business planning diary

The 24 best planners of 2024, from stylish daily diaries to annual agendas

Start the year with the perfect tools for productivity and organization. The best planner keeps your schedule, deadlines,  goals, and thoughts organized. Though no planner is one-size-fits-all, these daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly diaries allow you to chart your goals, appointments, ideas, and more all in one place. Some planners work great for strictly scheduling the hours of your day, while others work better for your long-term goal-planning success. The best planner for you comes down to personal preference in how you chart your time.

Planner styles get even more detailed, and we break down the ways to choose what's right for you at the end of this guide. We spoke with two stationery store owners and a productivity expert to get their advice on how to pick a planner.

"There are lots of different, great planners, and it just kind of depends on thinking about how you want to plan your week and how you want to visualize your week," said Jeremy Crown, who co-owns Little Otsu , a paper store in Portland, Oregon. Whatever style of planner you prefer, we've covered the basics of the best of what's out there.

Daily planners

For more detailed planning, daily planners offer hourly breakdowns of your day. Daily planners are one of the most popular formats. They tend to be bulkier than weekly or monthly planners but offer the most flexibility. These are ideal for students, teachers, and parents who need to keep careful track of a busy schedule.

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Weekly planners

Weekly planners are great for a zoomed-out view of your goals and to-dos if you'd rather look at the big picture instead of the day-to-day. These planners are less detail-oriented than daily ones but will have daily space to keep track of appointments and assignments. They're ideal for scheduling everything needed to complete multiple goals over a period of time.

Monthly planners

Monthly planners are ideal for professionals or students with several projects or classes to juggle over a long period of time. Though they provide less space than daily and weekly planners, they allow for a strong overview of deadlines and key dates. They're also a great option for parents who need to keep track of doctors appointments, extra curricular activities, and events for a big family.

Yearly and quarterly planners

Yearly or quarterly planners provide the most scope for those with specific personal or business goals. For this category, we considered both big-picture goal planners and 3-month planners that really drill down into how much you can accomplish in 90 days. For the latter category, you'll find that 90-day planners often have weekly and daily pages and space to plan out the quarter. That said, they're still distinct from daily and weekly planners because they focus on achieving longer-term goals, rather than plotting out your days. 

How to choose a planner

There are an overwhelming number of planner types. Chandra Greer, who owns Greer , a stationery store in Chicago, Illinois, prioritizes stocking her store with functional, quality options, knowing they might not be the right fit for everyone. "I'm more interested in the function," she said. "Is the layout useful? Is it something that is going to withstand being your daily friend for 365 days?"

To find out what will work for you, you can start by considering what qualities are most important to you. "I think if you sort of start with, 'What is it that I want to use this for?' that gives you a good starting point," said Alexandra Cavoulacos, founder of The Muse and author of " The New Rules of Work. "

Consider daily, weekly, or monthly formats

For some people, a planner is merely a portable calendar, Cavoulacos said. Other people want to track projects and create to-do lists. The amount of detail per day will start to dictate how much space you need.

Dated or undated

There are many reasons you might decide to buy an undated calendar. "People might decide on March 28th they want a planner," said Greer. "But if a planner is dated, they're already three months through the year." 

Plus, with an undated planner, you can always pick up where you left off without wasting days' worth of paper. 

Horizontal or vertical

When someone comes into Little Otsu looking for a planner, co-owner Jeremy Crown first asks, "Are you more of a task-oriented planner?" He thinks people with detailed schedules or long to-do lists may prefer the column format of vertical layouts, while those who like making notes or doodling might prefer the horizontal layout.

Some planners also use a "dashboard" view, with a week or day on one page and the other dedicated to habit trackers, gratitude prompts, and other fill-in-the-blanks. 

Doctors, nurses, and chefs always want pocket-sized notebooks and planners, said Crown. You might want something big enough to hold your sprawling handwriting but small enough to carry around in your purse or messenger bag. 

Minimalist or full of prompts 

Planner aesthetics range from very bare-bones to packed with extras like quotes, charts, and check-ins. 

"You want your planner to inspire you," Cavoulacos said. "I do think the sort of aesthetic piece, the inspiration piece, is also something that shouldn't be forgotten," she said.  

Both Greer and Cavoulacos point out that you can add your own quotes and personalizations to even the most minimalist planner, as long as there's space. "It could become more of a person's little command center," said Greer. 

Paper quality

If paper quality is high on your list of importance, Greer suggests taking a close look at who makes a planner. 

"I definitely gravitate towards manufacturers who have a background in paper," she said, recommending several Japanese notebook or paper companies with planners such as Midori , Paperways , High Tide , and Kokuyo Jibun Techo .

Even if you're not into paper, you'll want to pay attention to the cover's material. Hardcovers will stand up to more wear and tear than softcovers. "Sometimes people will trade that durability for something that doesn't cost very much, but definitely people are expecting [their planner] to get through the whole year and not look like it was run over by a truck," Greer said. 

Binding 

It's important that planners lie flat since you're writing in them. Many are spiral-bound, but others are stitch-bound. Either will let you write on them, but you can flip one side of the book behind the other with a spiral binding. "A lot of people are kind of indifferent between spiral and stitch bound now, as long as it lies flat because that's really what they're looking for," Greer said. 

Another concern with the binding is whether it will keep the planner together for the whole year. Some glued-in pages might not hold out as well. "If you have something that's stitch-bound or spiral, it's very sturdy for the long haul," Greer said.

Why not just use a digital planner?

"I don't necessarily think a planner is for everybody, just like any particular productivity hack or tool," Cavoulacos said. There are plenty of people who prefer to keep their calendars and notes strictly digital, and getting a paper planner might not make sense for them. 

If you're on the fence, she suggests asking yourself what's attractive about a paper planner. "I think for a lot of people, it's slowing down, right?" Cavoulacos said. "It's like the lack of distraction. It's the moments to think, to cross things off — the satisfaction of crossing things off." 

For Crown, it's more personal than a phone calendar. "It's your life in a book," he said. "[By] the end of the year, you have this book that was like, this is what I did. That's something that the phone doesn't do that well." 

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18 Must-Have Best Planners for Entrepreneurs (2024)

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Last Updated on June 21, 2024

Looking for the best planners for entrepreneurs to make your 2024 business year the most organized yet? This list is packed full of planners to fit any business owner’s busy lifestyle!

As a busy entrepreneur, you know it’s an absolute must to have proper planning tools. Having the right planner can make or break your productivity, so it’s important to choose the BEST planner that’s most tailored to your needs and lifestyle.

But there are SO many planners out there, so how can you know which one is best for you?! 

Don’t fret, I’ve compiled this list of the best planners for entrepreneurs in 2024 so you can sort through them all in one place! It’s a one-stop-shop over here!

I’m including the best daily planners, weekly planners, business planners for professionals, and productivity/goal setting planners for entrepreneurs! Of all the options, you’re sure to find the planner that’s the perfect fit.

Table of Contents

Top 3 Business Planner Picks

• 2024 Business Digital Planner Bundle – Best Work/Business Planner
• Clever Fox PRO Undated Planner – Best Weekly Planner
• 2024 Daily Simplified Planner – Best Daily Planner

This post is all about the best planners for entrepreneurs

Different types of planners for entrepreneurs.

The best planners for entrepreneurs can come in a few different formats. Are you a pen + paper type of person? Love having everything online in one place? Want something you can print yourself on the cheap? There’s a planner for that!

Whether you need help planning how to start a business or you’re a seasoned pro, you’ve gotta have a format that works for you.

Planner Types by Format

Format and convenience are everything when you think about your day-to-day routine with your planner. Do you hate having to grab your physical planner from another room? If so, digital might be your pick. Do you feel motivated by the feeling of pen and paper? Then you may not want to miss out on a beloved physical planner! 

• Physical planners – this is your traditional planner in paper format, typically with the pages bound together. These may come with pre-printed, pre-dated pages, or undated pages so that you fill in the dates and content yourself. 
• Digital planners – If you hate having to carry something around or dislike being unable to access your planner across devices, a digital planner is perfect for you. There are many apps that sync from your phone, to your tablet, to your laptop! This can be as simple as Google Calendar, or you can purchase curated digital planners that are essentially a traditional planner in digital format. 
• Printable planners – one type of planner you may not have thought about is a printable planner. These types of planners allow more room for your own decoration and are frequently found on Etsy. You can print the pages as many times as you like, too! 

Planner Types by Layout

Many planners may be a mix of more than one of these elements, but sometimes they specialize in one layout in particular. Think about your preferences and needs when it comes to the layout and focus of your planner!

• Daily planners – Daily planners can be as general as an overview of your daily plans, goals, and priorities, or they can get as specific as planning by the hour! Think about your preferences on those as you browse the daily planners for entrepreneurs in this post. If you’re a time blocker, you’ll want the hourly. But if that’s too intense, stick with a general daily overview!
• Weekly planners – If you like to take things week by week and plan all your days out in advance, you’ll want to opt for a planner that has a focused weekly format. I find that these are best during years where I anticipate having a lot of appointments. No one likes a dreadful doctor’s appointment creeping up on them day-of!
• Dedicated business planners – yes, standard daily and weekly planners may do the job, but they don’t include the more business-specific things we need to think about to stay on top of our business. As you get more serious about your business, you’ll certainly appreciate having a wide array of business templates in your planner!
• Goal setting planners – Many generic planners have some space for jotting down your goals, but they stop there. They pay no attention to all the systems that need to be in place in order to work toward the goal! That’s why finding a planner with a detailed goal-setting focus, where you can create an action plan and stay accountable, just makes sense!

Format and layout can make or break your schedule, so choose wisely when choosing among these best planners for entrepreneurs.

Want a quick, free, one-page daily planner you can print again and again? Make sure you grab my FREE printable productive day planner below! It’s perfect to use in a pinch before you decide on the perfect planner!

Top 18 best 2024 planners for busy entrepreneurs

Don’t forget about these life changing planners for entrepreneurs! Pin ’em to come back later!

Best Daily Planners for Entrepreneurs

1. the high performance undated planner.

Starting off this list of the best planners for entrepreneurs, we’ve got a half journal, half planner, full performance agenda!

Start this undated daily planner at any time. You get to work out your day schedule alongside morning + evening mindset journal prompts to keep you focused and aware of what each day brings.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. You also get daily goal boxes, weekly habit assessments, monthly project planning, and proprietary whole life balance sheets. Before you know it, you’ll be prioritizing your work/life schedule like a pro!

What’s inside:

• 2-in-1 planner with daily schedule + morning and evening journal prompts
• 60 days, undated, so you can start whenever it’s convenient for you
• Daily pages with morning mindset activities and evening review scorecard
• Weekly pages that allow you to assess your high performance habits
• Monthly Pages that help you strategically outline your long-term goals
• BONUS: you get a free online assessment to track your habits!

RELATED: Gifts for Female Business Owners: 20 Insanely Useful Things She’ll Love

2. Happy Planner Undated Wellness Planner

A very creative option, the Happy Planner has so many cute accessories, stickers, and embellishments perfect for the creative entrepreneur!

This planner is here to help you prioritize wellness in your busy entrepreneur life as you organize your year, reflect on your gratitudes, and practice mindfulness. Undated planners like this one are also perfect if you ever fall off track from your planning because you’ll never waste pages. You just fill in the dates as you go.

• Undated pages
• Unlabeled dividers with month stickers for your own labeling
• Space to write down ways you’re moving, nourishing yourself, staying motivated, and setting intentions.
• Wellness journal sections with reflections, impressions of the day, focuses, grateful moments, and the things you’re loving.

3. Simplified Planner 2024 Daily

What better way to simplify your life than to use a planner MADE for such a thing?! It’s designed minimally on purpose so that you can cut to the chase and get started planning your day the easy way. Pretty much feels the same as starting your day with a breath of fresh air!

• Space for schedule, to-do, notes and meals
• One day per page + shared weekend pages
• Full month views
• 4 notes pages in the front
• Hourly schedule from 6am to 9pm
• 4 pages of Simplified Prep-Work
• Monthly Simplicity Tips
• NEW colorful sticker sheet design
• Pocket inside the front cover

RELATED: New Month Journal Prompts for Goal Setting

4. Daily Planning Package (+ Clipboard + Pen!)

If you’re looking for the full package, this has all of your business planning needs covered! Not only do you get a detailed daily planner notepad, BUT you even get a companion weekly planner.

As if that wasn’t awesome enough… it also comes with a durable clipboard and pen! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a planner come with both a pen AND a clipboard, so this is truly a unique deal.

• 1-Year Daily Planner – 350 pages (50 tear-off pages x 7 days)
• 1-Year Weekly Planner – 50 pages (two-week break for rest!)
• Highly durable clipboard and pen, both made with vegan leather
• Undated and ready to be filled with your dreams, goals, and daily activities

RELATED: Journaling for Entrepreneurs: 40 Business Savvy Prompts

Best Weekly Planners for Entrepreneurs

5. erin condren weekly lifeplanner.

Extremely popular, the Erin Condren Weekly Planner is SO well-designed and ultra-customizable. Aims to keep you organized, reduce stress, and achieve your goals. With its many customization options, you can build the perfect planner that fits your style and schedule!

Also, the covers on these are insanely durable and built to last. I used this planner in high school and would 100% recommend it for any stage in your life, even as an adult. This is one of the best basic entrepreneur planners for 2024!

• Mini months
• Monthly quotes
• Monthly notes and productivity pages
• Dated monthly, weekly spreads
• Additional notes in the back
• Contacts page
• 4 planning sticker sheets
• 1 double-sided pocket folder
• 1 perpetual calendar
• Snap-in ruler

6. Clever Fox PRO Weekly Undated Planner

Straightforward, uncluttered, and easy to use is the Clever Fox PRO planner. I’ve had this planner for years and it never fails me! The weekly view includes everything I could ever want with daily priorities, weekly planning, goals, to-do lists, and habit tracking!

• Short and long term goal planning pages
• Productivity sections
• Undated so you don’t waste pages!
• Vision board pages
• Quarterly goals and mind map
• Monthly review sheets
• 50 dot grid pages in the back for notes

7. Ban.do Weekly Undated Planner

Okay, first things first…what business owner DOESN’T need the reminder on the front of this planner?! I am always having to remind myself that progress is more important than perfection. Anyway…

Ban.do’s planner is perfect for anyone who’s more flexible with their planning needs. They feature weekly note pages, to-do lists, and spaces for reflection. I like that you get the opportunity to think over what went well today and what could be better for tomorrow.

• Artsy cover design
• Concealed spiral
• Sticker page
• Pocket on the inside front cover
• 73 perforated weekly pages and 73 list pages
• Primary layout includes a weekly view on one page and a to-do list on the other

8. Leather 2024 Snap Planner

K, I’ll be honest, you’re going to spend a pretty penny on this planner–but that’s because of the durable full grain leather design (and if you’re on the go a lot, trust me, it’s well worth the money! Nothing worse than torn up planner corners when it’s only halfway through the year.)

This covers all your weekly, monthly, and yearly planning needs. And if you’re a list lover, you will loveee the lists and notes pages for extra checklists, projects, and reminders. This is one classy, high-end planner no doubt!

• 12 month dated calendar agenda
• Full grain durable leather
• 1-Year in Review spread and monthly goals pages for important dates, tasks, and other priorities
• Monthly calendar view and weekly agenda pages for your appointments, meetings, and to-dos
• Lists and Notes pages
• Gold foil stamping on front and back cover; covers made of black cardstock
• Can be personalized

What planners do CEOs use?

Best planners for business owners and entrepreneurs at work, 9. 2024 digital planner bundle for business owners.

This digital business planner has IT ALL! If you need an entrepreneur planner that covers your life and business from A-Z, you’ll want this. There are literally 1,000,000 digital planners in different variations to choose from (yup, you read that right, 1 MILLION!).

It’s highly customizable with 11 different weekly layouts, 8 different daily layouts, and business templates galore. It also helps promote work-life balance by including sections for wellness, fitness, and nutrition too!

Seriously, whatever your business needs are, whether you’re a small business owner or you’re growing like crazy, this will fit them!

• Many business templates like target audience, business goals, sales tracker, tax deductions, content analysis, and so much more
• Productivity, Wellness, Fitness, Nutrition & Finances sections
• Goals section linked to 8 goals pages
• Projects section linked to 8 project pages
• 50,000 stickers in Goodnotes + PNG format
• 500 cover designs

10. Ultimate Business Planner

Rather than a daily/weekly/monthly planner, this business planner takes on a slightly different approach. While it does offer daily and weekly planning and to-do lists, it also goes one step further by including sections for business branding, website building, and social media planning. One of the most comprehensive and best planners for entrepreneurs!

• Over 280 business planner printable pages
• Business planning pages
• Order forms and shipment logs
• Inventory logs
• Business finance planner
• Website building
• Blog planner
• Email planner
• Social media planner
• A year in review

11. Small Business Planner

Unlike the other two business planners and organizers from Etsy, this one is a physical planner! This offers weekly and monthly planning as well as business specifics like branding planning, social media goals, online stats, product idea pages, and more!

• Year At-A-Glance
• Quick Contacts for business-related contacts
• Branding and Demographic visioning
• Revenue chart for a quick look at your profits and expenses
• Recurring Payments tracker
• Social Media goals
• Online Stats tracking
• Events listing/stats and Supply List
• Product Price List
• Product idea pages

Best Productivity Planners for Entrepreneur Goal Setting

12. full focus planner.

This planner stands out because not only does it allow you to plan out your week (as any planner does), but it takes things a step further by helping you reflect on your week in terms of what worked and what didn’t. There is a lot of focusing on properly preparing you for the week ahead, instead of just going through the motions!

Another key feature is the “key projects” pages where you can map out all of your projects for the quarter. Very goal-oriented for sure!

