How to Choose a Planner That Works for You
Have you ever gotten overwhelmed at the thought of choosing the right planner? It can happen! There’s always the fear of getting stuck with a planner you’ll never use…I’ve done that.
I don’t want to same thing to happen to you, so I’m going to share some different planners to help you find just the right one! Over the years of trying this and that I feel like quite the expert!
I love to talk about planning with any Planner Girl I meet. You didn’t know it could be such a crazy serious thing, did you? The right planner makes a world of difference for me.
I even have a whole collection of planners to switch out to when I need a different color…don’t judge. I like things to match so I tend to lean towards pretty planners, and then I look at the practical side.
I thought I’d share some popular planners and their features to help you become organized in style.
First, let me share a peek at my planner stash…
My collection…the three on the bottom are Filofax {A5 size} and the three on the top are Color Crush by Webster’s Pages {personal size}.
You might be able to tell that these are my two favorite sizes, and we’ll get into that more in a minute. But, for now, just take in how pretty they are…ha! I like to change them out with the season {or my mood} so that’s why I have so many colors.
These are the two I’m using right now. They make me happy and help keep me organized. I keep track of what I need to do and what I’ve done that day. The smaller one is for my projects…each one has its own section.
Let’s Talk About Planner Sizes
To begin with you’ll want to decide what size planner is right for you. Some planners can be quite expensive, so make sure you know if you’ll be carrying it with you all the time or working with it at your desk. Do you need lots of space to write?
Here’s a look at the main sizes you’ll find in many different brands…
These are the most popular sizes and you will see A5, A4, Compact, Pocket or Personal used to describe inserts and dividers everywhere.
I think these smaller sizes are great for throwing in your purse or taking notes. I just can’t write small enough for it to handle my planning, but I know lots of people love them.
Let’s Talk About Planner Styles
Planner styles and personalities go together!
Book style planners are printed and bound on the side just like a book. These stay nice and neat because the pages don’t move around like in planners with rings. You could customize them some with stickers or cute paper clips.
Planners with rings {in all different sizes} come with removable pages. This makes it easy for you to use them year after year, and you can customize what’s included in your planner. You can purchase meal planner inserts {on Etsy}, money tracking pages, exercise and diet tracking pages and so on. You are just limited by the size of the rings.
There are new ring planners with colorful, chunky rings on the outside like The Happy Planner. You can buy lots of inserts and pockets to mix in along with your basic calendar. It has a little less “finished” look with the rings on the outside, but it’s cute.
Spiral bond planners stay nice and neat while allowing you to fold the pages around to make it easier to write on. You can order some of them with custom pages, but many come with standard calendar pages. You can customize it with stickers and maybe some custom pockets.
Examples of Planners
Let’s find you the perfect planner! What suits your style? There are planners that are stuffed with pages, tags and have paper clips sticking out creating a chunky planner. There are slim planners that are bound like a book and stay super neat and organized.
This is The Happy Planner with chunky rings. Customize it in minutes with all the optional planner inserts that are available for recipes, health and home planning. These are seriously fun and can really help keep you organized. It’s an 18 month planner!
This is a large planner and it only come in about an A4 size so far. The cover is a heavy laminated page and the pages can be removed and replaced carefully to use again next year. There are lots of covers and colorful rings that you can switch out to expand as your planner grows. I like that!
You can read all the details and see The Happy Planner styles available right here.
Be sure to check out all the cool stickers that are made just for this planner!
Here’s a look at the Erin Condren Life Planner. It’s spiral bound and large { approx. A4 – measures 7.25″ x 9.25″}.
You can purchase one of the many inspiring designs or customize it with your name or photos. There’s plenty of room to write, plan and decorate in these.
The planner is available in three layout options (horizontal, vertical, and hourly). Each one includes views for daily, weekly, and monthly planning.
You’ll find lots of stickers available on Etsy to pretty up these pages. Type “Erin Condren” in the search box for a great selection. {More on dressing up planners later.}
Kate Spade Planners
Kate Spade Planners…yep, they’re pretty! These are bound like a book, so they will stay looking like this all year. They are available in different sizes.
Check out more designs and details of the Kate Spade Planners right here.
I love the polka dots…super cute!
Can you keep track of a schedule online? Yes, but it wouldn’t look this good! I need to mix my creative side with my planning or I would zone out for sure.
Color Crush Planners
This is a Webster’s Pages Color Crush Planner. It’s a personal size with a leather finish so it travels well. I like that I can just throw it in my bag and be ready for a lunch meeting.
There’s a long closure strap which makes it possible for you to stuff it and still securely snap it. I love that…mine is as chunky as it can get!
When you purchase a kit it comes with a beautifully designed dividers. They really did a great job of making these appealing to creative people. Planners don’t have to be boring! There’s a wide range of colors available and the prices are reasonable.
Color Crush planners are also available in A5 size.
Here’s a closer look inside mine, and a fun little DIY Planner Paper Clip idea.
This is a Filofax planner {A5} and it started my planner addiction…lol! It’s leather and a bit more expensive. It’s very sturdy with lots of great pockets for sticky notes and washi tape. That’s a good thing!
Filofax planners last forever! People even trade them and sell used ones online. Did you know that there’s a market for used planners? Ebay auctions and Facebook groups selling planners are huge! Now you know.
I buy a basic calendar and then I make all my own dividers and dashboards {pages with tabs and the front and back page made from cardstock or scrapbook paper}. I top it off with fun tabs a paper clips. I use tons of stickers to pretty up the regular pages, and I love how much room I have to write in. It works for me!
You’ll find inserts in tons of styles, and don’t forget to check Etsy for some custom designs.
Here’s a peek inside my planner. You can see more photos and see how I organize my Filofax with sticky notes right here.
Planning with my favorite Filofax and Color Crush planners makes it a little more fun to be organized.
Download this free Planner Girl Print!
I created some free planner printables you can download for your new planner.
Don’t miss all of these…
16 Free Planner Printables for You!
There’s no one planner that’s perfect for everyone, but hopefully this will help you find what works for you! I’ve found that if I use a basic style of planner with rings I can make whatever pages I want inside. There are no rules…customize it however you want!
Do you have a favorite planner? How do you stay organized and not missing appointments? I’d love to hear about any of your tips in the comments. Oh, and for all those Planner Girls out there…tell me ALL about your planners!
~Kim
I created some free planner printables you can download for your new planner.