The right planner.

To some it may not seem like a huge deal, but think about this for a minute:

What if your planner kept you focused on your top three tasks throughout the day, so that you stopped getting sidetracked by your pile of dirty dishes in the sink and your latest painting idea?

Or, what if your planner reminded you to exercise each day which actually got you moving and after the first quarter you feel energized throughout the day and you drop a dress size?

Or, what if your planner gets you to think about how you want to feel each and every day which helps you to lower your anxiety and increase your happiness?

Now, the perfect planner sounds more like something you should find, right?

Well, I’m going to make it super simple with this blog post. This is what you’ve been waiting for…the post that blows any other post about planners for 2018 out of the freaking ocean. (I say kinda humbly…but not so much because I’ve put over 50 hours into this beast!)

I purchased 14 different planners (and three bonuses non-planner planners) to photograph and review for you.

Below you’ll find details on the most popular planners on the market along with some not-as-well-known planners that you might want to take a peek at.

For each planner, I’ve included a favorite detail, pluses, drawbacks and the bottomline. I didn’t hold back. If there’s something you probably won’t like about one of these planners, I’ve done my best to include it.

I also took all of this information and created a simple quiz that will help you determine which planner is the right fit for you. Take it by clicking the image below and find out which planner you should invest in for 2018.

Now, go and find your planner!

1. Bullet Journal

Favorite thing about a bullet journal:

It’s completely customizable. You make it whatever you want it to be and include whatever you want to include. There’s no extra fluff.

Includes (Leuchtturm 1917):

• Two ribbon bookmarks
• Table of contents
• Numbered pages
• Dotted, lined or blank pages
• Pocket folder in the back

Pluses:

1. You can include things that you might not have room for in other planners such as detailed notes, lists (that aren’t to-do lists), ideas, habit tracking and brainstorms.

2. When you realize something isn’t working for you, you can just stop including it. For instance, if you decide that you don’t like daily spreads, you can stop doing daily spreads and try weekly spreads. This means that you use the entire journal–not just parts of it.

3. You can be as creative or as minimal as you want.

4. There is an entire bullet journaling community that shares tips, spreads, ideas and more. When you start bullet journaling, you become a part of that community.

“I like the flexibility of this method, because both at work and at home, sometimes I am so busy I barely have time to open the journal at all. Since I write in all the dates, I don’t waste any of the journal if I don’t use it on a particular day. Of course, the downside is that I have to draw in the calendars, but I’ve found that I can easily do it while watching a half-hour TV show with hubby.

I don’t like copying tasks over and over, so I’ve learned to list my tasks down the right-hand side of the page, and then I list the date on the left side of the page with any date-specific tasks. I continue to use that list until it is mostly accomplished (even if the dates spill over to the next page), and then I’ll transfer the remainder to a fresh page if I need to.

The Leuchtturm journal has two bookmarks sewn in, which is very handy if I’m tracking both daily tasks and a project at the same time. I also like the pre-printed index pages at the front of the journal, and the fact that it has a hard cover. Best of all, the A5 size fits into most of my bags and purses, so I can carry it around with me all the time. Last week, I was able to write a 90-day action plan for both businesses while riding the Metro one afternoon.” -Carole Carlson

Drawbacks:

1. If you want daily spreads, you have to recreate them every single day and that takes time (unlike a planner that you just fill in).

2. You might get so caught up in wanting your bullet journal to look nice that you put too much time into planning, lettering and decorating.

3. You have to create everything from scratch.

Bottomline:

If you always find yourself wishing your planners included certain things or didn’t include specific things, why not create your own? If you’re a creative and want another outlet for creating, bullet journaling is a great option.

You can do as much or as little as you want each day. Or, if you’re a minimalist and only want to plan want you absolutely need to, a bullet journal allows you to do that without any waste.

“I love that the bullet journal is 100% customizable. Since I have a day job and I feel like my business is not your typical business (which I think most people in this group of creative business owners can relate to), I felt like a lot of the planners out there didn’t quite fit what I needed. I don’t need something to plan out my hours from 9-5. I need something to plan out my hours AROUND the 9-5 day job. With the bullet journal, I can keep track of things you can’t in a typical planner (ie. a place to put notes for my upcoming projects, etc). All of that can be in one place in my bullet journal, which means I only have to carry around ONE journal/planner for all of my planning and brainstorming.” -Madeline Stoker

2. Conquer Your Year

Favorite thing about the Conquer Your Year planner:

One of the unique things about this planner is that it’s broken up into 12-week sprints. If you get overwhelmed by your huge goals, this planner can help you break them up into manageable pieces.