• Designed with a structured achievement program
• Sections for weekly and quarterly previews
• Unique daily framework, separating your highest-leverage activities from your list of daily tasks
• Dedicated goal-setting and project planning sheets

RELATED: 65 Affirmations for Female Entrepreneurs

13. Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets Goal Planner 2024

This results-backed goal planner is organized into 90-day segments–the perfect amount of time to make progress!

This planner prides itself on intention-setting opportunities for choosing the right goals for this season in your life. It also gives you opportunities to revisit and refocus those goals throughout the year.

Before each 90-day window, you can hit the reset button by planning your best routines for the season ahead!

• Streamlined monthly and weekly planning, designed specifically to help you live more intentionally
• Dated weekly planning pages – Monday through Sunday
• Space for your to-do list, top priorities, habit tracking, and a small nudge to tend to what matters most!
• Segmented into 90-day windows with seasonal routine planning

14. BestSelf Journal Goal Setting Planner

This 13-week goal planner is backed by science and psychology, so you know you’ll see results in your productivity. Perfectly designed to better optimize your day, help you crush those goals, and overall live a more fulfilling life!

The Self Journal boasts overcoming “decision fatigue” and helps you focus on what matters most. It’s all about prioritizing your workload, building good habits, and making every day count! This is easily one of the best planners for entrepreneurs. It sets you up for true success.

• Enough pages to guide you through 13 weeks of meeting your goals
• Undated design
• Comprehensive goal-setting page
• Space for everyday bullet journaling
• Space for progress and mindfulness prompts
• Helps to develop daily goal setting and reflection practices through routine encouragement
• Gratitude and self-reflection sections
• Complete guidebook and calendar
• 13-week habit tracker for creating new healthy routines
• Provides space to journal and plan next steps to achieve your goals

15. GoGirl Planner PRO Vertical Hourly Planner

If you love time blocking, this is the planner for you! The GoGirl Planner is a weekly planner with time slots (6am – 9pm) to navigate your daily life the productive way. Also features goal planning pages for all your short and long term goals and helps you create a strategy for achieving those goals. The best perk is that it comes with budget planning pages so you can stay on top of your spending with a monthly financial analysis!

• Weekly planner with vertical time slots + monthly calendar
• Goal setting pages
• Habit tracking pages
• Budget planning sheets
• Comes with a pen holder and 280+ stickers
• Dot-grid pages at the back

16. Poketo Quarterly Goal Planner

Feeling stuck on identifying goals to set? Well, you’re in luck, because this planner has helpful prompts to get your goal ideas flowing!

This quarterly planner is undated and follows all the way through when it comes to goal setting, as you also get to plan the actions you’ll take each week that keep you on track to meet your goals! You get the perfect little game plan to hold yourself accountable for the quarter.

• Quarterly 3 month planner
• Goal setting pages that help you identify potential challenges and plans to celebrate your wins along the way
• Weekly plan that allows space to match your actions/habits to your goals
• Hourly daily layout with short journal prompts to reflect on your day

17. The Daily Grace Quarterly Planner

This quarterly devotional planner promotes spiritual guidance as you navigate your busy life. If you find it tough to manage your business and stay connected to God, this planner will serve as a powerful reminder to prioritize both, if this is your goal!

You’ll get to set quarterly, weekly, and daily goals alongside reflection questions to help you brainstorm those goals and be mindful of your spiritual habits. Includes gospel-centered affirmations to comfort and guide you. 

• Undated devotional planner
• Covers one quarter of the year/roughly 13 weeks
• Monthly spread that gears your attention toward what you wish to accomplish each month
• Weekly actions section with 5 smaller sections: meditate, journal, pray, plan, organize
• Start and end-of-quarter evaluations
• Spiritual disciplines explanation

18. The 12 Week Year Field Guide

This isn’t quite a planner so much as it is a study guide for helping you be efficient and productive. But nonetheless, it is a fantastic business tool you’ll want to have at your fingertips just for the expertise and tips alone!

This is applicable to business growth, career goals, and also just life in general!

Inside, you’ll learn how to…

• Create your own personal and business visions with step-by-step help
• Develop a rock solid 12 week plan for yourself
• Use the many exercises and templates to make your business life a little easier
• Determine a 12 week commitment system that can be applied to your business and life!

Choosing the Right Planner: What to Look For

Every business owner has different needs. When choosing that perfect planner for you out of this list of planners for entrepreneurs, there’s some key features you’ll want to consider before making a decision. Think about what is visually pleasing, what is practical, and what ticks all your boxes!

Dated vs. Undated

When looking at all the planners for entrepreneurs, do you want a planner that already has all the dates filled in for you? Or do you want to be able to pick up and leave off whenever?

Sometimes life gets chaotic and we miss a week or two in our planner. If that tends to happen to you, you may be better off with an undated planner so you don’t waste pages! But if the structure of a dated planner keeps you accountable, that may be your best bet!

The Sections Included

Maybe you want your planner to offer you more than just a calendar. You might want to track expenses, keep lists, track business ideas, brainstorm projects….the list goes on!

If you want a super comprehensive planner that has it all, it may be worth it to seek out a more specialized planner than your run-of-the-mill weekly or monthly planner.

Refillable/Insertable

Some planners allow you to pop in different inserts. This is awesome not only for the customizability, but it’s also far more sustainable, long-lasting, and eco-friendly! Rather than toss out planner after planner each year, you can keep a refillable planner alive forever.

Folders and Pockets

Does the planner feature folders and pockets throughout or in the back? You might not always need these, but they can come in handy for storing business cards, notes, and documents!

Size and Portability

As much as I love a big, large-print planner…sometimes it can get bulky and annoying to carry around.

Especially when it doesn’t fit in my bag! So size and the ability to carry the planner from place to place is definitely something to think about.

If a planner is only going to make your bag that much heavier, it might get old real quick. Think about what will fit in your work bag or backpack and buy accordingly!

Layout Preference

I used to NEED a planner with a vertical, hour-by-hour layout. Now that I use Google Calendar for that function, I like to have my paper planner in horizontal format, where I can just bullet point-list my daily tasks like a to-do list.

Think about what you prefer and what other systems you have in place! If you like to use a digital calendar in conjunction with a paper planner, get a paper planner that offers something your digital calendar doesn’t.

Pro tip: If you’re juggling a ton of tasks, struggling to keep your life organized, AND trying to stay on track with your goals …don’t try to manage your schedule by yourself!

You need to make sure you’re optimizing your time in the best way possible. But what even is “the best way possible”?

Well, you don’t need to waste time figuring that out when the Motion app can literally do it for you.

If you’re sick of feeling like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, Motion can fix that by:

• Automated scheduling that plans your day for you – this app knows exactly how to schedule your daily tasks FOR YOU, in a way that’s most productive for you and your lifestyle.
• Handling emergencies – Motion rearranges everything automatically so that urgent pop-up tasks don’t screw up your day…or your sanity!
• Being a game-changer for ADHD – anyone with ADHD knows the agony of identifying what to prioritize. Motion takes the guesswork out of time management, so you know exactly what to do next!

Motion is the game-changer your schedule has been begging for, so why not give it a shot and lighten your load?

Did these planners for entrepreneurs help you identify the best planner for you?

Whether you’re into goal setting, have a crazy chaotic work schedule, or just want a no-frills simple planner…this list has something for every entrepreneur! From artsy to minimalistic and everything in between, these planners for entrepreneurs offer a huge set of tools to organize your year and make it the best one yet.

Hopefully, your preferences have become a little clearer after weighing all the different variations planners can offer! Because we all know how good it feels to open a fresh new planner that has exactly what we want.

Happy planning!

Don’t forget your FREE productive day planner printable!

More Helpful Tools for Entrepreneurs

Gifts for Female Business Owners: 20 Insanely Useful Things She’ll Love

New Month Journal Prompts for Goal Setting

Journaling for Entrepreneurs: 40 Business Savvy Prompts

65 Affirmations for Female Entrepreneurs

LIKE THESE PLANNERS FOR ENTREPRENEURS? PIN THEM FOR LATER!

Founder & Content Strategist

Hey there! I'm Alexa, and I'm a self-care enthusiast and mental health advocate. At Ambitiously Alexa, I'm here to support women like you who are on a mission to achieve allll the things they're passionate about and make time for self care. I make this balance possible through journal prompts, positive affirmations, and self care ideas you'll love! Here's more about me, including my B.A in Psychology...

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Business Planner Undated for Entrepreneurs! Focus Project Notebook for Productivity! Daily Weekly Self Organizer Planner / Win the Day! Beat Procrastination! Ifocus - A5 work planner

Brand	ifocus
Cover Material	Leather
Year	2020
Format	Organizer
Calendar Type	Daily, Weekly
Target Audience	Adult
Sheet Size	A5
Material	Paper
Item Weight	1.87 Pounds
Binding	Unknown Binding

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Product Description

Have you ever wondered why daily work is so messy there may be a better way of doing things.

Those that work by routine and not according to a plan, can perform less and their overall morale is lower. Work becomes tedious and exhausting.

Now you can change it step by step.

Break down your complex, big projects. Clarity first, then you can focus on what matters!

Forget yearly planners if you want to be organized and productive in 2022 and beyond. It's impossible to manage modern work challenges with a calendar

Customer Reviews
You need to know	The daily planner has 2 sections. Section 1: Plan, break down and organize goals and projects and you have a full system to focus on a big project or goal in a 90-day timeframe. Section 2: Daily time management with priorities to win the day!
Cover	Luxurious canvas	Luxurious Vegan leather
Size	A5 (5.8" x 8.3")	B5 ( 7.17" x 10.12")
Daily pages	2 page / Day	2 page / week, 2 page / weekly projects
Weekly pages	2 page / week	2 page / week
Premium thick paper 120 gsm	✓	✓
Project planning	Break down 1 big goal or project into manageable steps. This planner will give you the freedom to plan and organize business related activities. It's not a Life Planner. It is for Entrepreneurs, office workers, CEO-s and business people.	Manage multiple projects on a weekly basis. If you have many projects, this planner is a life saver. You can break down and manage 6 projects / week with 8 tasks for each project. That's 48 tasks for a week which is more than enough.
Goal Setting	✓	✓
Best for	Corporations, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, Office workers, People in Sales, Marketing, Finance etc.	Project oriented minds. Project Managers, CEO-s, Solopreneurs, Small Business Owners

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Business Planner Undated for Entrepreneurs! Focus Project Notebook for Productivity! 2020 Best Da...

Roland Bella

iFocus Business Planner review

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Customer Review: Get it! Don’t think twice!

Ludie Cange

Your new BE MORE ORGANIZED tool - business and project planner

Productivity planner for a new entrepreneur!

Professional1

Customer Review: Perfect for those who want to track consistent action steps

Customer Review: Very nice professional planner - 10 STARS

Product information, technical details.

Manufacturer	‎ifocus
Brand	‎ifocus
Item Weight	‎1.87 pounds
Product Dimensions	‎9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Item model number	‎655172922454
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer	‎No
Cover Material	‎Leather
Material Type	‎Paper
Sheet Size	‎A5
Manufacturer Part Number	‎655172922454

Additional Information

ASIN	B072VWSND1
Customer Reviews	4.3 out of 5 stars
Best Sellers Rank	#58,813 in Office Products ( ) #1,878 in
Date First Available	June 19, 2017

Warranty & Support

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Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 67% 12% 10% 5% 6% 67%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 67% 12% 10% 5% 6% 12%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 67% 12% 10% 5% 6% 10%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 67% 12% 10% 5% 6% 5%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 67% 12% 10% 5% 6% 6%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the business aspect of the planner. They say it has a great layout to set achievable goals and help them break large projects into workable pieces. They appreciate the quality and value of the product. Customers are also happy with space, and days. However, opinions are mixed on ease of use, and size.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the planner great for setting achievable goals along the way. They say it keeps them organized and breaks large projects into workable pieces. They also appreciate the fantastic planning guide at the front. Customers say the planner is beautiful, comprehensive, and easy to use. They mention it helps them map out their business from their first idea to implementing.

"...THIS IS IT! The LOA planner is beautiful , comprehensive and easy to use. It could be overwhelming, but the videos help...." Read more

"The ifocus planner is the perfect planner for millionaire CEOs ...." Read more

"...It comes with a quick start guide. Great idea , but the ink color is so light, I can barely see anything but the headlines or subcategories...." Read more

"...I kind of wished i had listened.The book has a great look to it , but there isn't a ton of explaining on what certain boxes mean and what..." Read more

Customers like the quality of the planner. They mention it's well-made, sturdy, and has great pages. They also say it'd be a great addition to any planner collection.

"...Totally worth it. I’ve already manifested more stability , my first VA and more revenue!" Read more

"...Also bought it as a gift and they love it. The book itself is very sturdy and I like the weight of the paper, no bleed-thru on the next page...." Read more

"...It’s a nice size - about 5x7 - and feels sturdy , but I already have some issues I’m not going to like. 1) It comes with a quick start guide...." Read more

"...It's very well designed . It has definitely all the features I look for in planner-business notebooks...." Read more

Customers find the planner worth every penny, with a good price value ratio. They also say it's a small investment with big return. Customers also appreciate the valuable freebies that come with the planner.

"...And there are motivations written into it along the way. Totally worth it . I’ve already manifested more stability, my first VA and more revenue!" Read more

"...Definitely worth my money !!" Read more

"...And, the price is a very fair value ." Read more

"...She also sends you valuable freebies that are downloadable and goes perfectly with setting your goals. Three downloads all together...." Read more

Customers find the planner has enough space to write everything they need to do for the day. They also appreciate the built-in sections for life and the extras. Overall, customers recommend the planner for its great features and proven system for organizing.

"...It comes in very nice box with lots of extras and has far exceeded my expectations!..." Read more

"...I love how I can prioritize and the built in sections for 'life ' getting in the way. THANK YOU THANK YOU for making this wonderful planner!..." Read more

"...There is a generous section of pages for general business notes, ideas, etc. And their customer service is outstanding...." Read more

"...Additionally, the planner is professional looking and the notes area can be utilized as a lessons learn area for future references...." Read more

Customers like the days in the planner. They say the planner is great for plotting timelines for major projects. They also appreciate the open pages with no dates, which allow them to reuse the calendars. Customers also mention that the planner allows them to make weekly and daily plans.

"...I like that it is not dated . I can add the dates as needed, thus if for some reason I dont plan a week, I can still use those sheets...." Read more

"...It’s definitely a must have. What I love about this planner is you fill in the dates so no matter when you start it’s relevant...." Read more

"...It's filled with good stuff, except no dates . Returning." Read more

"...I love that the calendars are blank so I can reuse them if I want/need to...." Read more

Customers find the planner portable enough to carry around in their purse. They say it's a compact organizer that can go anywhere.

"...Additionally, I love the size of this planner ( fits perfectly in my purse but also has plenty of room for writing everything I need to)..." Read more

"...- there's enough room to write everything yet still portable enough to carry around in my purse...." Read more

"...It's great quality and easily fits in my purse . Quick guide is very handy and filled with great advice. Package arrived quickly...." Read more

"...The material is high quality and the size makes it convenient to carry with me . PLEASE MAKE MORE SO I CAN BUY MORE!" Read more

Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the planner. Some mention it's very intuitive and versatile, maintaining a simple to follow process that can be shared with others. They appreciate the added processes and outlines, best practices, tutorials, and planning tools. However, others say it'll take too much time to set up and there isn't a ton of explaining on what certain boxes mean.

"...THIS IS IT! The LOA planner is beautiful, comprehensive and easy to use . It could be overwhelming, but the videos help...." Read more

"...The book has a great look to it, but there isn't a ton of explaining on what certain boxes mean and what to out in them. Also... The typos!!!!!!..." Read more

"...It comes with a quick start guide . Great idea, but the ink color is so light, I can barely see anything but the headlines or subcategories...." Read more

"...The creators of the ifocus planner provide outlines, best practices, tutorials , and planning tools that every small business owner needs when..." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the size of the planner. Some find it nice and sturdy, with plenty of room for writing everything they need to. However, others say it has too much wasted space and is too small for the price.

"...It’s a nice size - about 5x7 - and feels sturdy, but I already have some issues I’m not going to like. 1) It comes with a quick start guide...." Read more

"Personally, way to much wasted space , way to complicated and because of that the price isn't worth it. I guess I need a little simpler" Read more

"...(fits perfectly in my purse but also has plenty of room for writing everything I need to) and how it can lay completely flat when open...." Read more

"...is only a quarterly planner so it is good for 90 days but it has sooo much space that you can really detail your projects...." Read more

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Dailygreatness Business - Journal and Planner (Undated)

Dailygreatness Business is the ultimate planner for entrepreneurs and business owners.

Encompassing everything you need to plan and scale your business, including morning mindset, a yearly goal planning system, weekly and quarterly check-ins, and a yearly review. If you're starting a new business or want to be more organized and productive in your existing one, this business planner is for you.

• Undated Yearly Edition
• Business Strategy Worksheets
• Comprehensive Yearly Goal Planning System
• Weekly, Quarterly and Yearly Check-Ins
• Weekly and Quarterly Goal Planners
• 90-Day Business Challenges
• Finance Manager and Budget Worksheets
• Weekly Action Planners
• Inspirational Quotes
• Undated – so you can start anytime
• Week-to-a-view
• 416 full-colour pages
• Monthly overview calendars
• 52 undated weeks
• Size: 24 x 18cm, the size of an iPad
• Paper: 85gsm uncoated
• Vegan, made of paper with synthetic ribbon markers

Your business can only grow as much as you do. 

Perfect for founders, entrepreneurs, business owners, sales professionals, CEOs, or the career-focused.

This planner includes everything you need to plan and build a successful business, including a comprehensive goal planning system, budget and financial worksheets, daily mindset questions, weekly and quarterly check-ins and a yearly review.

If you’re launching a new business or simply want to be more organised, inspired and productive in your existing one, this planner is for you.

Approximate shipping times:

USA Domestic Standard Shipping: 7-10 days

Canada International: 10-14 days (can sometimes take 21 days if held at customs)

Digital Products:

Digital downloads will be made available via a link that will be emailed within 15 minutes of your purchase.

