Which planner should I choose?

There are so many wonderful planners on the market that it can be difficult to choose the right one. It’s a good idea to know exactly what you want your planner to do for you.

• Do you want to organize all aspects of your life in one planner, or do you prefer separate planners for your business and home life?
• Do you like an hourly, vertical, or horizontal layout?
• Do you need a page for each day, or are weekly and monthly views fine for you?
• Do you want your planner to reside on your desk, or fit in your bag?

I spent a lot of time looking at different planners, and selected four. I know that sounds like a lot, but, really, I can explain.

The first planner I chose was a beautiful Happy Planner by Me and My Big Ideas. Since this is the year I have vowed to treat my YouTube and blog as a business, instead of a hobby, I needed a planner to keep things on track. The This is Your Year Happy Planner has plenty of room for tracking all of my business to-dos and goals. I purchased my planner at Michael’s during a 50% off sale, but you can also find this planner here on the MAMBI site.

Next, I selected a menu planner to help meet my number one health goal of consuming healthier foods. Yes, this has been one of my goals for many years, but a fun planner will help, right? My menu planner is one created by Carrie Elle, and can be found here on her website. My favorite was the Secret Garden cover, but there are several fun covers to choose from.

I have carried a Travelers Notebook as a wallet for a couple of years now, and it is my on-the-go planner. I keep a monthly calendar, and some important information with me at all times. This allows me to jot down appointments as they are scheduled to later transfer into my main planner. It also allows me to have information, such as clothing sizes, gift wish lists, and items I need to buy if I find them on sale, on hand at all times. I purchased mine through Amazon. As you can see it is undated, so you can start using this at any time throughout the year.

My fourth planner is my main planner, and I use it to organize all of the doctor’s appointments, dates I need to remember, goals, budgeting, bills to pay, and so much more. This year I’m using the Living Well Planner by Ruth Soukup. It is very colorful and pretty, yet functional at the same time. I think she has really thought of everything you could possibly need in a planner. I am struggling a little with the hourly layout, but I will make it work for me. There is only one design to choose from this year, you can find it here on the Living Well Planner site.

Putting it all together

Do use a paper planner to stay organized? If so, have you found your perfect planner(s)? Let me know what you will be using this year.

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