7 Questions to help you choose the right planner.

Selecting the perfect planner isn’t a big deal, or is it?

Finding a planner that works is not a one size fits all situation. And in my opinion this is the reason, why many find planning in advance and maintaining a written schedule to be painful. There are just so many options from simple to more in-depth; there are day planners, weekly planners, monthly planners, appointment style, just to name a few. Now before you run away with the thought that staying organized isn’t worth the effort, I challenge you to ask yourself the following questions and see if in the end you can find something works for you.

At the end of the day remember, we are creatures of habit. These habits, good or bad, can be altered with practice and repetition. So, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

Question 1

What is your ultimate goal?

When asking yourself this question let’s not get caught up in the details, this is not about losing weight or organizing the basement. It’s about the big picture. What are you looking to change or accomplish? What are you struggling with now? I would recommend spending some time to really outline your overall goals when it comes to getting organized. If you are using a planner currently, think about what works now and what doesn’t? Are you always forgetting or missing appointments or tasks? For example, one of my main goals and reasons for using a planner is accountability, if I don’t write it down or block the time, let’s say for the gym, it will be the first thing to go.

Question 2

What is your personal organizational style?

I think it is safe to assume everyone plans in some way shape or form, but we don’t all write those plans down. Like I mentioned in other posts, I was born Time Blocking (and if you think I’m kidding ask my Mom) but as I have gotten older and with 5 days of the week basically the same (Gym, Work, Dinner) time blocking is overkill and I find does more harm than good but you better believe my weekend are time blocking heaven. As I mentioned one goal of mine is accountability, so by simply by writing down my goals I significantly improve the likelihood that I will accomplish everything on the list. With that said, if you are a mental planner, I wouldn’t recommend diving right in to the daily planner life, it will get over-whelming and feel like a chore. Remember, this is supposed to reduce not induce, stress.

Question 3

How many persons, places, or things are you planning for?

Now that may seem like an odd question, but once we hit a certain age we are rarely planning for just ourselves. We often are trying to coordinate our personal and work schedules along with the schedules of husbands, children, parents etc. For me, keeping work separate from my personal planner is important. My work planner stays in my office and is reviewed at the end of each day. On Friday’s before I leave work, I also review the next week. For me, this has all but eliminated the Sunday Scaries, and makes the weekend much more enjoyable.

Look for a planner with a enough space to easily manage everything. Erin Condren has some great options with different blocks (see below) which will help when managing many schedules.

Question 4

How much time will you spend planning?

Depending on how you answered the questions above you may already know the answer to this. But, your planner should be an extension of yourself, and follow your overall personal style. It should come as no surprise at this point, that I also have a “planning schedule”. I typically have a large monthly planning session, usually at the end of the month prior month, and then weekly on Sundays, but for most of the week my planner is read only. This allows me to really focus and set realistic goals, but also, its helps me to not dwell or over think things. At the end of the day, always remember to KISS. The idea is to make your life easier not more stressful or difficult.

Here’s my tip, your planner format should fit the time you have to allot to planning. Only have an hour or so to spare, an appointment style planner probably isn’t for you? Planning for 3 kids, 2 adults and some pets, then an appointment style might be a good fit, and will prevent double booking.

Question 5

Are you looking for more than just a calendar?

There are so many options out there now and truly an option for everyone. You name it, I am sure I can find a planner that incorporates it; stickers, daily quotes, affirmations, long terms goals, budgeting, fitness goals, etc. The levels of customization are endless, but I will warn you, don’t go too hard too fast. Just like anything else, there definitely can be too much of a good thing.

Question 6

What is your preferred size and binding?

I may have cheated a little, and this really should be question 5a. But honestly with as many add-ons as there are sizes and bindings this could be a long conversation. Are you someone who likes to always have their planner with them? Or maybe, you have like to have two, one for travel and one for home. Do you like to be able to add and remove the pages? These are all things to consider when selecting a planner.

Question 7

What is your budget?

This may see like an odd question at first glance, but when you see my list below of 13 recommended planners, you will see why this is important. There is a HUGE swing in the pricing of planners, and while trying to figure out what style is going to work for you I strongly recommend finding a website with similar style printables to test.

The goal of this post is to help narrow down your choices and find something that works for you but unfortunately I wouldn’t be telling you the truth if I said, this woul’t come with a little trial and error.

13 Planner recommendations to get you started

7 Free Planner Printables

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