Shipping costs and methods: Our shipping fees are weight based starting at approx. $10.50. We offer free-shipping thresholds on all orders.

All our products are sent using tracking with a shipping notification sent to you once your order has shipped.

Shipping to Canada from the USA may incur taxes, customs fees and duty. Courier companies that we use such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS, have their own arbitrary set of rates where they charge the buyer to clear customs and get the packages across the border and seem to occur on some orders but not others. This may come to you prior to delivery or as a bill after the package has been delivered. Unfortunately, we have no control over customs fees. Those charges can be taxes, according to your province's tax rate as well as customs charges and duties. They are usually small fees unless over the trade tariff agreement of $150CAD.

Shipping Delays: Unfortunately due to unforeseen issues at warehouses and shipping companies, delivery times can not be guaranteed and your order may be delayed. We apologize if this occurs. We have little control over the delivery once your order ships. In most cases, orders do arrive but can be delayed. Please keep an eye on your shipping tracking for updates.

We offer a  14-Day No Questions Asked  return policy. You can read our full return policy  here including terms and conditions.

There are  no returns on sale items or our Vagami Collection . Vagami ships in multi-layered protective packaging, therefore once opened we can not accept returns, so please choose carefully.

If you choose to return, you will simply need to email our support via the support tab on our website for a  return authorisation  and our returns address.

Unfortunately, we do not offer  exchanges or refunds on digital products, workshops or coaching.

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Hands down the best business tool I've found for managing my mindset and achieving goals. Highly recommend. -- Peter G.

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$69.95 $34.98

Best Planner for Entrepreneurs

Confession time… I’m totally a notebook-a-holic, paper planner aficionado, and workbook addict.

I’ve tried a ton of them, and this is not a new theme in my life…

My mom has pictures of me carrying a bag full of mini diaries, post it note packs, and ruled notebooks when I was just a toddler. I wouldn’t let anyone throw out or touch my paper products, and when we moved into our house my mom mailed me all of my paper addiction “collection”.

My paper planner addiction took on a more “serious” role when I became an entrepreneur, because I had a reason to use all of these awesome productivity tools I kept finding.

And I’m always open to trying a new type of notebook, too. My husband has to steer me away from the paper aisles at Target, and I avoid shopping when it’s “back to school” time because I will end up bringing home more paper products than I can use.

Over the years, I’ve tried a ton of different entrepreneurial paper planners, so with the new year around the corner I thought I’d do a full on review.

Choosing The Right System For You

Now I need to say that none of these are products that you absolutely NEED to have. That might sound weird, but from my personal experience it’s not so much about which notebook or planner you use… As much as actually using it on a daily basis to get stuff done that really matters.

So please take this side by side planner comparison as a fun way to pick a helpful tool for your year… And not as a “silver bullet” that will change your life.

Yes, if you pick one of these and you end up putting it to good use you will most definitely have a productive year and get a ton of amazing traction in your business .

But that will be because YOU made it happen. You just happened to have a cool and motivating sidekick notebook to make it easier. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission for recommending them, but I would be sharing this review with you regardless of the affiliate links.

So with that caveat out of the way, let’s take a look at these pretty planners, shall we?

1. Briana Borten’s Rituals For Living Dreambook

A few years back my friend Briana held a successful kick starter campaign to produce her Rituals For Living Dreambook , and I think it’s just gorgeous.

This is a combination life planner for the big things you want to accomplish in the next 1, 5, and 10 years… and a system for breaking it down into smaller chunks that you can take action on week after week.

I like how there’s an emphasis on doing something fun for yourself each week, giving gratitude for the amazingness in your life, and also picking only 3 top priorities per week. The size of the planner is also great, small enough to carry with you, but it carries enough gravitas to make you heed your dreams.

Who it’s for: This dream book is most definitely ideal for entrepreneurs, and while it’s not a daily planner it will give you clarity on a weekly basis to move toward your goals. Oh, and there is a daily planner option / addon you can check out, too!

2. Daily Greatness Business Planner

I finally got to play with the Daily Greatness planner , and it’s been an amazing way to think through business decisions and think big.

What I like about it is that it’s an un-dated yearly planner, so you can start using it anytime (no need to wait for the new year!). It also includes finance and budget worksheets, quarterly goal setting pages. Plus there are specific prompts for daily, weekly and quarterly planning.

If you like to plan on paper, there’s a social media content planner section, the one-page business plan to keep you focused, and on-going check ins to keep you motivated throughout the year. They also offer non-business planners for your overall life goals, I have a feeling it’ll be the perfect fit for those looking for a colorful planning tool!

Who it’s for: The Daily Greatness company offers different journals and workbooks based on your needs, but I’m especially keen on the Business Planner for entrepreneurs. The books are colorful and flexible enough so you can be your own guru! (Plus when you use my link you get 5% off.)

3. The Course Idea Planner

I released my own paper planner for creative entrepreneurs who want to create online courses. This isn’t a weekly or yearly planner, rather it’s a course creation planner. The first iteration of this paper planned sold out in 2018, and I’ve just updated and re-released in as a print-on-demand version.

The Course Idea Planner is a paper planner that focuses on bringing your best ideas to market, by helping you plan and take action. It helps you brainstorm, refine, and market your online course ideas successfully.

It’s the exact process that I use to launch successful programs on a regular basis (having earned millions of dollars in my business with this process), including how to mind-map an idea, schedule a marketing campaign, and even write a sales page for your course.

It’s 190 pages of course-refining exercises, copywriting prompts, and step-by-step guidance to capture your best online course ideas and make them happen.

Who it’s for: This Course Idea Planner is for creative entrepreneurs who want to create an online course but get distracted by all of the options online. This planner is the safe space to explore course ideas further and the proven process to market them successfully.

4. Strategic Coach’s Weekly Planner

This isn’t a weekly planner that you can just purchase, because you need to be a client of the Strategic Coach program (which is a yearly mastermind-style program that runs just under 5 figures per year)… But I wanted to include it here because I like to joke that it’s my most expensive paper planner.

One of the things I really like about this planner is that you start a new one every quarter, and there’s a big emphasis on celebrating your successes along the way.

There are also places to track the different tools that are specific to Strategic Coach, like splitting your days between Focus, Buffer, and Free Days.

Who it’s for: This weekly planner is only for Strategic Coach clients, but you can draw inspiration from their Positive Focus page and make reviewing your successes a habit. I really like that it condenses all the practices of the program into doable daily habits!

5. Whitney English’s Day Designer

I first started using my Day Designer back in 2013 when Whitney English was a sponsor for our Off The Charts event. I fell in love with the impeccable design, the focus on the entrepreneur’s busy day… and the gorgeous daily quotes.

This daily planner is a beast because it includes one page per day, but this is great because it allows you to write down daily meetings right beside your daily to-do’s.

This was the first planner to offer such a simple and effective design, and it’s still a winner today. One drawback for myself personally is that I prefer to organize my meetings and calls via Google Calendar, and keep my paper planner for my own todo items.

Overall, I absolutely loved using this day designer and it definitely kept me on task and productive!

Who it’s for: Designed for busy creative entrepreneurs, it blends productivity and design beautifully… It’s one of those planners that you won’t want to get rid of, but it is pretty bulky so you won’t be carrying it around with you a lot if you travel often.

6. Emily Ley’s Simplified Planner

The next contender is very much on the same plane as the Day Designer, and it’s equally beautiful and practical. The Emily Ley Simplified Planner has a touch of whimsy and it’s won a couple of awards for design in the printed products industry.

I got whisked into the excitement last year because I couldn’t decide on which cover design I preferred (all so pretty!). I ended up not using the planner as much as I anticipated, despite the fact that it’s gorgeous, because of the small space for writing out tasks.

Just like the Day Designer, there’s a page per day which makes this a bulkier planner and you need to squeeze your meetings and calls beside your daily tasks.

The quotes and calendar are a nice perk, and it’s expertly designed and I hear this year the planners are a little lighter and more portable, too.

Who it’s for: From my understanding, this planner is more geared toward moms and busy ladies of any kind. It’s less entrepreneur focused, and it includes a spot to mark down what you’re making for dinner, too. These planners are gorgeous and very colorful !

7. Savor The Success Daily Action Planner

This planner is good for the commitment-probes among us, because one planner only represents one month at a time. That means that you’re not tied to a planner for an entire year, which might suit you if you want to play the planner field a little.

This also makes this planner one of the more expensive options, since you’ll need to get 12 of them to cover your whole year. That being said, this action planner has a few features that make it stand out.

One of the things I love about it is the emphasis on writing down tasks for the week – and who you are delegating them to. This helps you offload or at least start to see how you can stop being the bottleneck in your business.

The other cool feature is the “outgoing ships” section, which is all about doing one small daily action that might bring back a cool opportunity.

My only complaint with this planner is that there isn’t a ton of space again to write down tasks, since it is a smaller planner and it tries to fit a ton of different types of things on each page.

Who it’s for: This paper planner is most definitely designed for entrepreneurs, and you can tell that it suits the creator’s workflow to a T. I recommend giving it a try if you’re looking to fine tune your daily planning and try something different.

8. Erin Condren’s Life Planner

This is one paper planner that I have yet to try , but have heard great things about. This one is ideal for you if you like having a weekly at-a-glance view of your calendar.

Personally, it reminds me of the types of agendas and planners that we had in our primary school years… and it doesn’t provide enough space to enter my daily tasks.

But I can see how it would be really beneficial for planning lots of different weekly events, so if your business has more of that type of flow (and you’re not on the Google Calendar train) then this might be a good option for you.

Who it’s for: I can see this planner being a life saver if you travel a lot and need to keep track of different appointments, important dates for launches, and really looking at things from an at-a-glance viewpoint. It could even make a great editorial calendar!

9. The Passion Planner

The Passion Planner is another kick starter success story, and I love the ethos behind the brand. It’s aimed at a more mainstream audience who are ready to embrace their passions and make a change to their daily lives.

The design shows a full week of days over two pages, which is a nice compromise from the full-on (and heavy!) daily planners out there… This gives you just enough space to write down all the meetings and calls you might have, with another section for your todo items in more detail below.

I do like how tasks can be broken down into personal and work, and how there’s a “top priority” and “errands” category, too.

Overall, I think it’s a fun and very usable planner with cute quotes and lots of function packed in. It doesn’t have the same design flair as some of the others, but it might just spark your passion!

Who it’s for: Ideal for anyone who wants to break down their bigger yearly or monthly goals into doable weekly action plans. It’s got a younger vibe and the founders are really passionate about what they’ve created.

10. Ink + Volt Planner

This is a new planner that I discovered just last year, and they have both a dated version or an undated 6-month “ start any time ” version.

There are a few things that really made me enjoy using this weekly planner: it offers a monthly “30 day challenge” which is great for changing habits or going after bigger goals. It’s also got useful journaling prompts, and nudges you to review your monthly and yearly goals each week.

Plus, it has a great “2 in one” system where the first half of the notebook is your weekly planner and the second half is reserved for notes. I usually have two notebooks going at a time, and with the Volt Planner I’ve been able to reduce it down to just one. The only downside in my opinion is that it’s a no-frills black notebook, which isn’t as pretty or colorful as some of the other ones on this list.

Who it’s for: This planner is awesome for more corporate ladies who want some introspection along with their high-power goal achieving. I also think it’s perfect for you if you travel a lot, since you can have all of your important tasks and notes in one place.

11. Blank Notebooks – Make Your Own!

Okay, now that we’ve looked at a ton of different options for planners and workbooks… let’s be honest here: if you’re reading this, you’re a highly creative entrepreneur and you might be hankering to make your own!

From some of my comments above, you might have guessed that I sometimes feel stifled by boxes that are too small for my tasks or that don’t necessarily focus on the things I want to focus on.

That’s where picking a pretty blank notebook comes in! Although a blank or lined notebook won’t have a calendar or other cool prompts, it does tend to bend to whatever planning system you prefer.

If you don’t quite know how to organize your tasks or todos, I recommend taking a look at the Bullet Journal .

Some of my favorite blank notebooks are spiral bound, so it’s super easy to keep my “today” page open and make notes about future days or review past weeks, too.

So What’s The Best Planner for Entrepreneurs? You Decide!

There’s no one-size-fits all when it comes to choosing the best planner for entrepreneurs, but I think each of these is a strong contender.

Now that I’ve shared my take on some of the top entrepreneurial paper planners out there, I want to know what you think!

I’d love for you to leave a comment and let me know:

What’s your favorite notebook, planner, or organization system?

I’m the founder of a tech startup called  AccessAlly , a powerful course and membership platform for coaching industry leaders.

I’m also the creator of the free 30 Day List Building Challenge :

Digital + physical books to help you create and sell your course like a pro:

Get my insights and stories without the influence of a social media algorithm.

The Fine Art of Journaling

Business Diary: Organize, Plan, and Strategize Effectively

Imagine a world where you can effortlessly organize your thoughts, plan your strategies, and achieve your business goals with ease. A tool that not only assists you in managing your day-to-day tasks but also helps you visualize the bigger picture. Look no further!

Table of Contents

Introducing the Business Diary: the ultimate companion for entrepreneurs and business professionals alike. In this article, we will explore how the Business Diary can revolutionize the way you organize, plan, and strategize effectively.

Why Organizing Matters

Organizing plays a fundamental role in the success of any business venture. Without a well-structured plan in place, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and lose sight of your objectives.

The Business Diary acts as a bridge between chaos and clarity, offering a platform to document and categorize your ideas, tasks, and priorities. Its intuitive design and user-friendly interface streamline the process of creating a structured framework for your endeavors.

From Chaos to Cohesion

In the fast-paced world of business, it’s crucial to have a comprehensive overview of your tasks, appointments, and deadlines. The Business Diary allows you to record your schedule, set reminders, and track progress—all within a single platform. B

y integrating your calendar, to-do lists, and reminders, this remarkable tool ensures that you never miss important deadlines or forget critical tasks.

Strategizing for Success

Successful business leaders understand the importance of formulating a well-defined strategy. The Business Diary provides a dedicated space to develop, refine, and implement your business strategies.

Whether you’re brainstorming ideas, outlining marketing plans, or analyzing market trends, this versatile diary enables you to strategize effectively and make data-driven decisions.

Collaboration Made Easy

In today’s interconnected world, collaboration is key to business success. The Business Diary goes beyond individual planning and offers a platform for seamless collaboration with your team.

With features like shared calendars, task assignments, and progress tracking, you can ensure everyone is on the same page, working towards a common goal. Never again will miscommunication or disorganization hinder your team’s productivity.

The Power of Visualization

While organization and planning are crucial, visualizing your progress and goals adds a layer of motivation and inspiration to your business journey. The Business Diary allows you to chart your progress, set milestones, and visualize your accomplishments.

With interactive graphs, charts, and progress trackers, you can tangibly see how far you’ve come, empowering you to stay focused and determined.

The Business Diary Experience

The Business Diary is designed to be user-friendly, ensuring a seamless experience for both seasoned professionals and newcomers. Its intuitive interface, combined with a host of advanced features, makes it a powerful tool in your arsenal.

From managing contacts, setting priorities, and creating customized templates, the Business Diary caters to every aspect of your business needs.

In conclusion, the Business Diary is more than just a tool for organizing your business endeavors. It is a companion that helps you navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship with ease.

From organizing your thoughts and plans to strategizing effectively and collaborating seamlessly, this diary is a game-changer. Embrace the power of the Business Diary, and watch as your business flourishes under its guidance. Start your journey today and unleash your full potential!

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The Best Dated Planners, According to Productivity Experts and Stationery Lovers

Every new year means a new planner . While choosing the right one can be a surprisingly personal decision, there are characteristics that all the best dated planners share. They should be sturdy, able to withstand a year’s worth of daily use without falling apart. They should have enough room for you to write down your calendar appointments or to-do lists , as well as notes. And, of course, they should be dated — whether they come stamped with individual dates on pages or have spaces for you to write dates in yourself — so you can easily look ahead and make plans for months in the future. (If you’re more of an undated planner kind of person, we’ve written about some of our favorites here ).

Beyond those basic criteria for a dated planner, there are countless other features and style choices you can make, from the type of binding to the amount of instruction your planner provides. To help you find the best dated planner for your organizing style, we talked to four experts, including productivity experts and stationery aficionados, and took a closer look at some planners we’ve written about before, including dated planners of our editors and writers swear by. Since the choice will likely come down to personal preference, we forewent declaring a best overall planner and instead organized the recommendations into daily and weekly dated planners, so you can find the right one based on how granular your schedule-keeping is.

Best weekly dated planners

While dated planners come in many shapes and sizes, the ones we heard about are all generally the size of a medium or small notebook — all are compact enough to tuck into a bag, but some have more space to write than others, depending on how much information you like to jot down. We were first tipped off to this weekly planner from German stationery company Leuchtturm1917 by self-described “planner power user” Perrin Drumm. As she writes, the planner’s “hardback is perfect for planning on the go or taking notes in your lap; and the layout is my ideal: days on one side, spaces for notes on the other.” Cindy Thompson , the blogger and planner behind Instagram’s Plan Another Day , also loves the Leuchtturm1917 for its “quality paper, binding,” and two ribbon bookmarks. She adds that it “features a simple weekly layout that can be utilized in many ways.” The two-year planner runs all the way through January 2022, and if you like the sound of this but want something smaller, Leuchtturm1917 makes a more compact style of the same planner, too.

This Rhodia weekly planner , which comes recommended by Strategist senior writer Karen Iorio Adelson, features a similar layout, with the days of the week on one side and a gridded page for notes on the other. What makes the Rhodia planner a little different, however, is its compact, hourly layout for each day. And instead of a ribbon to mark pages, this planner has tearaway corners to help you keep your place. The planner runs through December 2020.