Includes:

• Introduction
• Information on getting started
• Worksheets to break down your big picture goals
• 12-week sprint planning spreads
• Weekly spreads that include a weekly reflection
• Quotes at the top of the weekly spreads
• End of year reflection

Pluses:

1. It’s an inexpensive option!

2. Some of the pages include a pretty watercolor wash that gives them a little something extra.

3. Each day includes a spot for your top five to-dos.

4. This planner doesn’t just focus on what you’re accomplishing but also focuses on your wellbeing. Each day there are eight cups to check off as you drink water and seven 15-minute exercise increments to check off as you move your body.

5. Compared with many of the other planners on this list, the Conquer Your Year planner is much lighter in weight which would make it easier to take with you on the go.

6. There’s a spot to note three things you’re grateful for each day.

7. The weekly reflection will keep you focused on your big picture goal as well as your health.

Drawbacks:

1. The cover is kinda flimsy cardboard which could get easily damaged. For someone who uses her planner every day, this could become a problem. Mine is already a bit bent.

2. There isn’t any room to put notes or extra information on a daily or weekly basis.

3. There isn’t a place for scheduling timely events such as meetings or appointments.

4. The entire planner is this purplish pink color which might get stale after a while and it limits creativity if you like to use stickers and such in your planner. For me, this is the biggest drawback, especially because I don’t love the color.

“I used the Conquer Your Year planner but didn’t like it. It had very little space for writing the to-do’s, and a lot of space for reflection and questions.” -Ana

Bottomline:

If you’re looking for an inexpensive option that helps you break down your big goals into more manageable pieces, this is a planner you should consider. If you also need help focusing on your well being on a daily basis (reminders to exercise and drink water!), you should check out the Conquer Your Year Planner.

3. Daily Greatness Business Planner

Favorite thing about the Daily Greatness Business Planner:

The way the yearly calendar is set up, because it shows you every day in the year in a two-page spread. When you plug in launches, interviews, sales, etc., you can see the overview of your business very clearly in that two-page spread.

Includes:

• Quotes on colorful pages
• Content about productivity, organization, finances and goal setting
• Suggestions for getting the most out of the planner
• Yearly calendar
• One-page business plan, business vision planner, business goal planner
• Strategy and budget worksheets
• Monthly calendars
• Weekly priority and action planners
• Weekly spreads
• Quotes on weekly spreads
• Weekly check-ins
• 90-day reviews
• Finance manager worksheets
• Year end business wrap up
• Two ribbon bookmarks

Pluses:

1. Unlike many other planners, the beginning of this planner has you focus on your business plan and vision. There are a bunch of worksheets that help you map out your business.

2. Each day has a place for your top three tasks of the day.

3. Each day starts with an interesting prompt such as ‘what I’m most excited about in my business is…’ or ‘one word that describes how I want to feel today is…”

4. Unlike the other planners on this list, the weekly check ins include different questions. This gets you to think about different areas of your business on a regular basis.

5. Each week starts with a priority planner. Then, you plan out your four major goals for the week and then you break those down into projects, appointments, tasks and actions.

Drawbacks:

1. You have to fill out the monthly calendars yourself–they aren’t done for you.

2. You’re given plenty of space to list to-dos for the week, but you’re only given three to-do slots for each day. 3. Some of the colors are really bold which can be a turn off or turn on. The bright orange, yellow, and lime green aren’t my style.

Bottomline:

If you’re a creative entrepreneur who likes bright, bold colors, you should check out the Daily Greatness Business Planner. It was made specifically for entrepreneurs and will constantly keep you thinking about how you can improve your business.

4. Day Designer

Favorite thing about the Day Designer:

There’s a section at the top of each daily page to write your top three for the day. That gets you focused on the three most important things you need to tackle that day, but it’s not the majority of the page. You still have room to schedule appointments and list other to-dos.

