Your Essential Guide to Buying a Planner
Choosing the right planner is like finding a personal assistant who helps you organise time, balance work and life, reduce stress, and achieve goals. Here are my top tips choosing your next planner.
1. What Makes a Great Planner?
In a planner, I look for flexibility, simplicity, and aesthetic design. The best planners allow a balanced approach to organising time, with clear layouts that adapt to specific needs without the distraction of unnecessary pages. An uncluttered, visually appealing design not only makes it easy to use but also encourages regular use. Let’s be honest if it looks gorgeous, you're gonna want to use it!
2. Supporting Key Goals and Routines
Each planner needs to help you manage time, achieve that desired work-life balance, reduce stress, and help you stay organised. Whether you're setting goals to keep a tidy home, plan meals, or maintain a fitness routine or balance your work load, your planner is the number one tool to keep you on track.
3. Quality and Design Matter
The durability and design of a planner directly impact its usability. It’s a 12 month investment so you will want it to last. For me, a clear layout, a sturdy cover, and a spiral binding are essentials that ensure a planner will last. And, of course, a motivating aesthetic makes a big difference. These elements collectively create a tool you’ll love using throughout the year.
4. Ideal Layouts and Formats
The best planners for me offer a “year at a glance,” monthly, and weekly views. Daily formats can sometimes be overwhelming and prove difficult to stick to, while a weekly overview strikes a perfect balance. Providing a clear snapshot of your week, allowing for schedule adjustments to maintain that all-important balance we all strive for.
5. Extra Tools: Goal Trackers and Habit Logs
While many planners include goal trackers and habit logs, I find them optional. As your goals and habits can often change throughout the year. It’s often better to add these tools as needed, which allows for more personalised goal setting without the pressure of pre-set pages.
6. Choosing a Planner That Resonates
When it comes to personality types or work styles, the best advice is to pick a planner that resonates with you personally. The more it aligns with your style, the more likely you are to use it consistently. That’s what determines a successful planner!
7. Paper Planners vs. Digital Planners
I’m a strong advocate for paper planners, complemented by digital reminders. Writing things down has a proven connection to memory and mental organisation, helping us retain plans and stay focused as the week progresses. Seeing a weeks plans layout provides clarity. Digital planners generally don’t allow for a wider perspective and I am all for getting away from our devices and paper planners are a great mindfulness activity whilst still being productive. Win win!
8. Budgeting for a Planner: The Value in Your Investment
Planners range from budget-friendly options to high-end designs, with most under $100. Adding extras like stickers can elevate the experience and the cost but it is fun! Ultimately, investing $60-80 in a planner that improves time management, reduces stress, and supports wellness is, in my opinion, worth every penny.
9. Tips for Making the Most of Your Planner
Using a planner effectively is a personal journey. At Tidy Life by Design, we help you discover a planning style that works for you, unlocking the keys to successful organisation and time management in a way that aligns with your unique needs. If your looking for a fresh start in the coming new year you can check out how we can help you here.
10. How Planners Fit into the Tidy Life by Design Lifestyle
Our goal at Tidy Life by Design is to help others live a life they enjoy now—not wait 20 years to figure it out. A big part of living your best life lies in how you organise it, and a quality planner is central to this approach. I personally live by this myself and I am confident that if you pick yourself up a planner and start organising you’ll not only learn about yourself and grow as a person, you’ll start acing your everyday!
With these top tips, you'll be ready to make the new year your most organised, balanced, and fulfilling year yet!