If you are a dedicated bullet journaler, Thompson recommends this “minimalist” six-month planner that she has been using for task management, telling us it is “ a wonderful option to round out the second half of the year.” She loves the “smooth paper, delicate lines, and optimized weekly layouts.” The six-month dated planner, which runs through December 2020 , also has extra lined pages that are “perfect for making lists and taking notes,” she adds, along with printed tabs for keeping your place. Appointed also makes a notebook-sized full-year dated planner , which Thompson notes has no lined pages, “but does feature tabs for easy navigation” (the full-year planner runs from August 2020 through July 2021.)

Neha Gandhi, the CEO and editor-in-chief of Girlboss , says she likes this particular Lemome planner “because it doesn’t waste real estate on huge day-by-day calendars, and instead gives only high-level monthly and note-taking weekly views.” A single week takes up two pages of the planner, with enough lines to keep track of each day’s do-to lists, and there are 88 additional lined pages for note-taking spread out evenly between months. This layout, she explains, allows her to “organize meeting notes by the day they were taken (and then cross reference the date to the meeting the notes came from in my digital cal), so that I’m not flipping endlessly through a notebook to find one nugget of information that’s somehow always just out of reach.” The planner has ribbon bookmarks for place-keeping and runs from July 2020 through June 2021.

If you want a weekly dated planner that invites you to journal a bit as well, try this MiGoals option that made the list of our wellness, gratitude, and happiness journals . “It breaks down long-term and short-term goals that you write out each week and month, then you check in every day with what you’re grateful for, how you’re feeling, and how you’re working to accomplish your goals,” explains Strategist junior writer Chloe Anello. When opened, the left pages are broken down into the days of the week, while the right pages have space to write your gratitude lists, to-do lists, habits, and larger weekly goals. Asia Milia Ware , an editorial assistant at Teen Vogue, says, “I’m all about my goals and having a strategic plan for each of them, and this book really has a way of breaking everything down to make them measurable and make sure you’re taking daily steps to your goals.” The planner has two ribbons for place-keeping and runs through December 2020.

While content creator Zoë Bright says that Paper Source has a “huge selection of journals,” she is particularly fond of their reasonably priced custom planner, which allows you to design one of your very own. “Paper Source really nails it when it comes to customization, functionality, and aesthetics,” Bright says, noting you can design your planner’s cover down to the font choice and imagery. Pages are designed to show both monthly and weekly views for any given month, and there are pages for note-taking in the front and the back of the planner, which doesn’t include ribbons or tear-off corners for place-keeping. Paper Source’s planner runs from January 2021 through December 2021.

If you want to splurge, Strategist writer Louis Cheslaw , as well as contributor Leah Bhabha, both use and love the elegant Smythson Soho Agenda , which is bound in cross-grain lambskin and features gilt-edged, featherweight paper and two ribbon bookmarks. According to Bhabha, it is “the ideal size — larger than a pocket calendar, which affords little writing space, and smaller than a desk diary, which is like lugging around a textbook.” She likes the formatting, too. “The weekly agenda devotes a sizable square to each day, and there’s a weekly to-do list on the opposite page.” Cheslaw agrees: “The pages are balanced between a to-do page and the days of the week.” While he admits that there are less-expensive planners with similar layouts, Cheslaw promises this is the only one that will make you feel like a “1950s Italian banker” when you use it. This midyear option runs through August 2021.

For roughly a third of the price of the Smythson Soho planner, you can get this smaller Smythson dated planner that Strategist senior editor Anthony Rotunno has used on and off for the last decade. Like the Soho Agenda, it has pages with a full week’s worth of dates opposite lined pages for notes or to-do lists. While the pages are smaller, Rotunno says they still offer plenty of space to jot down basic appointments or plans for any given day. “The size makes it even easier to carry and write in on the go, for those you like to keep their schedule close at hand,” Rotunno adds of the planner, which has a ribbon and tear-off edges to help keep your place. Like the larger Smythson planner, this midyear option runs through August 2021.

Gridded pages, like those in the Rhodia, are actually quite common in Japanese planners like the Jibun Techo , which comes recommended by Wakako Takagi, a co-founder of Los Angeles–based stationery store Baum-kuchen . As she explains, “The design of the layouts is structured enough to track what is important to our lives but open enough to be flexible.” Though it lacks a bookmark, the tightly gridded pages make it easy to keep everything organized, with the days of each week stacked vertically on a page, instead of shown horizontally. This planner runs through December 2020.

Best daily dated planners

If you want a daily diary, rather than a weekly one, brand-building expert Richard Janes recommend the Full Focus Planner in our overall best planners post , which covers 90 days at a time. “The reason it works so well for me is that the layout provides clear focus on what is important, while still enabling me to empty my head of all the other tasks that are lurking around,” he says. “But it doesn’t go overboard so that I can easily get to the actual planning of my day, week, and month.” While you would need to buy four of them to plan an entire year, he says it’s a great option for those picking up a new planner midyear. Each day of the week gets two full pages: The left side is broken down into sections that include your “big three” tasks of the day, lined space for “other tasks,” as well as a lined column organized by the hour. The right side has dedicated space for note-taking. The planner also has two ribbon bookmarks and additional pages for goal-tracking.

We heard about Emily Ley’s Simplified Planner from Julie Solomon , a business coach and the host of The Influencer Podcast , who loves its clean layout. It’s divided by months (every month has a tab, making it easy to find), and each month has individual dated pages for every weekday (weekends have a shared page), with space for both to-do lists and notes. Other than those two lists, there’s little guidance, so it’s a nice option for those who don’t need so many prompts to organize their days or thoughts. The planner also has wire binding, making it easy to fold in half, and an interior pocket to hold loose documents. It runs from August 2020 to July 2021.

The Hobonichi Techo is a perennial Strategist favorite, used by two of our editors. As Strategist editor Alexis Swerdloff wrote in her initial ode to the cult Japanese notebook, “The leather-bound book is hefty and feels like I’m actually holding something substantial (unlike a Moleskine ), while still being incredibly compact: It’s little bit taller than my iPhone 6, and about the width of a Kit Kat.” While there’s no ribbon to keep your place, each page is clearly dated for a different day and has light gridding, which suggests order but doesn’t demand it. It runs through December 2020.

Organizing expert and business consultant Jane Stoller told us she buys this Moleskin daily planner for her father every year for Christmas, so he can document “his daily activities, the weather, and plans for the next day.” Each day gets an entire lined page, which offers plenty of real estate to write whatever you’d like. She notes that Moleskin also makes a weekly version that is “slightly less thick.” The planner contains both a ribbon bookmark to keep your place, as well as an elastic band to keep the notebook closed. It runs from July 2020 to December 2021.

If you want to go old-school, or you need a planner that’s exceptionally sturdy, you can always go for a Day-Timer planner. The main advantages of the Day-Timer is that you can use the same binder for years — you just swap out the pages — and it can withstand a lot of wear and tear, according to Christy Whitman , a life coach and the author of The Art of Having It All: A Woman’s Guide to Unlimited Abundance. “I love this planner because each day is on two pages and the layout of the pages allows me to have a place for the items to be done today, a schedule, and also a page for writing and taking notes,” says Whitman, who told us she’s been using the Day-Timer for more than 20 years. “If I have an appointment scheduled, I can write notes next to the appointment and remind myself of call-in information, the name of the person, or any other important information,” she adds of its convenience. The pages feature monthly tabs to help you find your place, and the set of pages above runs through December 2020.

Bright told us that this planner “allows space for mindfulness and gratitude in your daily planning.” The planner has a full page for each day — including a blank space where users can write in the date, meaning you can start using it at any time of year — is broken down by the hour. Each day’s page also includes a section for daily intentions and action items. The pages are perforated for easy removal, and the planner comes with two ribbon bookmarks for keeping your place.

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Today’s Top Clicked

Exaclair, Inc. distributes Quo Vadis , Rhodia & Exacompta planners in the U.S. They are called a variety of names: agendas, weekly planners, daily planners, appointment books, diaries, day books, day planners and calendars.

Academic august to july planners include scholar , textagenda , academic minister , principal , sapa x academic , university, january to december weekly planners include executive , hebdo planning , minister , rhodia planner desk , space 24 , visual , journal 21 , notor , biweek , business , ib traveler , miniweek , rhodia planner pocket , sapa x , exaplan , visoplan , note 27 , prenote , president , trinote & space 17 ., calendar year daily planners include journal 21 and notor., quo vadis is well known for its superior quality diaries and notebooks. quo vadis planners are essential tools for setting goals and priorities, staying organized, and keeping written records of your ideas and events. writing things down helps you to remember them..

Quo Vadis planners and notebooks are made at the plant in Hamburg, New York.

Slim, elegant Habana notebooks keep your best ideas at hand. Habana notebooks can be customized or personalized for your next event, promotion, or as a special gift to clients and employees. Customization options include one-color imprint, emboss, 4-color imprint and personal name.

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11 best diaries and planners for getting organised in 2022

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You’d be forgiven for having given up on the concept of a diary during the past two years. Thanks to the pandemic, absolutely nothing has gone to plan. And when we weren’t stuck inside, we were doing plenty of last-minute living.

That’s why we’re leaning into 2022, and the order that a diary will help provide.

Nothing says new beginnings like a fresh journal, and we have high hopes that this year we’ll be able to use them comprehensively.

What makes a good one will vary from person to person – some will want nothing more than a space for appointment reminders, while others will want to make detailed notes. Some will want a diary that lives on their desk all year round, while others will need something compact and portable. Those who have meetings with important people will want something smart and chic, while others will desire prompts to help them stay organised and focused on their goals.

All of the diaries and planners in this round-up have something special about them – from the quality of the leather or binding to the size, layout or artwork. We’ve also ensured that all budgets are considered.

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How we tested

We examined each diary initially on aesthetics – did it look inviting?  What was it made of? Was it heavy? What was the layout – day per page or week per page?

The paper was important too. Was it good quality? We used both a pencil and rollerball pen to see how easy it was to write on and noted anything extra special about each diary – and anything that was less impressive.

The best diaries and planners for 2021 are:

• Best for thinking outside the box –  Redstone diary, ‘In another world’: £20, Theredstoneshop.com
• Best desk diary –  Hello Day original 2022 daily planner in ‘swag’: £46, Hellodayplanner.com
• Best for blowing the budget –  Smythson 2022 Panama diary with pencil: £85, Smythson.com
• Best gift –  Noble Macmillan duck egg blue diary: £59, Noblemacmillan.com
• Best for brightening up your day – The Completist Andalucia weekly planner: £20, The-completist.com
• Best for busy households – Dodo Pad original desk diary: £17.95, Dodopad.com
• Best for inexpensive personalisation – Papier pressed blooms 2022: £23.99, Papier.com
• Best for life management – My PA 2022 business planner: £35, Mypaplanner.co.uk
• Best quality –  Organise-Us the midsize organiseher diary 2022: £75, Organise-us.com
• Best budget buy –  Ryman soft touch diary week to view A5: £8.99, Ryman.co.uk
• Best for bookworms –  Moleskine ‘Le Petit Prince' planner: £19.99, Moleskine.com

Redstone diary: In another world

Best: For thinking outside the box

Rating: 10/10

• Size: 24.5cm x 16.7cm

The team at Redstone consistently create diaries that are so much more than simply a means of tracking plans and making lists. Each year focuses on a (usually niche) theme and the diary is stuffed with artwork, photography, writing and graphics taken from diverse sources. This means that as the year goes on you’re digesting beautiful and interesting things. For 2022, the theme is “everything is possible – in another world”.

A lot of people keep their old diaries, but we’d wager this is especially true when it comes to Redstone’s.

Hello Day original 2022 daily planner in ‘swag’

Best: Desk diary

Rating: 9/10

• Size: 19.5cm x 22cm

Weighty, thick and not one for discreetly popping into your handbag, this planner means business with a page-per-day format and a chic monochrome cover (although different designs are available). We like the large ring binding – it makes the pages easy to turn, and laying the diary flat is a doddle.

What we loved most were the prompts encouraging users to detail what they are grateful for or if there’s a birthday to be remembered. There’s also an inspirational quote on every page, the likes of which can never harm one’s motivation. There are trackers for water consumption and even exercise and meditation. We found that having these unticked boxes really helped encourage us to make better health choices.

Smythson 2022 Panama diary with pencil

Best: For blowing the budget

• Size: 9cm x 14cm

Smythson’s diaries never fail to be really glamourous and special – even their pocket-sized offerings pack a punch. Especially this bright red beauty that comes complete with a pencil.

Everything about it speaks to luxury, from the crossgrain lambskin cover to the gilt-edged featherweight paper. We loved that this can fit into even a diminutive handbag and we couldn’t have felt more smug casually placing it on the table in meetings and waiting for the compliments to come rolling in.

Noble Macmillan duck egg blue diary

• Size: 12.8cm x 17.5cm

Simple, fun and luxurious, this diary will be a lovely companion for the coming year. Its soft, leather-bound cover can be personalised with initials, names or even a message and offers a week-per-view format, opposite which is a space for an extensive to-do list. At the back is a 26-page notes section.

We love the gold-gilt-edge pages which feel super glam and make this diary ideal for gifting, not least because it arrives in a beautiful hard box, all tied up in a bow.

If blue isn’t your colour, there are others to consider including lime and tangerine .

The Completist Andalucia weekly planner

Best: For brightening up your day

Rating: 8/10

This bright and juicy cover is exactly what any bleak January calls for. We love this planner which is light and slim. The pages are made from music sheet paper, which is a lovely little quirk. It has also been beautifully and meticulously bound so that it can lie flat when opened.

With a two-page spread per week, there’s plenty of space for appointments and notes, if not quite full journal entries.

Dodo Pad original desk diary

Best: For busy households

• Size: 24cm x 19cm

The Dodo Pad has been a firm favourite for anyone with a hectic life and a taste for the offbeat since 1966. You aren’t going to be writing your memoir in the Dodo Pad – it’s very much about planning. Each week is presented as a grid with each day having a row of five columns. This is ideal for those who have distinct parts of their lives (work, home, gym and creative, for example).

The entire ring-bound book is covered in bright, jolly illustrations and full-page colour bleeds. It’s a joy to use and for extra fun, this year’s diary comes with a set of stickers for either decoration or strategic coded planning.

We recommend the original-size pad, but smaller versions are also available.

Papier pressed blooms 2022 diary

Best: For inexpensive personalisation

Part of the brand-new “mother of pearl” range at Papier, this diary is ultra feminine and will be a welcome addition to any desk or handbag. It runs for 13 months, which gives avid planners a little more time for looking ahead. The interior layout has a week per view, but there are pages dedicated to monthly overviews and goal setting, which is a nice way of dipping one’s toes into the world of goal-oriented planning.

The front can be personalised, which adds a lovely touch.

My PA 2022 business planner

Best: For life management

Rating: 7/10

• Size: 24cm x 18cm

This is for anyone who doesn’t have a PA IRL, but wants one. It is a thick, weighty volume that promises to optimise the user’s work, social life and health.

Yes, it offers a “normal” diary format, but there’s more. So much more. It invites you to set daily, weekly and monthly goals. It makes space for a monthly social media plan. And there are pages dedicated to gratitude journaling and more still to serve as an “inspiration vault”.

When people say “I need to sort my life out,” they could probably do with My PA.

Organise-Us the midsize organiseher diary 2022

Best: Quality

Rating: 9.5/10

• Size: 13.5cm x 19 cm

The first thing we noticed about this diary, aside from the amazing, deep emerald green colour, is how tactile the cover is. It’s smooth with a lizard-skin finish and manages to be both minimal and interesting in one go.

The quality is evident immediately. Hand-bound with inside covers lined in a sleek silk, plus ribbon markers, it’s weighty without being clumsy and it even smells luxurious.

Inside, it’s a week-per-view format with clever distinct sections for lists and so on. This is the perfect diary for people who love diaries.

Ryman soft touch diary week to view A5

Best: Budget buy

This A5 diary is slim and chic with a leather-feel cover. We loved how very practical it is: a week-to-view layout plus pen loop and elasticated closure. But the price point is really the best thing about this diary – it’s an absolute steal without compromising on style or ease of use. Really smart.

Moleskine ‘Le Petit Prince' planner

Best: For bookworms

Moleskine is a stationery heavyweight, with its diaries reaching cult status thanks to their easily recognisable design – the rounded corners being a classic feature – which also manages to be discreet and understated.

This year the brand has unveiled a limited-edition hardcover diary with a Le Petit Prince theme that is sure to charm bookworms of any age. Graphics and quotes from Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s much-loved classic tale punctuate the planner from beginning to end.

The day-per-page format is brilliant for those who like to add detail to their diary entries, or for fully-fledged journalers. We were also delighted that it lies flat, making it easy to write in.

There are lots of helpful accoutrements including international measurements, dialling codes and flight durations, and an expandable inner pocket for receipts, ticket stubs and stamps.

The verdict: Diaries and planners

We have a soft spot for Redstone because it’s just so cool as an object and makes each day interesting. Although we can’t fault Ryman’s soft cover offering – it’s cheap, simple and efficient. For the more discerning it’s got to be one of the options from Smythson , Noble Macmillan or Organise Us .

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Now you just need something to write with – check out our round-up of the best pens

The 27 Best 2024 Planners and Agendas, Reviewed by Experts and Editors

Stay organized in style.

Best Dated Planners and Agendas

Best undated planners and agendas.

• What to Look For

Getting the Most Out of Your Planner

Meet the experts.

There's no better feeling than crossing off items on a to-do list—and with pretty much everything virtual these days, your eyes will thank you for incorporating some good old-fashioned pen and paper into your routine. But with an overwhelming number of planners and agendas available to shop, it can be difficult to choose just one. Plus, considering you'll be stuck with yours until the end of the year (or school year), purchasing the right 2024 planner can feel like a lot of pressure—almost as much pressure as learning how to use that planner to find success. That's why we've consulted Marie Claire editors and other professionals who use planners about the ones they swear by, plus spoken to Dr. Scott Lyons, a psychologist, and Kathleen Cameron , a manifestation coach, about how scheduling your day the old-fashioned way can make a tremendous difference.