Includes:

• Yearly calendar
• Monthly calendars
• Daily pages
• Quotes on the top of daily pages
• Instructions on how to use the Day Designer
• Multiple worksheets in the beginning to focus on values, goals and strengths
• Ideal month worksheet
• Ideal week worksheet
• Note pages
• Pocket folder

Pluses:

1. Every daily page has a quote at the top which is motivating and a fun way to start planning the day.

2. There’s a place to list to-dos and appointments on each daily page.

3. There’s a little ‘don’t forget’ box on each daily page, so you have the option of including something you definitely don’t want to forget.

4. There’s a place for daily gratitude which can be a positive way to end the day.

5. Each daily page also has a box for notes which is a great way to record something from each day or summarize what you’ve learned that day.

“The Day Designer is great because it is daily and is large enough to handle my often messy handwriting or all the notes I want to jot down as I’m working. I like that it’s spiral because it stays open on my desk. But it is too big to carry around.” -Rebecca

Drawbacks:

1. The daily planner is large, so if you need to carry it with you, this might not be the planner for you or you might want to go with the mini daily planner that they offer.

2. Daily pages include a spot for dinner which isn’t something everyone wants included in their planner.

3. The to-do list is quite long, giving you 17 spots for to-do items. Who is going to complete 17 tasks in one day? And if you list 17 tasks, won’t that be overwhelming every time you glance at your planner? (Maybe you can use the extra space for more notes and make this a plus instead of a drawback!)

Bottomline:

The Day Designer is like your traditional planner that’s been modernized. You have plenty of room for to-dos and appointments/timely tasks, but you also have room for things a traditional planner never included such as daily gratitude and your top three.

If you like the idea of a modernized traditional planner with some extras, you should check out the Day Designer.

5. The Desire Map Planner

Favorite thing about The Desire Map Planner:

The daily spreads are unlike any planner you’ll ever come across, because they focus on how you want to feel and what you can do that day to feel those core desired feelings.

Includes:

• Desire Map introduction
• Note from Danielle
• Core desired feelings worksheet
• Yearly calendars
• Monthly calendars
• Monthly check-ins
• Daily planning pages

Pluses:

1. In true Danielle style, her planner is gorgeous. The design, the cover, the fonts…it’s all beautiful.

2. The monthly calendars are spacious and each one has a list of feelings down the left side.

3. The monthly check-ins will help you center back to the feelings you want to focus on as well as the major goals you’re working towards.

4. The daily planning pages concentrate on: how you want to feel, your schedule and to-dos, what you want to change, what you want to stop doing and gratitude.

5. There’s a place on every daily planning page to list your top three to-dos for the day.

6. Each day there’s a different soul prompt such as ‘what is your greatest desire’ or ‘how did you feel when you woke up today’ that will get you thinking about the important stuff in life.

7. At the bottom of each daily page, there’s a statement or quote from Danielle such as ‘joy is power’ or ‘you don’t need to know the answer before you begin.’

Drawbacks:

1. On the daily pages, you have to create your schedule. There’s a place for it, but it’s not done.

2. For some people, some of the statements at the bottom of the daily pages and/or some of the soul prompts might cross the line into too woo-woo.

“This year I tried out the Desire Map Planner. I’m a mixed media artist. I did love that it has alot of room on each page. However, one major drawback is its sheer size and weight. I went with the daily planner (there is a weekly one, too). If you need a planner that will sit on your desk and you work on or in it – that’s perfect for you. I do have several freelance jobs and need to carry my planner with me a lot. The daily planner is simply too big to do that. Otherwise it’s a gorgeous planner with lots of room for journaling and drawing and lovely prompts. I especially loved the month-at-a-glance pages.” -Ursula

Bottomline:

The Desire Map Planner is such a unique planner that concentrates on one of the most important things in life: feeling the way we want to feel consistently. If you can do that, you’ve won at life!

If you tend to get caught up in day-to-day life and weeks or months go by without you focusing on yourself or what you need or want, you need this planner. The concept is amazing and it delivers.

6. Get to Work Book

Favorite thing about the Get to Work Book:

Every month includes a project spread where you break down a project into action items and deadlines on one page and can put all your notes for the project onto the other page.

Includes:

• Year at a glance
• Monthly reflections
• Monthly calendars
• Monthly tear-out calendars
• Monthly project spreads
• Weekly spreads
• Extra project planning and note pages

Pluses:

1. The year at a glance gives you a place to put all your big projects, launches, sales, etc. and see them all together.

2. The monthly reflections give you room to brainstorm your wins, the things you’re still working on and the things you want to let go of as well as a place to goal set for the next month.

