.com

We have so much in our lives to manage. At one point I thought I had to choose between a digital or a physical planner. This internal war lead me to purchasing nearly every “to-do” list app, only to abandon each for a paper and pen list. I purchased every shiny new planner that promised it was THE ONE that would make all the difference. Two years ago, I finally settled on a hybrid system that includes both digital and physical. Below you will find my recommendations for choosing the perfect physical planner:

Decide what you will be using the planner for.

Before purchasing any digital solution or settling on a paper planner, it is important to make a list of what you will be using the planner for. Common uses include but are not limited to:

1. To Do List
2. To Manage Appointments
3. Gratitude Journal
4. Food Diary
5. Medical or Health Appointments

My primary uses for my physical planner include:

1. To Do List
2. Project Management for my clients
3. Track important dates (like birthdays and other milestones)

Planner Size

Once you decide on the primary purpose(s) of the planner the next consideration is size. Sizes include:

(1) Small — Approximately 4 x 6 inches. Super portable and pocket or palm sized. Not enough space to write a lot of information. Useful for those who want a planner that can fit easily into a purse or bag.

(2) Medium — Approximately 5 x 8. Also called A5. Roughly half the sheet of a printer size paper. Many planner companies refer to this size as “classic.”

(3) Large — Approximately 8.5 x 11 or larger. Also called A4. Most planner companies refer to this as a“desk planner” as these are the least portable options. Many people use this type of planner exclusively at work or even in a home environment, but the planner remains stationary.

Weight also needs to be considered in terms of what else you will be carrying with your planner. If you are going the portable route, consider how the planner will fit in with the other items you carry daily. You also have the option of putting the planner contents inside of binder or purchasing a planner with a binder. While the binder adds to the professional appearance of the planner, it adds additional weight and bulk. In my opinion, it also significantly impacts the ability to write (the rings may limit access to writing on certain areas of the page unless the pages are removed).

The great thing about binders, is that you can purchase refill pages to keep it updated every year. If you are interested in purchasing a binder for your planner you can search for the “Name of the Planner + Size” and there are some great options available on Etsy Here. If you do not select a binder which usually is bound with metal rings, there are spiral bound planners, case-bound or perfect binding(think of the way traditional novels or books are bound), or stapled (usually only an option for monthly-formatted planners). With ring binders, you can always manipulate the format by adding and removing pages whenever you want or need to.

Photo Courtesy of Bich Tran via Pexels.com

Date Format

Once you move past the purpose, size + binder or no binder, the last consideration to make is which date format you’d like. Common options include:

1. Monthly — This format includes a month view with either one month on a single page or one month on a two page side-by-side layout. No matter the size, this is a super portable version.
2. Weekly — This is the most common format, and most options include a monthly view, followed by a weekly view on a single or double page layout. Some planners include tabs allowing you to easily navigate between months. If your planner does not include tabs, they are easy to add using post-it notes.
3. Daily — This format makes the planner much heavier, but depending on how much you are tracking daily, this may be the best format for you.

You also need to determine if you want to follow the calendar year (January — December) or the Academic Year (August to July).

There are some planner formats that do not have dates at all, so you can create any dating system that you prefer.

Planner Brands

Below you will find some of the most popular Planner Brands. Some of them release new planner collections twice a year (following the calendar or academic year cycle) and others release new planners once a year.

1. The Happy Planner — click here for website.
2. Recollections — click here for website.
3. Erin Condren Life Planner — click here for website.
4. Simplified Planner by Emily Ley — click here for website.
5. Filofax — available in a variety of places.
6. Hobonichi — this is a Japanese Brand and most people from the US seem to order theirs from here.
7. The Day Designer — click here for website.
8. Passion Planner — click here for website.
9. Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt — click here for website.
10. Ban.do — click here for website.
11. Day Runner /At A Glance— click here for website.
12. Franklin Covey — click here for website.
13. Moleskine — click here for website.

Note: There are other planners beyond the ones mentioned above on the market. Many high-end designers like Louis Vuitton, also offer Planners. When shopping for planners online, be sure to know whether or not pages are included when you purchase binders. In most cases, these items have to be purchased separately. Not all page systems are interchangeable and not all planners have the same ring format, so be sure to do the appropriate research to be sure you are getting the right size and fit (especially if you are shopping online). Pay careful attention to sizing when shopping!

Photo by Filipe Sabino via Pexels.com

Places to To Shop For Planners

In addition to directly purchasing the above planners from their respective brand websites, you can also find planners in the following places:

1. Michaels
2. Barnes & Noble
3. Office Supply Stores (Staples, Office Max, Office Depot)
4. Paper Source
5. Jo Ann Fabric
6. Target
7. Walmart
8. Hobby Lobby
9. Amazon.com

The stores that stock physical planners are usually well-stocked:

November — end of January (for Calendar Year Calendars)

April — July (for Academic Year Calendars)

Once you get your planner — you can get inspiration on how to use it via Pinterest, starting with the search “Planner” or on Instagram by searching the following hashtags:

#planneraddict

#plannernerd

#plannercommunity

#plannergirl

#plannerstickers

#stationary

#plannergeek

#plannerjunkie

#plannerlife

#plan

#planning

#plannerlove

#plannerspread

#weeklyspread

#fullweekspread

#afterthepen

#beforethepen

#blkwmnplan (this hashtag represents black women who use planners)

#plannerjoy

#plannersociety

You can also search for the actual planner that you use (or want to use). For example, for the The Happy Planner, you can search #happyplanner. Once you do your initial search, you may also come across additional hashtags specific to the brand of your planner. There are also lots of videos on YouTube where people post “flip throughs” of their planners, to give you a closer look of any planners that you are considering.

You will see that stylistically there are people who approach planning very creatively and artistically. They incorporate the use of stickers, different colored pens and pencils and other accessories. Then there are those who use a more minimal or simplified approach.

The key to finding the perfect planner, is to find the planner or collection of planners that is right for you. I believe that there is so much variety on the market because of how much personalization we require in managing our lives. You have so many options, so please take your time in finding the solution that fits you practically and aesthetically. In the next post, I will go into more detail about my full planning system for 2020.

Click here to join my WorkWithDonnie.com newsletter to receive more productivity & communications-related content.