Dr. Lyons points out that the satisfied feeling you get from writing down tasks actually has a psychological basis. "There is some interesting research about mobilizing," he explains, "where even just writing things down can help reduce stress, because we’re motoring some of that energy and anxiety into action." Plus, he says, "Some things you just can't type out," such as emphasizing important notes by underlining or highlighting.

Cameron adds that writing tasks down can keep you focused on everything you need to accomplish in a day, which is bound to keep you organized and push you toward your goals. "It's getting stuff done," she says. "It's waking up every day and saying, 'What are the most important things that I need to get done, and how quickly am I going to get those things done?'"

Whether you're looking to get more organized, trying to optimize your routine, or simply desperate not to forget any of the thousand important tasks you need to get to, there's a 2024 planner or agenda here that's right for you. (And if you're like me and like having a planner-journal duo, grab your next favorite  cute notebook while you're on that stationary kick.)

• Best Overall Planner: Leuchtturm1917 Weekly Planner & Notebook
• Best Dated Planner: Papier My Daily Planner  
• Best Undated Planner: Kate Spade New York Daily To-Do Planner
• Best Versatile Planner: Leuchtturm1917 Weekly Planner & Notebook
• Best Simple Planner: Papercode Daily Planner

Both Marie Claire 's Social Media Editor, Lucia Tonelli , and our Art Director, Brittany Holloway-Brown , love this planner by Leauchtturm1917. Tonelli explains, "There's a reason why Leuchtturm has remained a staple for writers, artists, amateur doodlers, etc. for over a century, and the German-made notebooks live up to the hype. The thick paper prevents ink from bleeding onto other pages (or, in my case, prevents writing indentations from being heavy-handed), and the calendar formatting is ideal for daily, weekly, and monthly planning without being overly complicated. If you're someone who uses a planner regularly, this sturdy, stylish, simple notebook is a must."

Pros: editor-approved; small; space for planning and creativity; thick, durable paper

Cons: small daily schedule blocks; some users say the ink is faint

Customer Review: "The Leuchtturm weekly planner has all the features I want in a planner and only one (admittedly idiosyncratic) flaw – the weekend days having to share space – so it’s a nearly ideal planner for me. After all these years of rolling my own, it’s a relief to find something readymade that’s close to perfect." -The Well-Appointed Desk

"I've been a planner girl since middle school and still am even well into my post-grad life. Having a to-do list written down just makes a ton more sense to me rather than using an app. This planner from Amazon fits all my needs and is super cheap. There's plenty of space to write in everything I have going on from day to day and I love how it comes undated. Plus it doubles as a notebook with a ton of lined pages in the back!" - Brooke Knappenberger , Associate E-Commerce Editor

Pros: editor-approved; lots of space for notes; small; space for visualization and manifestation; comes in multiple colors

Cons: none found

Customer Review: "This planner is the absolute best you can buy. If you want something that will not only keep you organized, but also keep you focused on your goals and bettering yourself, then this is it." -Amazon

"For a classic option, go for Moleskine's 18-month weekly planner, which comes in a variety of colors. You can choose between the smaller 3.5 by 5.5 inch or the larger 5 by 8.25 inch one. This way, whether you have a roomy backpack or a modest-sized purse, you'll be able to stash this pick wherever you go. It includes monthly and weekly calendar views, and each week’s page lies adjacent to a page reserved for notes, to-do lists, or creative exploration. The book also includes stickers that are perfect for planning or calling attention to important dates." - G.U.

Pros: small and easy to carry around; elevated look and feel

Cons: thin paper, so ink may bleed or show through

Customer Review: "I love the size and feel of this daily journal. It starts on July 1, 2023 and ends on December 31, 2024. The front few pages have small monthly calendars and a few extras for travel, random thoughts, achievements, etc. but the bulk of the journal is one day per page. Overall it's very elegant and simple, no frills." -Amazon

Back in high school, I lived and died by my Lilly Pulitzer planner, but even now as an adult, I still want to fill the pages of one. First of all, this planner is gorgeous from the floral cover to the fun borders, colorful tabs, and metallic gold elastic. Even the font is pretty! As a bonus, there's a sticker sheet to make important days like vacations and birthdays stand out, plus an interior pocket to keep notes handy. For a planner that's as cute as it is useful, it's hard to believe it's only $25.

Pros: fun cover; includes interior pocket; comes with sticker sheet; affordable

Customer review: "I have been using this planner for the last 10 years of my life. I ask for it as a gift every single Christmas. It is the perfect size to keep at my desk and for travel. My entire life is planned out in this monthly planner book. 10/10 recommend" — Lilly Pulitzer

"I had a Franklin Planner back in school," says Dr. Lyons, "because I had such severe ADHD, and I relied on it because otherwise I didn’t know what my homework was. When you have a planner, it becomes a ritual, and it’s the ritual of writing things down and of checking things off. When we sink into a rhythm and we have a ritual, it’s a restoration of time, and that’s a method of time management." He also says he loves the planner because it has a lot of space for notes and lists.

Pros: plenty of space for notes; expert-approved

Cons: organized by school year, so may not be for those who prefer annual planners

Customer Review: "This planner is perfect for HR professionals with lots of interviews, to do lists and daily notes to look back on. I had this planner before and just reordered it. It's perfect for my organizational style. If you are detailed and like to brain dump, this is for you! The Best one back then and still today." -Amazon

Jenny Hollander , Marie Claire 's digital director, swears by this planner. "Look, I hear you. Spending upwards of $250 on a planner feels crazy, right?" she says. "Hear me out: The Smythson Soho is so much more than a planner. Like your favorite wallet or handbag, it’s designed to go everywhere with you and be part of everything you do, from your social planning to wedding planning (hello!) and all your work needs. Two years ago, a friend gifted me my first Soho agenda, and I fell in love with the silky pages, meticulous design, and luxurious feel; I’ve been hooked ever since." She adds: "Just be warned: You can’t go back to other planners. Nothing feels right after the Soho. (PS. If you’re going to splurge anyway, go ahead and get the  gold monogramming . It’s worth it.)"

Pros: editor-approved; luxurious; small; includes a bookmark; can be personalized

Cons: expensive

"This planner focuses on wellness, daily to dos, mindfulness, and goal-setting. My favorite aspect of its design, however, is its pages devoted to habit tracking: The entries allow users to dive deep into the habits they'd like to develop by unpacking why those habits are important to them and exactly how and when they'll work towards them. Another aspect I love (I’ve been using the planner all year) is the space for gratitude lists at the beginning of each week." - Gabrielle Ulubay , E-Commerce Writer

Pros: includes space for planning, to do lists, and gratitude; has two built-in bookmarks; easy to carry around; editor-approved

Cons: hardcover, so a little heavy

Customer Review: "I freaking love these diaries. Have used for last three years. You can find a use for all aspects, it has enough space to write lists, notes, etc. Daily habit tracker is brilliant, weekly planner where you can use it for what you like is perfect, just the right amount of space per day, goal setting and doodle space, looks beautiful." -Saint Belford

"My Papier planner is essential to help organize my time," says Senior Editor Tanya Benedicto Klich . "I add everything in it from meetings at work to yoga classes at the weekend and I love that it’s undated so you can start it at any point during the year. Being able to personalize my name on the cover makes it feel really special and there’s a huge choice of designs to reflect your personal style which I love." On incorporating the planner into her wellness routine, she adds, "Using my planner and being organized clears my mind and makes me feel less stressed. It’s really a wellness tool for me too, and with all its cover designs ranging from colourblock to cottagecore , the planners add a dash of color and style to the interior of my work bag. You can buy their pocket diaries and meal planners to match."

Pros: editor-approved; can be personalized; plenty of space for planning; sustainable packaging; undated

Cons: small daily blocks

Fashion stylist Sarah Nearis often finds herself running from appointment to appointment and city to city, splitting her time primarily between Nashville and L.A. and styling the likes of Rita Ora, JoJo, Michelle Rodriguez, and more. To stay organized, she uses a planner app called Structured."I love it because I’m a very visual person and its layout inspires me to be more organized," she says. "I feel like, as artists, sometimes we can be scatterbrained and I get distracted easily, but this app is super user friendly, visual appealing, and motivates me to be more organized."

Pros: expert-approved; convenient; visual layout; basic version is free

Cons: premium version has a yearly fee

Customer Review: "I looked for so many different apps and out of all the ones I tried, this one is by far the best. It lets you chose your symbols for the activity (some of them are unavailable because of payed version) and set a specific time and date. Also I absolutely love how when you put a lot down on your schedule on the little free time (without an activity listed) it says “maybe take these __ minutes to rest/read a book” which I like because it has to do with my mental health and reminding me to take breaks. Overall this is just a really good app to use to schedule your day and organize yourself." -Apple

"For those who love spirituality and New Age wisdom, it's worth considering this fun datebook. Not only does it function as a daily planner with plenty of space for to do lists and daily planning, but it also contains recipes, wellness ideas, articles, yoga poses, and other feel-good tips to get you through your week. Plus, it’s spiral bound, so you can pull out any wellness and lifestyle tips you especially adore for safe keeping." - G.U.

Pros: focus on wellness; small and easy to carry around; includes lifestyle tips

Cons: daily blocks are small

Customer Review: "Love these datebooks!! I have bought one every year for the past 5 years if not longer. Large enough space to write about your day and reminders for the day. Monthly overview is great. Dates of the full moon in back of datebook, which is a huge plus for me. Lots of information and Sabbat days. Space for notes in the back. And you can also color in the black and white pictures." -Amazon

Nice things can come in small packages, as made clear by this pocket agenda. At just 3 inches wide and 6 inches tall, this planner is on the small side (hence the name pocket journal) but that's what makes it special! It has just enough space to write do your most important to-dos for each day, plus it comes with pages to see your month and year at a glance. Additionally, there's 12 pages of full-color maps, listings of national holidays, birthdays, addresses, all US area codes and international dial codes, and much more. With its compact size, this is the perfect planner to take with you on travels, too.

Pros: compact size; travel-friendly; comes in five colors

Cons: compact size does not give a lot of room for writing

Customer review: "I get one of these every year because they are so well made and the size and layout work for my practice. I decided to mix it up this year and step away from gold and rose gold and I love it! The color brings a pop of joy into me when I see it." — Graphic Image

For many of us, a planner is something we carry with us every single day, so why not invest in one that's truly luxurious? Made of genuine leather and filled with stunning silver gilded pages, this planner will make you feel like a boss every time you write in it, not to mention it will hold up to everyday wear and tear. It features plenty of room for your daily to-do lists, plus a leather snap closing, and matching bookmark, and includes a pen in its own case so you'll never lose it.

Pros : comes in nine colors; made of leather; includes a matching leather bookmark and pen

Cons : expensive

RIFLE PAPER CO. makes the prettiest and sturdiest stationary out there at an affordable price, and their planners are no different. Known for their fun floral prints, this is a great gift option for anyone who needs a little more color in their everyday life. This pick has a page for just about everything you could want in a planner: a to-do list, weekly and monthly spreads, a year in review page, and a note page, and even inspirational quotes to help you tackle the week. One reviewer said it's a great size, too, writing, "The size is perfect for carrying in my small tote bag."

Pros: great size; fun cover; affordable; big space for to-do lists

Cons : shipping time is long

Customer review: "Love the set up for days activities and a separate glance at to-dos for the week. Beautiful cover and thick paper!" — Amazon

"For those who are chronically tardy, this planner is the perfect tongue-in-cheek accessory. Not only is it vintage-inspired and therefore delightful to look at, but it also comes with two cheeky floating pens: The first says "procrastinator" and changes to "mastercrastinator" while in use, while the other says "professional" and changes to "adequatefessional" while in use. And, if you're into desk pad-style planners, check out the brand's weekly planner pad ,  which lets you separate and plan tasks by morning, afternoon, and evening. I personally like how interactive this option is, with its fun trivia and quips that keep me amused and engaged. Plus, since it's not dated, there's no pressure to use it every day and I never feel like I'm being wasteful for not using it on the weekends." - G.U.

Pros: fun cover, trivia, and spaces for doodling; comes with pens

Cons: hard cover makes it bulky

Customer Review: "Each page is full of random holidays, celebrity birthdays, doodle activities and writing prompts. Overall a fun planner." -Amazon

"I’m positively obsessed with this planner from Kate Spade. Not only is it chic (in line with my expectations from the brand, of course), but it’s also incredibly functional. It has full page spreads for each day, leaving space for block scheduling, to do lists, prioritizing, and even meal planning. Weighing in at 168 pages, it’s also bulky enough to last you for ages but lightweight enough to stow away in your bag when you’re on the go." - G.U.

Pros: lots of space for each day; lightweight; easy to carry around; fashionable

Cons: not a lot of note taking space

This option was created by Cameron herself, and has a focus on gratitude journaling. She explains, "My gratitude journal has spaces to show gratitude for five things that I have already and for five things that i’m manifesting. It has a goal statement, it has a state of being statement, and it has a statement on sending love (so it's 'Who am I sending love to today?')." She says part of her motivation was to open people up to what she calls the two types of gratitude: "There's gratitude for what you have in your life already, and there’s gratitude for manifestation. There, you’re grateful not for the things you have but for the things that are on their way." 

Pros: developed by an expert; gratitude focus; plenty of space for journaling and to do lists

Cons: no date blocks

Customer Review: "It is laid out and such an organized and informative way. It has a section for all things in my daily routine such as present gratitude, sending love, setting intentions, writing out your goal, affirmations, and future gratitude. It is truly a one stop shop and I will definitely be buying one every six months!" -Amazon

"Buy this planner once and you'll never have to buy a planner again. It comes with a special pen and pages that can be easily erased with a microfiber cloth for 'endless re-use.' And, of course, the planner is undated. It’s a sustainable response to the waste that planners generate from being disposed of year after year, and it has a design that Cameron would approve of, with space for reasonable to do lists, a morning routine, and gratitude lists. It also comes in multiple sizes, so you can pick one that suits you (and your work bag) best." - G.U.

Pros: space for routine setting, goal setting, and gratitude; editor-approved; comes in multiple sizes

Customer Review: "I have the large panda planner but moved to the small one for portability. Love all their products and this planner keeps me organized and moving forward!!"

When I came across BURGA's planners I was shocked at just how many options there are for covers. There's so many (over 200 designs, to be exact), that I had to go through the six pages of options thrice just to nail down my favorites. Whether you're a minimalist or prefer bolder and brighter colors, BURGA has a planner for you. Each one is bound in luxurious, durable vegan leather that will keep up with all of your daily wear and tear. Then you've got 144 silky pages, which are thick enough to protect against ink bleeding, to plan your week and your overall year. As if this wasn't the perfect planner already, it also comes with an interior pocket for notes, two fabric bookmarks, and a smart metal time tag.

Pros: comes in over 200 designs; affordable; durable; made of vegan leather; includes interior pocket for notes, two fabric bookmarks, and a smart metal time tag; has a magnetic clasp closure

Customer review: "I've been using BURGA’s Infinity Planner for a while now, and I just love the flexibility it brings to my life! The undated pages are definitely the best part. There's no waste—if I skip a week, I just pick up right where I left off, no blank pages left behind. It's perfect for my sometimes unpredictable schedule. I organize things exactly how I want, at my own pace. Plus, the metal time tag? Absolute genius! It's like this planner gets me and my needs." — BURGA

"If you're especially goal driven and want to give yourself deadlines based on the current professional quarter, this planner is the one for you. It also comes with prompts designed to bring you inspiration and motivate you along your journey. When I worked in sales, this planner was incredibly handy and allowed me to focus on my quarterly goals and overall growth, plus it kept me motivated in what was a notoriously challenging field. Plus, it comes in several different colorways so you can change up the vibe quarter after quarter." -G.U.

Pros: focused on goal setting; geared toward motivation and persistence; editor-approved

Cons: doesn't cover the full year (only three months at a time)

"I'm big on goal setting but not so big on structure, so this planner is perfect for me. Its bulleted format allows me to doodle, write, and plan without feeling confined, and because it’s completely undated, I can pick it up or neglect it as often as I please, sans wasted space. Plus, it has dedicated pages for to do lists, which is my primary means of keeping myself organized. And because it’s spiral bound, it’s a breeze to use and fold over." -G.U.

Pros: editor-approved; plenty of space; completely undated

Cons: large, so can be difficult to carry around

Customer Review: "The Daily Grind Planner has been an absolute GAME CHANGER for me! I'm more productive, focused, and genuinely excited to open my planner every morning. It has a strong focus on goal setting which is honestly something ALL other big planner brands out there were lacking for me. I can use my phone to remember appointments and events, but I really needed something to help me figure out HOW to hit my goals, THIS IS IT!! Plus, for all the creative souls out there like me, the bullet journal style page layout is nice and minimal so you can use markers/stickers to make it even more aesthetically pleasing." -Amazon

"I'm obsessed with Silk and Sonder's unique take on the planner. This book is meant for focusing on self-development, wellness, and personal growth This means that it includes features like inspirational quotes, undated calendar blocks, mood trackers, creativity exercises, gratitude lists, and more. With this planner, you can feel better about yourself and your trajectory every day. Plus, it’s thin and lightweight, which makes it a breeze to carry it around, whether you’re working at a traditional office or posted up at a cozy café." -G.U.

Pros: wellness-focused; space for gratitude; lightweight

Cons: thin cover that can get damaged easily

Customer Review: "I love my new journal! I make time to use it every day and it is helping me to build routines and rituals. The layout is adaptable in so many different ways and lets you track so many different things. This was one of the best choices I've made in my mental health journey. " -Silk & Sonder

"I use this planner, and I can't live without it. Its natural, butterfly themed theme never fails to uplift me, and it makes me feel chic and organized on even my most chaotic days. One of my favorite features is the sheer amount of blank note pages in the back of the book, which is extremely handy when I've forgotten my separate notebook (or when I can't fit it in my bag). It’s also incredibly affordable, and because it’s undated, it can last you for ages." -G.U.