3. For each day, you’re given room to list your top three of the day along with space to plan timely events or list other to-dos.

4. In each weekly spread, you’re given room to list three main action items for the week and room at the bottom for notes or anything you’d like to include in your daily plans.

5. You’re given lots of space for project planning.

6. There is a good amount of space per day for a planner that doesn’t have daily spreads.

“This is my second year using the Get to Work Book. I really, really like it. I like that it’s a weekly spread, that it has sturdy covers, a book band to keep it closed in my bag, and that it lays flat on my desk. I like the design of the pages and the way the weekly and daily priorities are laid out on each weekly spread. I really need that weekly view, because I tend to goal set and think in weekly increments. That being said, I can see the appeal of the daily spread as well.

I like that the design is simple and gets out of your way. I stamp and washi and sticker to organize and beautify. The look of a planner is super important to me. If I don’t like the look, I don’t find myself using it.

If I could change something, I would actually make it a bit bigger. I do totally fill the columns when I’m writing. I’m also having my head a bit turned by something like the Day Designer, with a ton more room and daily layouts. But I’d still need the weekly one too.” -Janet Taylor

Drawbacks:

1. If you want to include time-specific events such as meetings and appointments, you’ll have to create the place for it.

2. There are only three checkboxes for the top three to-dos. If you list other to-dos and want checkboxes, you’ll have to add them.

3. The monthly calendars don’t include holidays.

Bottomline:

This planner is a great fit for someone who wants to use her planner to plan out projects, likes to focus on a top three of the day and likes grid paper (cause there’s quite a bit).

If you’re looking for a planner to get in, get it done and get out, this is a good option. The Get to Work Book will keep you focused without fluff.

“First of all, the design of the Get to Work Book is stunning and I really love the way it’s bound. I like that you can lay it flat and that the cover is a hard, protective cover rather than a flimsy one that would get ruined easily. I also loved the project planning pages, which I felt helped me to start learning how to break down tasks into more actionable chunks. I think I carried the project planning aspect over to my new planner, so I am really grateful that I used the Get to Work Book while I did. The main thing that I would change about the Get to Work Book is that I would add daily pages. I did like the monthly and weekly views but without the daily pages to plan each day and write daily thoughts/notes, I felt a bit limited.” -Amanda Creek

7. Happiness Planner

Favorite thing about the Happiness Planner:

This planner is focused on happiness–on planning a day that will make you a happier person! That’s pretty cool.

Includes:

• Ribbon bookmark
• Introduction
• 26 rules to live by for a happier and more fulfilling life
• Beautiful quotes
• 15 worksheets to help you focus on what makes you happy and unhappy, your strengths and weaknesses, your definition of success and more
• Yearly calendar
• Weekly planning pages
• 100 daily planning pages
• Weekly reflection pages
• 100-day review
• Pocket folder

Pluses:

1. Even though this planner focuses on happiness, you still have room to write in a schedule and six to-dos.

2. Every daily page starts with a quote.

3. There are sections on the daily pages for: what you’re excited about, exercise, your main focus, meals, notes, gratitude and more.

4. Each daily page ends with you filling out what good things happened that day (which keeps you focused on the positive) and what you hope for the next day.

5. It comes in multiple pretty colors.

6. This size of this planner makes it travel-friendly.

Drawbacks:

1. The boxes for each section are small, so you can only write a short sentence or less (unless you have tiny handwriting).

2. The only calendar included is a yearly calendar.

3. If you have appointments and meetings to schedule, it’ll be hard to do so in advance unless you fill out all the days ahead of time and even then, you have to be on the specific page to see it as opposed to having a monthly calendar overview. (They do offer another planner that’s more expensive and bigger but includes monthly calendars!)

Bottomline:

This is an interesting planner that helps you focus on more than what you want to accomplish. It steers you in the direction of thinking about your mood and improving your happiness each day and week.

If you struggle with anxiety or depression and need help focusing on the positive stuff in life, the Happiness Planner could be a great fit for you.

8. The Happy Planner

Favorite thing about The Happy Planner:

The monthly planning spreads are reaaaaally pretty and fun. They include things like what you’re reading, pinning, watching and loving.

