Finding the Perfect Planner
I think I’ve been buying paper planners for the past 10 years, at least. And the market has just EXPLODED with options. In case you need a little help finding a good option, here are what I have tried and found around the internet!
A little more background.
The three most popular options are your daily, weekly or monthly planners. When I had a SUPER busy 9-5 job, the daily planner was particularly helpful. Now, I use a weekly planner for work and a monthly planner for personal planning. Sure, you can use a Google calendar, but there is something so satisfying to crossing off a to-do list, marking dates with highlights and of course adding stickers. #adult
I’m the master at forgetting literally everything so this is how I keep my world organized on paper!
My thoughts on each: Daily, Weekly & Monthly
DAILY - I loved being able to write reminders on the day that an item actually needed done. Most daily planners linked below have a section for your appointments, a list area, and sections for your top 3 to-dos, reminders, etc. This is a great way to keep track of reminders, billing, etc. but could be a little overkill for personal to-do’s.
WEEKLY - I find this helpful now that I’m not cramming in 5 meetings+ a day but want to see my week at a glance. I use the time section to keep track of my billing for work, and then use the notes sections in different ways as needed. The Whitney English planner that I use also has a separate Notes, Reference, and Index section in the back and she gives very clear examples and guidance on how it can be used! [There are monthly layouts as well! - I use this to track which client I will be working on from a work point of view]
MONTHLY - Pretty straightforward, but this is what I use for my personal system. I will add in birthdays, party reminders, doctor appointments, vacations and general fun things here. I like to color coordinate and occasionally pencil things in, too.
Planners I recommend:
Whitney English - the OG! She founded the Day Designer planner which I used for MANY years. For 2021 and 2022 work planners, I used her weekly planner. She also features an undated daily planner. They come in a gorgeous box that can be used for other mementos
Day Designer - Many great designs here, and they have all three options. They are a bit weighty if you like to travel with them!
She Plans - A small business that I used for several years, too. She features a very clean Daily design that I like. It doesn’t look like it’s available yet!
Target, Amazon - Of course, you can’t go wrong shopping here and looking closely at these options! I’ve seen some good ones here too!
Fringe - The monthly planner I found at Home Goods is made by this brand. I LOVE the materials that they use, and I swear by their journals - it’s the only brand that I consistently purchase!
Etsy printables - Another great resource is finding a good “printable” on Etsy. I love the Handwriting Club (@shutterbean on Instagram). She makes great products!
Commit30 - This is a great one that is more focused on goal setting for fitness or wellness. There are undated Daily planners, both undated and dated Weekly and Monthly planners, too. This website does a great job letting you see all the pages.
Erin Condren - I have not personally used this brand but I have a few friends that swear by it! LOTS of options to personalize too!
Emily Ley - Simplified Planner - I have not used this planner personally, but I love the look of them - very similar to Day Designer IMO. All three options available here, plus a “Dapperdesk” option too that really intrigues me. It’s a much more simple daily layout, so I think it gives more room to make it what you want. Also, a LOT of other organizing tools at their website compared to the other companies!
Did I miss any that you love or recommend? Let me know in the comments!
PRO TIP — If you see one you like, but the cost is prohibitive, I highly recommend signing up for the newsletters and following on social media. Especially this time of the year (the fall), many of these companies are doing special sales here and there so you may snag it for much less than full price!