Pros: appealing design; lightweight. editor-approved

"If working out is an important part of your day, take a look at this best-selling fitness journal, which includes monthly calendars, daily logs, and places for goal-setting. Not only is it a great way to stay on top of your growth and development, but it’s also fabulous for looking back and patting yourself on the back for how far you’ve come. Reviewers adore the book, with multiple happy customers saying that it's easy to use, straightforward, and that they can't go to the gym without it." - G.U.

Pros: affordable; fitness-focused; focus on goal setting; great for quantifying growth; easy to use

Customer Review: "I love this book. I am a bit of a journal addict and have bought many journals that I never use. There are two things that work for me with this journal: it's small and lightweight, and the formatting is simple." -Amazon

"This cheeky planner focuses specifically on crafting a productive, feel-good routine that works well for you. The entries for each day include spaces for daily meditations, the books you're reading, workouts, and more. Plus, it comes with a sheet of cute stickers you can use to customize your book. My favorite feature, though, is the space it has for your skincare routine. Since I love trying out new products for my skin and hair, it’s great to have a spot where I can keep track of all my serums and creams so that I know what’s working and what isn’t." -G.U.

Pros: lots of space for each day; fun prompts; great for building routines

Cons: cover, while fun, can be challenging to have out in public at the office

Customer Review: "This planner helps me so much and it's fun to add my gratefuls / intentions to keep me mindful throughout the day." -The Skinny Confidential

"We plan our waking hours, so why not plan our sleep, too? This highly original planner maps out a six week program developed by therapists to help you achieve better, more restful, and more regular sleep. I've been using it over the past few weeks, and it's made me more thoughtful and intentional about my nightly routine so that I can be better rested (and more productive) during the day. It also helped me understand what practices weren’t working for me before bed." - G.U.

Pros: educational; editor-approved; developed by therapists; wellness-focused; lightweight

Cons: not for to dos, work, and other traditional daily planning

Customer Review: "This actually went above and beyond my expectations. It’s a great tool that I highly recommend!" -Therapy Notebooks

"This planner is perfect for people who, like me, sometimes go a week or so at a time without touching their planner (think: vacations, time off, or those weeks when you don’t have time to sit down and write). The flexible, undated layout of this option, coupled with a handy removable calendar clip, allows users to use the planner whenever they'd like, take a break when appropriate, and then pick back up where they left off. You can kiss wasted pages goodbye!" - G.U.

Pros: includes a secure, functional bookmark; completely undated; editor-approved

We all use planners for different reasons—while some of us use them religiously to manage our to-do lists, others may use them to track personal finances. If you're in the later camp or want to be, this is the planner for you. This 12-month, undated planner is the ideal pick for those looking to nail down their budget or the advanced planner wanting to save more throughout the year. For each month, you get a page to set your goals and budget, and each week has a page to track your expenses so you can really see how much those Starbucks runs add up. Throughout the book, there's even quotes, tips, and challenges to keep you inspired and motivated.

Pros: financial-focused; focus on goal setting; easy to use; completely undated

Customer review: "This planner has everything I need for budgeting and tracking spending. I have used this for 2023 and ordered a new one for 2024. Love the setup." — Happy Planner

The Benefits of Having a Planner

Dr. Lyons points out that the benefits of having a planner or agenda aren't just aesthetic. "Often, structuring our time takes us out of a reactive mode and out of a place of urgency, and as a result we're more proactive with our time as opposed to reactive. And that, in and of itself, lowers our stress levels and makes us more able to manage our attention efficiently. Trying to complete a task while holding our entire agenda for the day in our heads is an inefficient use of our time and energy, so that ends up leaking out and we aren’t able to be as efficient as we could be in other important facets of our lives, like our relationships and our self care. There really are a lot of ramifications for not being efficient with our time management."

What to Look For in a Planner

Before buying a planner, it's important to consider what you're looking for, what your goals are, and how you like to stay organized.

Personal Goals

For instance, I love making to-do lists, so I gravitate toward planners that include goal-setting sections, generously sized daily blocks, and plenty of blank lined pages. Cameron stands by this logic, recommending that, "When you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed the night before, write down the six most important things that you’re going to do today—just six." This limit keeps goals manageable, allowing you both be ambitious and prevent feeling overwhelmed.

She adds that the perfect planner should also get you into the right mindset to start a positive, productive day. The right planner, she says, "might start with gratitude, or it might start with a statement answering 'What state of being am I going to be in today?'" This, she says, puts you in the right state of mind to have a productive day. When Cameron herself began trying this out, she says she needed to work less. "I was far more productive," she attests, "and the work I did had a far greater impact."

Length of Use

When buying an agenda, another important question to ask yourself is when and for how long you intend on using it. Some agendas on this list are designed for limited spaces of time (e.g., six weeks or three months at a time); others are undated so that users can focus on accomplishing specific short-term goals. Other goal-oriented planners include inspirational quotes, tips on staying focused, and other tools meant to guide you along your journey. Meanwhile, more traditional, dated planners and agendas simply lay out the entire calendar year or school year.

Size and Materials

You should also consider size and durability when buying a planner. If you carry around a big bag and/or if you need as much space as possible in your planner (for note-taking, mind-mapping, etc.), then a large planner may be best for you. On the other hand, if you need your planner to live and plan on taking it just about everywhere you go, go for a small planner. And if, like me, you tend to be rough on your items, look for a sturdy, hardcover planner so that you don't accidentally rip it to shreds within the first few weeks of use.

Goal Setting

Planners aren't just for checking your availability and jotting down reminders—they are, first and foremost, for getting down to business so you can achieve your short- and long-term goals.

"A lot of people put vision boards up on their walls but then continue to be the same person they’ve always been," says Cameron. "But the realization of what’s on the vision board is through answering the question of 'Who do I need to be in order to have that life?' And that's about personal growth and development." While she cites long-term goal setting and visualization as key to achieving long-term success, but notes that it's also important to prioritize what she calls "the doing."

Again, she recommends making a list of six tasks to accomplish in a given day. "Then, order them by importance. So maybe at the top of the list, you have two important things, then two things that could maybe wait, and then two things you could potentially do. You start with the most important item on the list, and you’re not allowed to go to number two until number one is done. Because what we do is we avoid the most important things, so this technique forces you to do the most important thing, and you cannot move forward with anything else until the most important thing is done."

Dr. Lyons echoes this sentiment, saying, "Simply having a planner be an action plan that lays out your goals is best, and thinking about it as an action plan for achieving your goals actually reduces stress because it lays our achievable action steps. It plots a way of achieving your goal in achievable, bite-sized steps."

He also adds that it's important to lay out in your planner "where there’s time for recuperation, because in the same way that we can’t effectively multi-task, we can’t sustain a work day for eight or 16 hours nonstop. So being able to plan where we recuperate means that we’ll be able to be more effective when we do work. And there’s something about being able to identify your goals and being able to parse them out in a scheduled sense of time that is empowering. And in our urgency culture, it’s one of the most effective ways of regaining a sense of power and agency."

Staying On-Task

Cameron recommends using block scheduling as a way of staying focused—and stresses that focus is a key element to getting any job done.

"For certain parts of the day, decide what you’re going to focus on, and focus solely on that one thing," she says. "I put things into my calendar, and when I do that thing, I do that only . As much as you can, do one thing at one time and schedule it in your calendar. I even have my morning walks and my meditation in my calendar. If you think about it, when you’re doing six or seven things at one time, your energy is fragmented among those six or seven things, so it’s going to take you six times longer to do each of those tasks. But if you focus on one task at a time before moving to the next, you’ve got fully focused energy that’s not fragmented. And that’s how you become more efficient and save more time and energy."

And there's evidence to back Cameron's claim up. Dr. Lyons says that multi-tasking is known as the "dual task challenge," and that's far from recommended. "We can switch between one task and another, and some of us can do it more quickly, but we can’t actually attempt multiple things simultaneously," he explains. "Some of us are able to change tasks quickly, and we can become quicker at that, but from a neuroscience perspective, we can’t hold more than one thing at one time. And to attempt to do so is taxing. And it’s not energy efficient; it wears and tears. We only have but so much energy in the day, and often, attempting to multi task is robbing the energy we have in a day."

Block scheduling also "helps us evaluate how we spend our time," according to Dr. Lyons. He says, "You may look back on your planner and wonder what you were doing with a certain pocket of time, and then realize that you were doom-scrolling. Or you may realize that you weren’t planning things in the morning, like exercise, that help you build up more energy throughout the day. Planners are a tool to help evaluate where you’re putting your energy, which is powerful." Laying our your schedule hour by hour also helps you see if you're overscheduling yourself, which Dr. Lyons says is a way we often "contribute to our own stress."

Kathleen Cameron is a Manifestation Coach, author, and entrepreneur. She founded Diamond Academy Coaching Inc. and has gained a loyal following that's culminated in a $10 million manifestation business. Author of  Becoming The One and co-author of a guided manifestation journal, she's devoted to helping people realize their full potential.

Dr. Scott Lyons is a licensed psychologist, educator and author of the best selling book  Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis and Chaos in Yourself and Others  Scott is also the host of  The Gently Used Human Podcast , an exploration of what it is to be human, to have lived life, and come out gently used. As a renowned body-based trauma expert and Mind-Body Medicine specialist, Scott also helps people to break free from cycles of pain, limited beliefs, and trauma. Scott is an innovator in transformative wellness and trauma therapy, teaching over half a million people internationally over the past twenty years how to relieve stress and restore vitality.

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Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times , HuffPost Personal , Bustle , Alma , Muskrat Magazine , O'Bheal , and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland , University College Cork , and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com . Before working with Marie Claire , Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.

Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art

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2023 Planners: 12 Best Daily Planners (Personally Reviewed!)

How do you get more organized in 2023? You can invest in a new planner. We all want to track tasks, take notes, and plan our weeks and months.

But there are so many options and planner types ! How do you choose? And what about digital and online daily planner apps ?

First, let's get the online pick out of the way.

Here's our top pick for an online daily planner:

ClickUp is the ultimate productivity platform built to tackle everything from complex projects to your daily to-do's. Whether scheduling appointments, composing your grocery list, juggling assignments, or managing workflows, ClickUp offers a rich set of customizable features to organize tasks, take notes, time block , and more—making it one of the best free daily planner apps on the market.

What makes ClickUp the ideal digital planner is its flexible organizational Hierarchy infrastructure for breaking down even your most daunting duties into manageable tasks, subtasks, and Checklists.

There are over 15 unique ways to visualize your work in ClickUp including Calendar, List, and Everything view to give you a high-level look at what you have planned ahead. Plus, your Home page in ClickUp syncs with your favorite calendar app to present all upcoming events conveniently alongside your tasks, reminders, and messages.

ClickUp also offers a vast library of pre-built templates to jumpstart your workflows, including a beginner-friendly Daily Planner template with custom statuses and work views to show you the ropes with it comes to creating recurring tasks and building productive habits in this powerful platform.

Best Features:

• Over 15 unique ways to visualize any workflow including List, Calendar, Everything view, and Home
• Collaborative ClickUp Docs for creating everything from simple checklists to beautifully formatted wikis
• Customizable tasks and subtasks to break down any action item
• Automations to save time on routine tasks
• Reminders that can be customized, delegated, snoozed, and repeated
• Free Forever: ClickUp Docs, Calendar view, tons of digital planner features, unlimited tasks, 100MB of storage, and more
• Unlimited ($5 per member, per month): Unlimited storage, unlimited integrations, unlimited Dashboards, Agile reporting, and more
• Business ($12 per member, per month): Google SSO, unlimited teams, custom exporting, advanced public sharing, advanced automations, and more
• Business Plus ($19 per member, per month): Subtasks in multiple Lists, custom role creation, custom permissions, increased automations and API, and more

Use ClickUp for free. No credit card required.

Here are the best paper planners for 2022:

Here are our recommendations for the best paper planners to use in 2022, which is ideal for work and studying (especially if you need to pass the FE Exam ). They were personally reviewed (shipped to us and everything!) and picked by us for use in 2022. A few of the products listed below have affiliate links.

1. Action Day Timeboxing Planner/Journal 

Recommended For: 

• Highly communicative people in fields like sales or business development

This planner was specifically selected for its timeboxing element , which I’ll discuss soon. 

However....

The most striking thing about this journal is the open spine binding that allows you to lay the journal flat and spread it out. 

Beyond basic Instagrammable-ness, the 180 flat lay is insanely agreeable -- with writing and keeping it open on my desk. It’s not always trying to close. 

The pages do not flop on top of the other pages. You can keep your to-do list and planner in front of you at all times. 

Enough praises about binding. How does the journal actually perform? 

Planner Layout

The size is on the larger size: 7x9 inches. This format gives the Action Day journal lots of space, and each day gets its own page. This truly serves as a planner because now you have a central place for every day of the week. 

I’d also opt for the undated version here because if you go on vacation or miss a day, you can still pick it up where you left off without any wasted pages. 

The left side of the page begins with a to-do list. There is a prompt to write down your 3 most important tasks for the day, note down any important phone calls or emails you must send, and then list other phone calls, texts, or emails to make. 

A highly communicative person -- sales, CEO, business development reps -- will enjoy this feature. List your key calls and then time block them into certain parts of the day, while also blocking off time for other appointments. 

The timeboxing portion is in the center of the page and reads like a daily schedule or hourly planner.

The right side and third column is divided into 2 parts: Notes and an End-of-Day review. 

The bottom End of Day Review asks 2 questions: 

• What went well
• What can I improve? 

This helps you reflect on your day and puts you in the right mindset for the next day. 

Note: Friday offers a similar functionality with Check-ins --helping you reflect on your day, which you can use for yourself or with your team. 

That is the meat of this planner. The end section has more ebullet journal pages which can be helpful if that is one of your preferred modes of notetaking. 

The flexible backfolio pocket is also great for storing notes or any other random items you may need to track. 

Best Features

• Open 180-degree flat lay
• Plenty of space for each day
• Well-organized timeboxing
• Grid sections for bullet journaling
• Reflection questions
• No weekly or monthly views
• Larger size may be inconvenient for some
• No blank pages or calendars

Size: 7 x 9 inches

Price: $27.99

2. Ink & Volt Goal Planner with Notes

• Reflection and weekly planning
• Ambitious people, but not micro-managers

This planner series was a Kickstarter by Kate Matsudaira, a former startup founder, who wanted to better organize her work. 

So she started Ink&Volt.  

The opening pages ask about what would be a perfect year, and what you want to start doing this year, and what do you want to keep doing. Ink & Volt asks a couple of big questions at the beginning  about the year, but in a more compact way compared to the Clever Fox planner (see below).

This is a nice distillation of the Start, Stop, Keep framework -- one you can use in Friday as well. 

The planning section opens with Monthly Goals, and a 30-Day Challenge, which for the product-minded could read as a sprint. 

It’s goal setting plus it asks you to create a plan of action (There’s even a place to sign!)

From here, you jump into 5 straight weekly pages (enough to cover any month) with prompts to review your yearly and monthly goals. 

I like this format more than sectioning off months and weeks separately, in this case they all flow together, just like in actual life. 

Each day has its own column in a two-page spread, allowing enough room to do timeblocking or a dedicated schedule without forcing you into that format. 

Small prompts for reflection appear at the end of each week to help you focus or prioritize . It accomplishes similar ground as the other big picture goal setting planners, but in a more subtle, freeform way. 

Note: I reviewed the undated version, but the 2022 version is exactly the same. 

Best Features: 

• Convenient Size
• Sturdy paper
• Flow of monthly to weekly 
• Lots of space for notes
• Basically lays flat, but still opens like a book
• No stickers
• No timeblocking or daily schedule/hourly planning
• Focused on weekly goals rather than daily to-do lists
• 6 months in undated planner

Size: 6” x 8.5”

Price: $32.50

3. Best Self Co Journal & Planner

• Goal-setters
• Tracking your success and failures

The Best Self Co is one of those planners that aims to bring the whole person together. It also remixes the traditional idea of journaling (long paragraphs about your day) into something more manageable—think of bullet points for how your day went and want you wan to do. 

The Best Self Journal runs in 13-week sprints, with a listing of a bucket list for the next 13 weeks—what experience do you want to have? Who do you want to connect with? What about health and finances? 

You rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 in several categories, and then map out how you will accomplish those things and how much time you will spend on each. 

Thankfully, Best Self includes a guidebook in their packaging box (!) to walk you through the finer aspects of their guiding principles which is centered on consistency. 

You can prioritize your most critical tasks, reflect, and then gauge your consistency towards the goal. 

The meat of the Best Self planner is the weekly planning section where ou add your objectives, and your big tasks for the day.

You can then flip to a daily planning. Section for your main goals and a time boxing planner with a dotted journal notebook too. 

The drawbacks is that each journal is only 13 weeks long, which encourages you to upgrade or gives you an easy out if the Best Self isn’t for you. 

If you’re looking for a casual planner, this isn’t for you—opening Best Self feels like a commitment. If you’re not ready for that, choose another one on this list. 

The end includes a reflection section on the past 13 weeks helping you recalibrate on what worked and what didn’t. 

Note: Best Self has a more traditional planner that may be worth checking out, too!

• Convenient size
• Easy flat lay
• Daily time boxing
• Reflection questions on your progress
• Self-assessments in key areas
• Habit trackers
• Only 13 weeks
• Potentially overwhelming
• Separate monthly, weekly, daily sections 

Size: 7" x 10"

Price: $31.99

4. Field Notes 56 Week Planner

• Quick notes & ideas
• Punctual, yet witty people open to spontaneity

Field Notes is a well-respected and cheeky brand, made with a vintage style in mind to pay respect to old memo and notebooks. Think Americana. 

Created by a Chicago design firm, they are known for their distinctive brown cardboard covers and spiral binding. They’ve partnered with such well-known American brands like Levi’s, Starbucks, Nixon, Loot Crate and J. Crew. 