Includes:

• Yearly calendar
• Monthly planning spreads
• Monthly calendars
• Weekly planning spreads
• Notes page

Pluses:

1. The space on the monthly spreads is utilized well, giving you room for three monthly goals, seven things you don’t want to forget, notes, birthdays and fun information about you like what you’re currently reading, feeling and listening to.

2. The monthly calendars are bigger than most which gives creatives space to have some fun with decorating and stickers if that’s your kind of thing or a little extra space for planning if not.

3. The weekly spreads give you plenty of planning space for each day even though it’s not a daily planner.

“I’m trying to manage daily tasks and short-term goals and I find The Happy Planner to be quite useful! I love the amount of space I have to write things down and they’ve made it super easy to add and remove pages. I really like some of the ideas in bullet journaling YouTube videos I have seen and I find I can implement some of those modules in my Happy Planner too. It’s also nice to not have to draw out all of your modules for the month.” -Rianne

Drawbacks:

1. It’s a spiral bound planner which is fine except the spirals in this planner make it hard to turn the pages which can become pretty annoying.

2. The way the daily planning space is broken up looks a bit weird unless you’re going to use the stickers by this company.

3. There isn’t an hourly timeline in the daily planning for appointments and meetings and other timely events.

4. The design of the planner I picked feels a bit high school-ish which is great if you’re in high school or college, but not so great if you’re running a business in your thirties or beyond. I’m not sure if others have the same feel or not.

“I’ve been using the Happy Planner and really like it for the most part. I like how the days are sectioned off and I can use each section for a different part of my life. But, some parts of my life are much busier than others, it’s a weird size so no other papers fit into it, and it’s too big for even my over-sized purse. Also, I tend to spend way more time having fun decorating it than I do actually working my to-do list. The calendar and all it’s insertable, decorative things are fairly expensive.” -Jeannie Gray

Bottomline:

The Happy Planner seems like a great fit for young adults or those young in spirit. I would pick this planner if you like the accessories, including the stickers, and plan to use them in your planning regularly. Otherwise, I would choose another option.

“The Happy Planner is my favorite so far. It’s colorful, has cute quotes, has pretty decent sized squares, and has a few options to choose from. Best of all it’s super reasonably priced.” -Amanda Howell

9. Inkwell Planner

Favorite thing about the Inkwell Planner:

After the monthly calendar, there’s a monthly planning spread that includes a beautiful honeycomb pattern, a place for planning notes, a box for your focus and a place to track three habits throughout the month. The spread is creative, motivating and unlike anything in the other planners.

Includes:

• Important dates spread
• Goals worksheets
• Yearly calendar
• Monthly calendars
• Monthly planning spreads
• Weekly planning spreads
• Notes and ramblings pages at the end of each month (dotted pages)
• Extra notes section at the back (grid pages)
• Gift list
• Wanderlust and project planning
• Monthly bill tracker
• Ruler
• Band to close the planner

Pluses:

1. This planner includes a lot but still isn’t as big or heavy as some of the other planners, making it more travel-friendly than most.

2. All of the extras (such as the monthly bill tracker, gift list and wanderlust or travel information) are helpful and you’ll probably use them unlike planners that include things you’ll just skip over.

3. The ‘plan ahead’ section gives you just enough to get going, including the goal worksheets.

4. For each day, there’s eight lines for you to list to-dos or appointments and three boxes which I would use to list my top three for the day, but you could use in lots of ways.

5. The monthly planning spreads are unlike anything I’ve seen in other planners. It includes a place for you to track three daily habits each month.

Drawbacks:

1. There aren’t any checkboxes for you to list your to-dos. I don’t know about you, but I like a checkbox. Checking off something once I’ve completed it gives me a spark of joy.

2. There isn’t a place for timely events such as appointments and meetings on the weekly spreads unless you create it yourself.

Bottomline:

This planner almost has it all. It’s pretty, well-designed, and includes really helpful extras such as a monthly bill tracker. If you can deal with not having a daily spread for each day (including a place for time-specific events) and you want something that’s already super pretty, I would recommend you check this one out. (When I checked out the website today, I saw that they have a new daily planner. So, if you want all of the above plus daily spreads and you aren’t going to be taking your planner on the go, you might try that option.)

The Inkwell Planner was a huge surprise to me in the best of ways–I’m smitten!

