As 2016 fast approaches, many scramble to find a way to embed a structure into the new year that will facilitate the actual completion of one's resolutions. With the calendar year coming to a close, this presents the fantastic opportunity to find a new planner to aid in the organization of your life, but with so many options on the planner market it can be difficult to determine which style will best suit your organizational needs.
If you're struggling to pin down what kind of planner you'd like to bring alongside you on your goal-setting adventures in the coming year, refer to the following guide to all-things-planners to fill you in on some basics before you make your planner purchase.
Format
The layout of a planner is arguably its most important feature. The format of your planner will shape how you organize your daily tasks and long-term goals. Choose a format that works with your style of thinking and that meshes with how you aim to organize your life.
Monthly
At-a-glance monthly calendars can be a great way to outline long term goals, deadlines, and regular appointments. This style keeps things simple and doesn't leave a lot of room for daily planning or running to-do lists.
Horizontal Weekly
The horizontal weekly format is ideal for keeping track of assignments, appointments, and other commitments. The week at-a-glance style is still simple and streamlined, but allows for the inclusion of more detail on a day-to-day basis.
Vertical Weekly
The vertical weekly format, like its horizontal counterpart, allows you to tackle the entire week in a two-page spread. Some versions of this format come unlabeled and allow you to organize your daily tasks in a more free-form manner that can change as your needs change.
Other versions of this format come with hourly divisions. This style can be limiting, especially if your plans exceed the hours provided. On the other hand, this format can be ideal for making appointments or keeping track of a class schedule and meetings.
In the above image, you can also see that often planner formats short-change the space for Saturday and Sunday. If your planning is not confined to a Monday through Friday schedule, make sure that your planner delegates adequate space to the weekend.
Daily/hourly
Daily/hourly planner formats devote an entire page to each day. This allows for ample note-taking and list-making space as well as a detailed hourly breakdown. Ideal for those who thrive on specificity or who are extraordinarily busy and need to keep track of many daily commitments.
Blank
Prefer a more free-form method of organizing your thoughts? Use a blank notebook to keep all of your plans in one place and employ an advanced list-making system to streamline your planning. Blank notebooks can come lined, graphed, or completely blank. Choose the style that works best for you!
Size
When it comes to planning, size matters. Choose a size that will fit your needs and allow you the space for whatever you wish to include while also being the ideal size for keeping with you for all of your moments-notice planning and note-taking needs.
Small
Typical measurements: 3 inches x 4 inches, 4 inches x 6 inches
Pros: easy to carry around, fits in any bag.
Cons: less space for plans and to-dos, easily misplaced.
Medium
Typical measurements: around 5 inches x 7 inches
Pros: may not fit in all handbags, but still practical for day-to-day use.
Cons: for some could be inconveniently large, for others still not enough page space.
Some planners come in a "slim" style (3.5 inches x 7 inches) that is typically a taller, more narrow shape than a traditional binding. Format availability will vary.
Large
Typical measurements: around 8 inches x 10 inches
Pros: plenty of space for to-dos, appointments, etc., still fit easily in a backpack.
Cons: can be inconvenient to carry around, some space may go unused.
Style
Planners come with covers and bindings in a variety of styles. Find one to fit your own personal aesthetic. Whether you're looking for something discreet and classic or something bold and personalized, you're bound to find a planner that matches your style.
Features
Not all planners are created equal. Many include bonus features aside from their requisite formatted pages that can make planning your life even easier. Find a planner that allows you to keep track of what matters on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.
Pages for note-taking
If you want to use your planner for more than just daily scheduling, you may want to find a planner that includes blank or lined pages for note-taking and list-making. Many styles on the market include empty pages towards the planner's end.
Included monthly calendars
At-a-glance monthly calendars are a great way to organize due dates and long-term deadlines but lack the specificity and space for a truly functional day-planner. Often, near the beginning of weekly or daily planner styles full calendar pages are included to help with long-term planning.
Perpetual calendar
A perpetual calendar is a section or insert in a planner that allows you to keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, or any other event that happens on the same date every year. If this sounds useful in keeping track of your life, check to see if a planner includes this feature.
Top Picks
Moleskine
The Moleskine planner is an instant classic. Size options include XS, pocket, slim, large and XL. These planners are available in any format you could imagine, including all of the most common that have been included in this guide as well as other more niche style. Features vary from planner to planner, but with Moleskine you'll always be getting a quality product available with bountiful formatting and styling options.
Paperblanks
Paperblanks planners are versatile and perfect for keeping track of your life on the go. These are available in any size you could want (micro, mini, midi, slim, maxi grande, ultra) and come in a variety of formats (daily, weekly horizontal, and weekly vertical). Available in both 12-month and 16-month formats, these planners are built to last and come in countless gorgeous and unique cover and binding styles. Paperblanks planners also feature small at-a-glance monthly calendars, pages for note-taking, a perpetual calendar, and various reference pages.
Erin Condren
The Erin Condren LifePlanner is the holy grail of planning. Erin Condren planners are available in vertical weekly, horizontal weekly, and hourly weekly formats and include at-a-glance calendars for each month as well as a perpetual calendar, pages for note-taking, space on every page for notes and lists, a large folder pocket, and a zipper pouch for pens and other planning tools. Every planner comes with a customizable cover and options for color scheme and binding. You can get an Erin Condren planner in both 12-month and 16-month formats.
Armed with all of this information, you're now ready to tackle planning in the new year. Find the planner that works best for you and start taking charge of all of your New Years' Resolutions!