Carrying a Field Notes planner makes a statement about the type of planner and organizer that you are. With Field Notes, you are a punctual person but open to spontaneity. 

To wit: There are jokes on the front and back pages that gently pokes at the well-worn genre of goal-setting and self-help. 

Some of their self-improvement keys listed on the inside of the front cover are to “buy more field notes” and “don’t trust anyone over 30.” 

A Note to Self also listed in the front suggests to keep your Field Notes “hidden from snoops.” 

But what about the planner itself? It’s a comfortable size to transport, slightly larger than a pocket size. The cardboard and spiral binding make it very durable. It’s easy to take with you; it’s easy to flip pages. 

Inside, there is no hourly schedule, instead each day has its own block. You can write notes, ideas, or appointments within it. Each week is its own open, 2-page spread. 

With Field Notes, there are no fancy planner stickers or organization systems. Just write tthe month at the top and flip the page. It’s undated pages let you start at any time. 

If you only have a few appointments or events per day, then this Field Notes planner could be right for you. 

• Convenient size 4.75” x 7.5”
• Spiral bound
• Inexpensive
• Open spaces
• No calendar
• No time slots
• No built-in organization

Size: 4.75” x 7.5”

Price: $14.95

5. SMART Planner Pro

• Making detailed plans & habit tracking
• The uber-organized

Whereas other planners like Field Notes or JSTORY emphasize simplicity, the SMART Planner emphasizes organization with an obsessive amount of detail. 

If you’re new to the planner world, you’ll be surprised by the amount of stickers. Several brands I’ve reviewed have several stacks of planner  stickers. The SMART Planner is one of those. 

You can use stickers for…

• Days off in specific months (For instance, February has its own color-coded days off and meeting stickers)
• Birthdays, trips (in the form of airplanes), conversations, cleaning days
• Holidays such as a Christmas tree or pumpkin for Halloween

I can see how the uber-organized would like these small touches. 

The size is reminiscent of a paperback book, but one with a harder cover. The planner also opens like a regular book, and I repeatedly found myself trying to crack the spine and bend it down. 

Planner Layout 

The SMART Planner is divided into 3 sections: 

• Notes section

All of the months are together, so you flip over to the weekly section to actually plan your week--while the monthly section gives you a big picture overview. 

Bookmarks (and stickers!) help you go between the sections. 

Once inside, the weekly layout is great and it is my favorite part. 

It utilizes a column-style for each day of the week--with time slots for each day. So it’s easy to see what you did on Monday and then drag that over to Tuesday if needed.

Even though the weekly planner section is quite detailed with hourly time slots, there is not a lot of space for those notes. You can flip to the back for another section to record notes. The bookmarks help you do this. 

Under each day in the weekly section, there is a small block for gratitude, top priorities for the day, a scheduler with appointment slots and then habits to focus on for the week. 

From that perspective, it’s very comprehensive to help you list your priorities and habits.

On Sundays (Mon-Sun format) it has a weekly review box with “victories” and where to improve. 

Note: Friday does this as well, with the option in the daily planner to let you rate your day, set goals, and to rate how productive you were. 

I’m not sure what the “SCORE” refers to—maybe it’s a self-evaluation tool to help you rate your performance/productivity on whatever personal scale that you’re using. 

The final section is for “Notes & Brainstorm” with lined and unlined pages to help you quickly write down notes and ideas. 

• Helpful weekly layout
• Hardback but soft cover
• Bookmarks and the detailed weekly planner section
• Column view makes it easy to compare days
• Nice back pocket to keep stickers or other notes
• Needs a user manual or a few other instructions 
• How do you feel about stickers? Seems like a personal preference. 
• Binding is stiff

Price: $24.97-$25.97

6. Clever Fox Weekly Pro Planner

• Mapping goals
• People that desire reflection & self-improvement

If you want to re-evaluate your life, set goals for yourself and be productive while doing it all in a paper format, consider Clever Fox. Very few of the planners reviewed here are as comprehensive in merging work and personal life like this.

It begins with an Awareness and Self-Discovery section to aid you in mapping and reflecting on your personal goals, mission statements, and daily rituals. 

The daily rituals include gratitude, personal reminders, and affirmations (which as personal mantras seem to be growing in popularity in planners). 

Their prompts help you focus on these core areas of your life, or to think about them for the first time in a long time. 

Also included is a vision board--or vision paper, rather. The handbook (yes, there’s an instruction manual) says to “cut out images and words from magazines, doodle or simply write down some thoughts about where you want to go in life.”

After the vision board, there is a very encouraging/convicting section entitled “What Do I Want My Life To Be Like.”

It contains columns for 1 year from now, 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years. Mercifully it stops at that point.

Jokes aside, this is a fruitful exercise, and I understand why this goal section is valuable. It’s worthwhile even if you don’t hold onto the Clever Fox forever. 

What follows is another goal section , but more concrete than the first. It focuses on 1 year and then 3-month goals--including areas for relationships, spiritual, and fun & recreation. If you want to start a new hobby, get out more, or have a savings goal, this is the place to put it. 

Monthly Section

In the monthly section, you arrive at some of the more tangible aspects that we think of a planner for-- and still focussed on goal-setting. Their monthly review includes questions about your biggest wins, tasks that were not accomplished, lessons learned, and any particular areas that were elackign. In this regard, it operates as a diary/planner--albeit a focused one. 

It then opens into a calendar, and stickers can be utilized to add days of the weeks annd to mark important datees, or to check off accomplishments. 

Weekly Section

You’ll need a bookmark to flip to a separate weekly section, where each week has its own 2 page spread. 

The days aren’t highly detailed with hourly time slots. Nor do they have much space for a dailly to-do list. If you need room for an extensive to-do list, you’ll need to find another planner. The Clever Fox Daily Planners may solve a few of my issues with this edition. 

There is more room for reflecting on your work/life balance, wins each week, and a habit tracker for each day. The last section are blank grid pages to write, take notes, or to use in conjunction with bullet journaling. 

If you’re looking for a hardcore productivity planner, I don’t think I’d recommend the Clever Fox. It has those elements, but with a dash of self-improvement and personal focus.

• Contemplative life goal questions
• Reflections on progress
• Habit tracker
• Sticker system
• Lack of space for everyday task lists
• No daily schedule hourly slots
• Very large format and heavier than most

Size: 8.5 x 11

Price: $38.49

7. Panda Planner

• Lots of space for each day
• People who want to journal but don’t have time

Michael Leip started Panda Planner as a reliable system to help him address depression and anxiety, while still getting some work done. He states that the Panda Planner has “cut out everything you don't need and left only the most important elements that will give you the best results in the shortest amount of time.” 

To that end, he has succeeded. The Panda Planner is compact and very intuitive. It’s not wordy, and the user design feels intuitive (though the font is slightly difficult to read for my tastes).

As a daily planner, the Panda Palnner makes a ton of sense. Each day has a Morning Review that isn’t too overwhelming--it asks about what you’re grateful for and what you’re excited about. 

Then there are small blocks for affirmation, focus, exercise, with a priorites (to-do list) with 5 reasonable items. There’s also a task list on the other side of the layout with a daily schedule block. 

At the end of the daily spread, there’s a review for Today’s Wins and how to improve. 

The Weekly Planner leaves a bit to be desired. It’s more of a weekly overview that doesn’t quite flow with the daily planner parts. You’ll have to use the bookmarks to flip back and forth. I do like the large weekly project section which helps to manage any large responsibilities that you have. 

• Hardback cover
• Morning review section
• Review of last week
• Focused habits for each month or week
• Separate monthly, weekly and daily sections
• 90-day planner

Size: 5.25” x 8.25”

Cost: $24.97

8. Large Weekly Planner from JSTORY

• Doing one or two things each day
• People who like uncomplicated things

The name says it all in this planner from JSTORY. They have a range of planners including, medium, large, and big weekly planners. 

And what they advertise is what you get. This weekly planner has a large foldable layout with great big letters to represent each day. 

You fill in the dates and add any notes or ideas that you’d like. 

It’s totally blank and undirected, allowing you to write out whatever you want for each day. 

Each page is a week. And the planner is bendable and slim, so it fits easily in a backpack or case. 

Their Plan grid planner has more room for notes. 

• Bold look & size
• Straight forward
• No extra space for writing or note-taking
• Each day is undirected--no time slots or calendaring
• No reflection or goal-setting 

Size: 7.2” x 10.1

Price: $15.00

9. Lemome Planner 2022

• Inexpensive tastes
• People who like tradition

This planner has a wide layout and format, and each week is two pages of the layout. The dated format helps you with holidays and organizing your week. Much like the other planners, it has a note-taking section in the back. 

There’s not a lot of guidance here and it displays much like a traditional planner. 

Each day is its own block of lines without any schedule or formatted to-do list. The month view shows what day of the year it is and how many days are left. 

For instance, May 23, 2022 is day 143 with 222 days left. I haven’t seen this in too many other planners, and it can be motivation as you’re planning out the rest of the year. 

It’s a bit old school because it has a spread for contacts too in case you need to jot those down quickly. 

For those who want a very traditional planner, this would be a good choice, though its large size and lack of personality may be a turn off for some. 

• Wide format
• Flexible binding
• Lots of space each day
• Reasonable price
• Very traditional
• No schedule or time slots
• No goal-setting

Size: 8.5 x 11”

Price: $14.59

10. Moleskine Weekly Planner 2022

Recommended For:

• Feeling fancy
• People that like to travel

The pocket-sized planner has the same cover and paper feel as the Moleskine notebooks. It feels smooth, it's foldable, and easy to turn the pages.

On the fun side: This planner has a lot of interesting travel information. There’s a time zone converter map, measurements and conversions, and even a clothing chart with the comparable sizes for different countries. (For instance, a 6-8 women’s jeans in the USA is a size 29 in Great Britain. Thanks Moleskine.)

There’s also country codes from when dialing into other countries, along with travel dates and itineraries. You can also fill in a global map pinpointing your adventures. One page even has a small ruler on it!

Planner Format

The weekly planner provides a small block for each day, with the date and a lined page on the other side of the layout to take notes for that week. That’s very handy in case you run out of space in one day--I’m surprised more planners don’t utilize this technique. There is no daily schedule or appointment blocks. 

• Useful for travelers
• Small pocket size
• Note pages opposite each week
• No goal setting
• Small monthly views

Size: 3.5” x 5.5”

Price: $19.95

11. Leuchtturm1917 Academic Week Planner

• Efficiency and a back-up planner
• People on the go 

Moleskine and Leuchtturm exist in a similar space in my brain, which is probably my own naivety more than anything else. Still, these two planners seem similar--in size, look, and layout.

If you’re comparing the two, the paper in Moleskine stil seems superior to me, more silky. 

However, the iconic German planner and notebook has some unique planning aspects that Moleskine and the others do not have. It starts with a small monthly calendar, in which instead of the traditional calendar squares, each month is a column on the page with the days underneath. You can add travel plans or holidays onto this monthly view without it taking much room. This is an efficient layout that isn’t used often. 

It also has a dated Project Plan, which allows you to either refer back to the larger weekly section views, or to plan duration of a project--like a written Gantt chart . This is a staple of project management but is rarely seen in planners like this. 

Once you reach the weekly section, each week is in a two-page spread, and each day has its own agenda and schedule in an hourly planner for precision with your appointments and schedule.

Underneath each day is a small section for notes, which functions as a catch-all for to-do lists or extra ideas. 

A small very simple address book is also included, which seems too quaint to be functional. It’s not long enough to have much meaning, nor does it seem to have durability. 

Everything about the Leuchttrum1917 seems to be a second option--use it if your main planner isn’t available or if you need something on the go. I only see super planners doing that, but there are many highly organized people that may find it valuable.

I reviewed the A6 pocket edition, and the other formats would provide more room for note-taking which may be more ideal for intense use. 

• Compact monthly overview and project planner
• Daily agenda and schedule
• Thorough calendar overview
• Small size for appointments

Size: A6, 4-1/8 x 5-⅞”

Price: $18.50

12. Erin Condren Softbound Monthly Planner

• Style with functionality
• People that want multiple cover options

Everywhere I looked for planners, Erin Condren Design would be there. Famously, she quit her job after 9/11 and built an empire of paper products. Her LifePlanner is famous; this edition is more functional than famous. 

It's a straightforward monthly planner, with a typical calendar view and lots of gold embossing to go with it. Its more style over function, if you want to carry something that is bright and beautiful, this planner will work for you. Each month is 2 pages, and that’s the only view you get in this planner--the rest of the planner has notes that you can refer to. It doesn’t inccludee bookmarks, but it does include sticker packs to help you stay organized. 

It’s very easy to make this planner your own, and its limited functionality could be a feature, not a bug. Its also very slim compared to many other planners and slides in nicely with a laptop case or messenger bag. 

I do get the feeling that choosing the cover design and colors is half the fun with Erin Condren planners, and that’s great if it’s your main objective. Those accents are what’s important compared to some of the more robust features in the other planners. 

That said, Erin Condren Design has a wide variety of planners. It is difficult to review them all. Other types of planners may have more complete features than this particular one. However, the cover options are more plentiful than several of the otheer planners reviewed here, making that a signature statement for anyone choosing an Erin Condren planner. 

• Easy to reference calendar view
• Bold colors, typography, and design
• Blank pages for notes
• Slim shape and size
• Monthly view only, no to-do lists
• No goal setting or bonus features

Size: A5 (5.8” x 8.3”)

Price: $22.50

High-Level Thoughts on Paper Planners

1. no mention of teams.

These planners are laser-focused on individuals with little to no mention of team priorities and goals. But, teamwork and collaboration is how most us function, unless we are solo entrepreneurs or one-person shops. To help you get more done during your day, think about a tool that helps you check in and know what each member of your team is working on. Friday has a planner plus check-ins that integrate with a planner so you'll always know what your team is working on.

2. Goal setting is on the rise

The "traditional" planners (like Moleskine, Leuchturmm1917, Lemome) don't cover goals in the same way that the newer generation like CleverFox, Panda, and Ink+Volt do. This is a big hole in the market and these newer companies are taking advantage.

3. Planners are passive

Even if you have a great planner, you must motivated to complete your schedule and tasks each day. It won't do it for you. Even an online planner takes some work, but it can meet you halfway by pulling in your calendar events and importing tasks from Asana, Trello, ClickUp, and others. Check out all the Friday integrations.

4. The work has to be done

That said, you can also be very organized, yet still unproductive. Planners can help, but it's up to you to be productive !

How Digital Planners Help You Stay Organized

A few key points to remember about paper planners in comparison to digital planners.

Paper planners are not integrated with your calendar or task apps. If you're on a team, this is where most of your work happens, and you'll have to copy (or remember to copy!) all of your tasks and meetings over to your paper planner.

Rudimentary. Paper planners aren't dynamic--not many of them have adapted to the concerns of the modern workforce. You can see that in a few of the product shots above. The goal-setting is great, but how do they connect to your larger priorities at work?

Easy to forget to use. You can get on a roll with a paper planner, and use it for several days in a row. But what if you forget to use it? Or you leave in a hotel room?

A digital planner like ClickUp is in the cloud, so you can access it from different computers or phones. And ClickUp sends you a daily agenda notification each day to help you stay organized and on task. Your paper planner can't send reminders like that!

How ClickUp Can Be Your Company Digital HQ

ClickUp is your home for work.

ClickUp was created to bring all of your work together in one centralized work hub that can be accessed virtually anywhere—even on the go via mobile app or while browsing the web with ClickUp's Chrome Extension ! And still, there is so much more ClickUp can do to take your daily planner to new heights.

Start for free (no credit card required).

Did we miss your favorite planner in this article?  Suggest it here!

Paper Planner FAQs

Can you use both an online and paper planner, should you choose a paper or digital planner, clickup - your new home for work, stay connected & aligned with a cloud hq..

Business Planner: A Guide On Business Plan

• by Nmesoma Emmanuel
• August 13, 2023

Table of Contents Hide

Is there really a difference between a diary, planner, and journal in business, #1.important dates , #2. goals and daily challenges, #3. budgets, #4. health appointments, #5.  big ideas, #6. motivational quotes , what does a business planner do, what to include in a business planner’s resume, business development and planning for your new idea, website and cloud solutions in a single package, websites and cloud-based systems for your enterprise, the business development planner can show you how to make your next application., mobile app development services, what is business planning process.

If it is difficult to organize a business in a way that will be beautiful, you need a business planner around you who can take up that issue and solve it. To assure a business’s survival, profitability, and expansion, important settings need to be made to achieve these objectives. Here are a few tips on what and how a business planner plans in his or her diary and the development of his planning. 

Business Planner Diary

The Latin word for a diary is “darium” and It is used to write down things that happen every day. Moreover, a diary can also be used as a daily record of things that happen to you each day. In most cases, diary entries are written in a logical order. To get the most out of a diary, you should write in it every day, but this is a habit that requires a lot of self-control. A diary entry should focus on what happened by taking into account the following points:

• what did happen?
• who was in it
• how did it happen, and how did I feel,
• where and when did it happen?
• At what time did it happen?

A business planner diary is used to keep track of important events in your life, but the focus is usually on your own thoughts and feelings. Long or short entries can depend on how much work you did that day. They write about the mornings, then the afternoons, and finally the evenings in their diary. Many people start by writing about the morning.

Other people only write down the most important things that happen or the way they feel on a day. An entry in your diary is like a report in the newspaper about an event, but it only talks about one day in your life! It’s common for diarists to finish their daily entries at night and write them again the next day. Keeping a diary is a simple thing to do that doesn’t require any special skills. It’s important to make sure you can read your handwriting because only you will read it.

Based on what we talked about above, there is a big difference between a diary, a planner, and a journal. There is also a lot of overlap between these terms, and today people tend to combine their diary, planner, and journal in many different ways. Some people mix a diary and a journal by writing down things like quotes, notes, and scribbles in both places. Another way to use a planner and a journal together is to have a weekly or monthly calendar with notes and sketches on it, too. Even the online apps for diaries and journals are often the same. Planner apps, on the other hand, let you write notes and make lists, as well. The options are endless and should be tailored to each person. 