“Although I’ve never met her, I feel like I know Tonya, the owner personally of Inkwell Planners – from watching the planner set up videos, following her Instagram, listening to her podcast, and just in general using her products and her vibe of encouragement that comes with them! Inkwell’s mission is to encourage women to find their own productivity, which shows in so many things this company does.

The planners are created with high quality materials and are designed beautifully yet minimally. There are colors but not over the top or feel like you’re using something made for a 4th grader. The design of the weekly planner includes the important elements (dates, monthly spread, weekly view etc) but really just leave space for you to add all the goings on of your life! I think planner peace comes from less is more. A big part of these planners is also goal setting, which I love. The daily planner is unlike any daily I’ve ever seen..most are set up with a long running list of to dos without any hierarchy or ranking of importance. Inkwell’s daily planner page is broken down into priorities, important tasks, and other tasks, along with an hourly schedule of the day. The daily planner is undated so that you can use it when necessary, without making you feel like you didn’t accomplish anything certain days that you may not need a broken down task list for. Although I live and breathe by my weekly planner, I have been thinking about getting a daily planner to have at my desk to use on my office and task-orientated days.

The paper is thick but not too thick. Ink doesn’t bleed thru. The tabs and cover are a sturdy construction and after almost a year of use (its in my purse or camera bag daily,) it still looks great! There are notes pages in between each month and the little folder at the back is great for stashing stickers, receipts, and other pieces of paper. The hard cover bound book is great to store a pen in the coil, or to fold the book on itself when you need to make your own surface to write.” -Amanda Feltmann

10. Melbourne Planner

Favorite thing about the Melbourne Planner:

It’s beautiful. The cover is gorgeous, the inside is gorgeous, the tabs are nice and the artwork is lovely.

Includes:

• Yearly calendar
• Dates to remember including a holiday list and place to record birthdays
• Goal section to record 3 month, 6 month, 1 year and 5 year goals
• Contact section
• Note pages
• Monthly calendars
• Weekly spreads
• Two pocket folders
• Band to keep planner closed

Pluses:

1. The sections are clearly labeled and easy to find.

2. For each day, you have a section for six to-dos and notes.

3. The note pages are dotted and there are some in the front and back.

4. At the top of the weekly spreads, there are small monthly calendars so you can easily see where you are in the month.

5. Unlike some spiral bound planners, this one is easy to flip through.

Drawbacks:

1. The actual planning pages are very minimal and don’t give you any guidance unlike many other planners on this list.

2. There aren’t any daily planning pages–you get ⅓ of a page for each day which isn’t a lot of space for someone who likes to include more information in her planner.

3. There isn’t a place for timely events such as appointments and meetings unless you include them as one of the to-dos.

4. It’s often wasteful to include a contacts section in a physical planner when most people keep this information in their phones.

Bottomline:

If you yearn for a traditional planner that’s beautiful, the Melbourne Planner is for you.

Flipping through this planner, you’d think it came from the 90’s, especially with the contacts section, dates to remember section and minimal planning space, but there is something nostalgic and comforting about that which some people will adore.

11. Passion Planner

Favorite thing about the Passion Planner:

The monthly calendar includes a box to write your ‘not to-do list’ and that’s also really important when it comes to productivity. Everything you say no to creates more time for the things you really want to do.

Includes:

• How you’ll benefit from this planner
• Welcome message
• Your passion roadmap
• Planner instructions
• Yearly calendars
• Monthly calendars
• Weekly spreads
• Quotes on the side of the weekly spreads
• Monthly reflections
• End of year reflection
• Blank note pages
• Grid note pages
• Ribbon bookmark
• File folder
• Band to keep it closed

Pluses:

1. There is a lot of space for planning on the monthly calendar spreads.

2. On the monthly calendar spreads, you’re given room to write down: people to see, places to go and a not to-do list.

3. The to-do lists are split between work to-dos and personal to-dos. The projects are also split between work projects and personal projects.

4. On the weekly spreads, you’re given space for ‘space of infinite possibility’ instead of boring old ‘notes.’

5. You’re given room to write in a ‘focus’ and ‘good things that happened’ in each weekly spread.

6. Within each monthly reflection, you’re asked questions that make you consider how well you spent your time and what improvements you can make for the next month.