The most important thing to remember is that writing down your life, feelings, and plans for the future is a good way to live well. Writing about your day, your plans, and your future helps you deal with stress and set and meet goals. Writing is good for your general health.

On the other hand, while making plans to get things in order so that you can get things done, there are a lot of things you should write down and why. It’s time to grab a pretty planner and start working hard for the new year. It’s important to have these 6 things in your business planner diary so that you don’t forget about them. 

The most important dates should be the first things you write down when you make a plan. When you write down important dates, like birthdays, anniversaries, or the expiration date of important documents, be sure to write them down as well! Seeing your important dates at a glance or a month out gives you enough time to plan for what you need to do on these dates. For Give Yourself Credit journal users, this is also a great way to work your budget around special events like birthdays and anniversaries so that you don’t spend too much money. 

It’s important to write down the things you want to achieve in your planner diary every single time you run your business. These can be looked at each week to see how far you’ve come, and they can also serve as a reminder of what you want to do so that you stay on track. 

You can also set daily or weekly goals for yourself at the start of your planner and see how far you get with them. Chip away at an important goal this way. 

It’s also important to write down your budget in a physical planner, so make sure to do that. Make sure you know how much money you have to work with so that you can set a budget for each meeting or dinner date. This is one of the best things to write in a planner if you want to improve your money skills.

Most of the time, doctors are available to see people who need them up to six months in advance. In business, the best way to remember everything is to write it down in your planner right away. This way, you can remind yourself, and when the appointment comes up, you won’t forget about it. 

Great ideas can sometimes come up while you’re driving to work or taking your mid-day coffee break. Writing these ideas down in your planner will help you remember them, and it will also help you be more motivated to start on them.

Finally, decorate your planner with quotes that make you feel good. When you need a little extra motivation, write down quotes that speak to your heart and that you can read over and over again. Whether it’s on the front page or once a week, do it!

What Is a Business Planner?

Business planning generally entails collecting ideas in a formal business plan that outlines a description of the business’s current status, as well as the situation of the broader market, along with detailed activities the business will take to improve performance in the future. There’s a lot more to a business plan than just money. To begin with, a business plan focuses on the financial aspects of starting and running a business, but it also covers other aspects.

When you apply for a job as a business planner, you need a resume that shows off your best skills for the job. The more your resume fits the job you want, the better your chances of getting hired as a business planner.

Business planners come up with ways to keep businesses safe in the event of an impending disaster. They help businesses get back to normal and help to avoid any problems with operations. Here are some of the things that a business planner does:

• Develops and implements a wide range of business plans, processes, or procedures for the company.
• In business, a person who makes presentations for a company’s management team and its investors
• Identifies risks and comes up with ways to deal with them.
• Addresses the costs of the business planning project.
• Helps to write a business plan
• An analyst looks at the business and financial sides of a company.
• Look for ways to add value to the business.

Your business planner resume needs to include certain information in order to show off your skills and expertise in the best way possible. While most resumes have the same type of information, the information you put on a business planner’s resume needs to be specific to this type of job, not general to all jobs. Here’s what to put on a resume for a business planner:

#1. Contact information

If you want to get hired by a company, you need to give them your name, your phone number, and your email address so they can get in touch with you.

#2. Education

If you want to be a business planner, you need to put down on your resume how your education relates to that job. In this way, it checks your skills and abilities for this job.

#3. Professional experience

It’s important for your business planner resume to have a section that shows how your previous work experience fits this job. You can include any part- or full-time jobs or internships that you’ve had in the past.

Add a section to show off your skills that are relevant to this job. This section should include any skills that the job ad says are important.

Business Development Planner

Business development can be thought of as the ideas, initiatives, and activities that help a business grow and become better, and this is what it means. Revenues, business growth, profitability, and strategic business decisions are all part of this. However, business developers should be aware of new market opportunities, ways to expand, competitor developments, and how the company makes money now.

They make software for Android and iOS devices, and they connect to cloud-based, website hosting through apps on those devices. If you want to have a good website, you’ll need a lot of people who know how to market your business to work on it every day.

Business Development Planner offers advisory and consulting services from a real-world point of view to help you find the best solution for a service or app. From the start, we’ll help you figure out how big the market is and how valuable your ideas are from a customer’s point of view. Our job is to help you think of ways to make your products or services more interesting for your customers. Next, Business Development Planners will look at how much money it will take to start, run, and grow your business.

We know that it’s hard to find a good company that can build your website or make a shopping system and put your business processes together into one solution that works now and in the future. The Business Development Planner is the one-stop shop for all your needs. Let’s start today!

It has been more than 25 years since a business development planner has worked with websites and cloud-based systems. Let us design, build, and manage your business’s new look and new online process. Business Development Planner makes it easy for businesses to get full, turn-key solutions that look good to new customers and work well for your long-term customers. We offer a one-of-a-kind solution that gives your business an advantage over your competitors.

People who work for Business Development Planners help people make websites and apps for their phones and tablets. Business Development Planners write a business plan for software development.

A company called Business Development Planners can help you design and build great layouts for all kinds of operating systems, like Apple, Android, and Java-based devices. We will make the software, put it on all kinds of stores like Amazon, Apple, Google, and many more, and sell your product through them.

Here are some of the things that a business planner does:

• An analyst looks at the business and financial side of a company.

Business planning generally entails collecting ideas in a formal business plan that outlines a description of the business’s current status, as well as the situation of the broader market, along with detailed activities the business will take to improve performance in the next time.

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Nmesoma Emmanuel

Emmanuel Nmesoma Praise is a Content Writer with an experience of 2years. Also, she is a business consultant having deep knowledge of business-related matters; Organised, and competent in her writing skills. A BSc holder in Education Biology in one of the most renowned schools, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, in Nigeria.

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RESTAURANT BUSINESS PLAN: Best Easy Guide in 2023

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Top 15 Planners for Women in Business

Every woman in business needs a way to keep track of everything. While there are countless digital trackers and planners out there that keep everything neatly tucked away in your phone or computer, there is nothing quite like a physical planner to keep you organised.

Finding the perfect planner for you could mean something sleek and stylish, an all-in-one planner, diary, and journal, or something completely customisable to suit your needs. Whatever it is you’re after, you’ll find it in these top planners for women in business.

Planners for Women in Business

The time creator.

If you find that your schedule, notes, and to do lists are scattered around your workspace on every post it, notebook, and journal in sight, The Time Creator is your new best friend. Not only will it act as your planner but also lets you keep notes, to do lists, and life planning tools so that everything you need to stay organised in 2020 is in one place.

Learn more or buy here

Leanne Baker Daily Planner

If you find that the average planner doesn’t give you enough room to plan out your day, have a look at the Leanne Baker Daily Planner. Each day has a page all to itself, giving you plenty of room to schedule your time. It also has weekly meal plan trackers which is a lifesaver for busy mums, and a place to write down your goals each month.

Canvast Yearly Planner

The Canvast Yearly Planner is designed especially for women in business. There are plenty of hidden extras in this planner to make your life easier, such as a spot to keep track of all your passwords, monthly themes with motivational pep-talks, budgeting spreads, and a place to keep track of your goals.

Day Designer

Another daily planner that gives you plenty of room to keep track of your days is the Day Designer Daily Planner. It combines your daily schedule with your to do list, making everything easy to keep track of.

Bullet Planner

If you love the idea of a bullet journal but don’t have the time to create your own spreads every month, the bullet planner could be the perfect solution. Everything about this planner is completely customisable, from the pages within to the cover art and coil colour. You can simply order the different pages you want, giving you a truly personalised planner without the hassle of drawing it up yourself.

Ronnie & Co Planners

Keep track of every little detail with the Ronnie & Co A4 Planner. This planner has pages to plan out your entire year, your weekly schedule, your monthly goals, meal and habit tracking, and plenty of space for creative note taking. Plus it’s pink.

My Mindful Year Pliary

In case you don’t know, a pliary is the perfect mix between a planner and a diary. The My Mindful Year Pliary is all about inviting mindfulness into your year while staying organised. The colourful spreads and themed journals give you a happy place to plan and give you space to set goals, intentions, and stay motivated while you plan your day-to-day.

Inspired Year Planner

Combine your day-to-day reality with your aspirations in the Inspired Day Planner from One Love Paper Co. This goal setting planner helps you dream big and put steps in to achieve your goals while maintaining balance if your life.

Golden Coil Planners

Has every planner you have tried had something you either didn’t need or something missing? Golden Coil ensures that this will never happen again. You clan your entire planner from cover to cover with their extensive list of pages. You can even import important dates, contacts, and personal details to make a truly personal journal.

Plum Paper Planners

Another company that offers entirely customisable planners is Plum Paper. These planners are especially great for any teachers or students out there. They have a wide range of pages to choose from as well as adorable covers that are also personalisable.

Life Planner

Erin Condren’s Life Planner will do just that: plan your life. These planners have a heavy focus on productivity and time management, so if you have trouble getting going on tasks this planner is perfect for you. It’s also completely customisable so that you can get exactly what you need.

______________________________________________________________________________

Emma & Vincent Everyday Planner

Emma & Vincent are known for their undated planners for women in business, with the Everyday Planner being one of their best sellers. This planner gives you a clean slate so that you can plan when you need to and not waste pages when you don’t need them. This is perfect if you find yourself glued to your planner one week and not needing it at all the next.

Passion Planner

The Passion Planner helps you to keep track of not only you schedule and to do list, but also your goals and passions. They start you out with a passion roadmap to bring some clarity to your goals, then help you break those goals down and schedule them so that you make them happen. 

Master Plan Diary

The master plan diary is the perfect planner for busy parents. Most personal planners are just that, personal, but that doesn’t tend to give you a lot of room when you’re organising a whole family. Keep on top of your busy mum life with a planner created specifically for you and your family.

Cultivate What Matters

Lastly, we have the full range of awesome planners and journals from Cultivate Your Year. These ones are all about setting goals and sticking to them, guiding you through the process of creating intentional goals that you can achieve. 

Where to From Here

Getting a planner is a great start for reaching your goals in the New Year. However, if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed and working IN your business and don’t have the clarity, strategy and systems in place it’s still going to be tricky to fully grow the sustainable and profitable business you want.

If you’re no longer wanting to try and figure everything out on your own in business and are wanting to get some advice from someone who has created not 1 but 2 successful business then I’d love to hop on a free 30-minute discovery call. We can chat about your goals, struggles and how I can help you in the role of your business consultant/coach . BOOK YOUR CALL HERE.

I look forward to connecting and helping you reach your goals,

Angela is an international award winning business consultant/coach, speaker and podcaster who helps women around the world make more money by creating a personalised business strategy and mastering their mindset, so they can create a business & life they love and want to show up for every, single, day.

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15 Useful Tools for Successful Diary Management

Technology has helped to make business processes cleaner, leaner and more efficient. Cloud computing and the latest software are increasingly automating those time-consuming tasks that used to eat substantial holes in a business manager's day.

So, how come executives and supervisors are still finding that time management can be an enormous headache – and the source of many stressful situations? Personal assistants can also still spend a considerable part of their day trying to tie up meetings and interviews on behalf of their bosses - with a queue of unhappy colleagues or clients waiting for a diary slot.

So, we thought it would be useful to bring together the best ideas, techniques and systems to make diary management less time consuming and more effective.

This should go a long way to helping you to be more productive and feel more in control during the working day.

1. Platforms

If you are setting up your diary management from scratch, then you will find a myriad of platforms on which to base it. This includes cloud computing options and software.

If you have a chance to build it from the basics, then research the options carefully. Find the system that is not only easy to use now, but that can become more advanced and versatile to cope with your business as it grows and changes.

The platform we use and would recommend is Microsoft Outlook, find out more about what Outlook as to offer here.

2. Engage and inform

Once an organisation has chosen and set up a business diary system, adherence needs to be company-wide and closely guarded.

Having someone in a pivotal position who prefers to use their existing platform, or a maverick who lives an unfettered business day, can soon make diary management a nightmare.

Everyone needs to be informed what the diary does, and the expectations of how they will use it. Flying solo is not an option!

Once you have everyone on the same system, make it clear how important diary management is for all businesses and individuals. This is an essential business tool – a way of avoiding wasted time, confusion and lost productivity.

It needs to be a mandatory element of everyone’s working systems to add to it and check it regularly. A well orchestrated company can't have musicians who aren't reading the music!

4. Creating control

A lot of the problems with diary management crop up because multiple pieces of technology – and a variable number of users – have access to the calendars of key business decision makers.

If you have multiple people able to add, amend or direct appointments for the MD, for example, then errors and misinformation can be endemic. The starting point of good diary management is a clear chain of command.

5. Always going through the PA

For some senior staff, who are under particular pressure, it’s a good idea for all appointment making to go through their PA. That way, one person is the conduit for all bookings and briefings.

This can even include ensuring that the MD or FD themselves always only adds or changes appointments via their PA.

6. Clarity of roles and responsibilities

There isn’t much point in assigning roles and responsibilities over diary management within the business, if the PA involved is unclear on the boundaries and expectations.

Always make sure the conduits for appointment control are fully up to speed on the software, but also what is expected of them. Does this particular decision maker have preferences, pressure points, special projects they need to know about? Is there a possibility that home life may also impact on their working day in some way?

If there has to be several people who can create or alter diary entries for senior staff, they all need to be 100% clear on their boundaries and duties, and how they overlap with each other.

7. Access to the “the boss”

Whoever it is championing quality and quantity control over diary entries for executives and managers, needs to be provided with regular one to one time with them. Leaving them in a vacuum can lead to problems and misunderstandings.

They will need access to the decision maker and key figures, as regularly as possible, to check things and reinforce the entries and keep everyone "in the loop".

Relying simply on electronic communication misses out the ambiguities and inferences that may need to be clarified and confirmed.

8. Recurring appointments

The various software or cloud computing platforms that diary management sits on these days, offer handy ways to schedule recurring appointments such as regular team briefings, quarterly sales reviews, and reporting deadlines. Explore and use this facility of your diary management to create a framework for key appointments.

This may mean ensuring staff embrace and stick to a regular pattern. If the venue keeps changing for a regular meeting slot - and no one tells the PA - confusion is bound to be a problem.

9. Don’t go too far

The temptation is to get a little “trigger happy” with recurring diary entries, setting them up a long time in advance. And for every thing that "may" happen in the future. It doesn’t take much for a change to be needed, such as the venue or timing of the meeting needs a tweak.

To make life easier, and to avoid confusion, it makes sense to schedule recurring appointments no more that 6 to 12 months at a time. Also, schedule in time to remind yourself to audit and double check them on a regular basis.

10. Make white space

With daily firefighting and a myriad of demands on the time of senior staff, it is all too easy to pack diaries full of appointments and deadlines morning until night. There are lots of good reasons why “white space” is a key diary management tool.

This means leaving gaps around some appointments if possible, within boundaries agreed with the manager. This includes providing time to assess, regroup and consider before and after meetings, in a calm way, for example.

On the other hand, if you create a stress filled and pressurised day with a clock forever ticking, it is not going to get the best out of anyone.

11. Time Travel

The gaps around appointments referred to above must include plenty of time for the person to get from A to B. Not just externally - on the road, rail or air travel - either. Sometimes you need to be aware that even going from one part of the business to another takes time and can involve distractions or obstacles.

Again, someone feeling “late” or rushed may not be in a position to give their best at the meeting.

12. Balancing structure with flexibility

One of the hardest things when managing diaries for decision makers - especially managers who have serious pressures on their time or particularly sensitive work patterns and needs – is getting a balance.

If the person controlling the diary is too rigid and prescriptive, it can cause friction all round – even with the individual themselves. Too flexible and easy going, and confusion can be a daily occurrence.

One of the best tools to manage diaries is making sure the PA in control has good intuition and understanding. They need to know when to bend the rules and when to impose them with an iron fist - what sort of "wiggle room" is allowed and what appointments are totally immovable.

This provides greater chances for spontaneous and reactive business activities to be slotted in too.

13. Create a meetings reference folder

Modern digital diaries make it much easier to gather and store relevant information, and attach it in a digital format.

A great tool for effectively managing diaries is to create data files linked to meetings, with all the information required. Or add in website links and other sources of background information.

That way, the manager can save time and hassle, by accessing what they need, as they need it.

14. Using modern technology

Probably the most timesaving advancement available to help with diary management, is technology to facilitate virtual meetings.

Whoever is in charge of the business diary needs to be insightful and confident enough to set up time-saving options such as conference calls, video calls and virtual meetings. This could save a lot of travel time and hassle if a face-to-face meeting can be avoided.

There may even be times when a simple email or telephone call before or after an event or meeting can be used in place of actual attendance.

15. Make use of a virtual or external PA

One of the best ways to manage complex diaries – either individual ones or across teams – is to put the process in the hands of an external virtual assistant . Having the ability to rise above all the daily minutiae can be vital. Being able to keep the business's diary streamlined for everyone, error free and logical is far easier for someone not distracted by other tasks and internal politics.

How SmartPA can support

Delegate your to-do list to our expert virtual PAs and streamline your business costs. Join over 3000 businesses who use our services to ensure their administrative tasks are completed accurately and on time.

Getting the right person to support your business does not need to be difficult and costs less than you think. Get in touch today.

We have also released our " Complete Guide to Diary Management " which is jam-packed full of tips on how to maximise your employees' time, stay on top of invitations and never miss appointments again. 

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9 Tips for Diary Management in a Busy Office

1. Centralize Your Scheduling Tools

2. prioritize and plan ahead, 3. set realistic time blocks, 4. utilize time blocking, 5. use color-coding and labels, 6. incorporate flexibility, 7. minimize meeting overload, 8. delegate and share responsibility, 9. regularly review and reflect.

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