“My most favorite thing about the Passion Planner is at the bottom of the weekly 2-page spread. It’s one column for a personal to-do list for the week and one column for a business to-do list. Like many here, I work from home and what I do for my family and what I do for my business are totally intertwined and equally important, and I cannot stand having to keep two separate journals. I like all my records in one place.” -Kat Southern

Drawbacks:

1. This planner is huge–one of the biggest on this list. If you keep your planner at home, this isn’t an issue but if you plan to carry it with you, I would look at other options.

2. The to-do lists are weekly–not daily. You’re given 14 personal to-do spots and 14 work to-do spots for the week which may not be enough for some people.

3. The hourly timeline is really scrunched together, making the weekly spreads look crammed.

“I used the Passion Planner for a while and liked it but needed more room for daily notes and it was too big to put in my purse (I had the big one). I was also afraid I’d run out of blank note taking pages so I kept taping my own pages into it and never actually using the provided ones.” –Jeannie Gray

Bottomline:

The Passion Planner has a lot of good things going for it, but the crowded look of the weekly spreads makes it a deal breaker. If you can get past that and don’t need to travel with your planner, you might enjoy this one.

12. Powersheets

Favorite thing about the Powersheets:

Powersheets are not a typical planner in that it doesn’t include any schedules or daily to-do lists. Instead, the Powersheets walk you through taking your ideas and turning them into goals and then turning your goals into actions.

Includes:

• Note from Lara
• 5 steps to get started
• Worksheets to get to know yourself better
• Cultivated life evaluation
• Worksheets to help you let go, face your fears, cultivate what matters and determine other critical things that will help you set the right goals for yourself
• Goal setting section that includes a place to list 10 goals for 2018 and then walks you through breaking down each of those goals
• Monthly sections that include a preparation worksheet, a worksheet to clear mental clutter, a brainstorming worksheet, a goal setting worksheet and month in review worksheet
• Celebrating 2018 worksheets
• Two sticker sheets

Pluses:

1. It’s beautiful in a whimsical yet adult way. The gold foil on multiple pages and the cover gives it an extra special touch.

2. There are numerous helpful worksheets that will spark ideas, motivate you and inspire you to set the right goals for yourself.

3. Before you dive into goal setting, there are worksheets that have you focus on self-awareness which is always a good idea before setting your goals for the year.

4. This ‘planner’ will help you focus on what you want to accomplish and then help you plan out what you’re going to do when during the year.

5. Each monthly section takes you from preparation to action to review.

Drawbacks:

1. This can’t replace a typical planner. It doesn’t include any calendars or places for weekly or daily planning. You have to buy this in addition to a regular planner.

2. The cover is a flimsy cardboard that will get damaged pretty easily. For the price tag, I expect a nicer cover.

3. It’s large and heavy, so it wouldn’t be the easiest planner to take with you on the go.

Bottomline:

The Powersheets are a worthwhile investment for creative entrepreneurs who want additional help with goal setting and reaching those goals throughout the year.

I would absolutely recommend picking up a copy to use in addition to your regular planner if you get motivated by physically writing down your goals and mapping them out.

“Power Sheets have literally changed my life. I went from being totally overwhelmed by all the things I wanted/needed to do, to being able to really evaluate what my priorities were and why, and having a good way to keep track of the progress I was making on my goals. At this point, I’m a little bit lost without them!” -Sarah

13. Productivity Planner

Favorite thing about the Productivity Planner:

It’s realistic about what you can accomplish in one day by only giving you space for five tasks which will help you stay focused and get more done.

Includes:

• Ribbon bookmark
• Table of contents
• Information on the concept and hacking productivity
• Tips on creating a better to-do list and how to decide what’s your most important task
• Information on the Pomodoro technique and why time tracking is important
• Instructions on how to use the Productivity Planner
• Weekly planning pages
• Daily planning pages
• Quotes at the top of the daily planning pages
• Weekly note pages
• Weekly review pages

Pluses:

1. You will always determine what tasks are most important which means you can focus on work instead of on ‘what to do next.’

2. You give yourself a productivity score at the end of each day which can help you think about what you can do better and what you’re wasting time on.

3. The weekly reviews give you a chance to think about your wins, issues you came across, what you learned and do a bit of planning for the next week.

4. The quotes at the top of the daily planning pages are motivating and inspiring. Out of any planners that include quotes, these quotes are the best and most motivating I’ve seen.

5. The size of this planner makes it travel-friendly.

Drawbacks:

1. You don’t have any room to schedule timely tasks. If you use a planner to plan meetings, interviews and appointments, this isn’t the planner for you.

2. There isn’t a calendar in this planner–not yearly or monthly calendars.

3. This planner is for focused, productive planning only. You get space to plan five tasks and a little space for notes–that’s it. If you want to document or plan anything else, there really isn’t room for it.

4. For creatives who like pretty covers, there’s only one option: black.

Bottomline:

If you keep appointments and meetings scheduled on your phone or on a computer calendar and are looking for a planner to keep you focused during the day, the Productivity Planner is a great option.

If you often get sidetracked throughout the day, this planner could become your best friend.

14. The Simplified Planner

Favorite thing about The Simplified Planner:

The design. It’s sleek, modern and sophisticated while also being fun and girly. The beautiful gold wire binding and protective gold corners make the outside look modern and sleek. Then you open it up and see the fun multi-colored tabs and girly stickers and you’ve got the best of both worlds.

Includes:

• Sticker sheet
• Message from Emily
• The process of simplifying
• Instructions on how to use the planner
• Yearly calendar
• 2018 holidays
• 2018 bucket list
• Monthly calendars
• Daily spreads

Pluses:

1. The sticker sheet will add a bit of fun to your planning pages.

2. At the top of each monthly calendar there is a simplicity tip.

3. For a daily planner, it’s smaller than most. (It’s still a bit heavy, so keep that in mind if you’re going to be taking it with you out and about every day.)

4. For each day, you’re given room to list to-dos and timely events such as appointments and meetings. You’re also given space for notes and meals.

Drawbacks:

1. For each day, you’re given 16 to-dos which is a lot–probably more than anyone could handle in a day. Looking at that long of a list of to-dos seems like it could be overwhelming. (You could turn this into a plus by using some of this space for something else like additional notes.)

2. If you don’t want to keep information about your meals in your planner, a big chunk of each day in your planner will be wasted.

3. For a smaller planner, it’s quite heavy–but this company does sell weekly planners if you love the design but want something more travel-friendly.

Bottomline:

This really is a simplified planner. It contains what you traditionally need in a planner and nothing else but in a very modern design. The Simplified Planner is beautiful and it’s the type of planner that you’ll get in and get out of without lots of fuss or wasting time.

Bonuses!

As I researched planners, I came across non-planner planners. A lot of them. I picked three to include as bonuses in this post.

The Content Strategy Planner, Second Edition

This is a planner and workbook in one that will help you map out your content for twelve months. If you feel like putting your ideas into your regular planner or Evernote isn’t cutting it, you should check out something like this.

It includes:

• Quotes
• A message from Sara
• Table of contents
• Suggestions on how to use the planner
• Worksheets to get you started
• Monthly calendars
• Growth and review worksheets
• Weekly spreads
• Balance reviews
• Metrics and assessment worksheets
• Opportunity worksheets
• Content planning pages
• Note pages

Create: One-Year Blog & Editorial Planner

The creator and author, Meera Kothand, says it best in the very beginning when she writes, “Where marketing meets simple so that bloggers and solopreneurs can build an unmissable stand out online presence minus the sleaze.” This is also a planner and workbook in one. It will guide you in putting together the blueprint for your editorial calendar.

It includes:

• Table of contents
• Quotes
• Introduction
• 5-step planning process, a primer for setting goals, and the four major blogging tasks
• Your main pillars: content and email
• Your year at a glance worksheets
• Quarterly planning worksheets that include planning your goals, planning your blog and email content, monthly calendars and monthly reviews
• Quarterly review worksheets

eatWELL Menu Planner

This is Inkwell’s menu planner. It’s the perfect gift for ladies and gents who love both organization and cooking (or meal prep). If you like to be super organized in the kitchen and plan out all of your meals, you should check this out.

It includes:

• Weekly meal plans
• Grocery lists
• Holiday meal plans
• Take out favorites (a place to list them)
• Quick and simple meal ideas (a place to list them)
• Seasonal fruits and veggies
• Kitchen conversions
• When to buy organic
• Food expiration cheat sheet
• The butcher shop (visual guide)

And that’s a wrap on all of the planners I reviewed for 2018!

I hope you found one on this list that’s right for you. If so, please share which one in the comments below. I’d love to know which planner you’ve decided on.

P.S. THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my post last month asking for feedback on the planners you love and hate. It added so much to making this post more valuable.