Does the planner matter? I am seeing a lot of posts online about people asking what planner they should get. Being someone who has tried a lot of planners I can tell you there are three main criteria:
- It should be a size you can carry around easily and write in with ease. If it is too big, which is where I found myself this year, it doesn’t get taken to meetings or out in the world and ends up being mostly unused. Unfortunately, an unused planner is like having no planner. If you write in larger handwriting (guilty) you might need bigger spaces, but still try to find a planner you wouldn’t mind bringing to a coffee shop or your next meeting.
- The inside layout should be how you view your time. If you need to see everything monthly, make sure it has that view. If you have lots of appointments and to-do items make sure that the space each day allows you to write it all down. There is nothing more frustrating to working in a planner that has only a daily or weekly view when you need the whole month (this goes the other way around, too).
- You can’t be afraid to write in it. I have had planners that I felt were too nice and I didn’t want to make a mistake or cross things out. Life is complicated and there are going to be things canceled, coffee spilled, and other shenanigans that happen. The planner can’t become too precious.
That’s it. So, what if you get a planner and you see that by February you aren’t really into it? Ditch it and try a new one. Really. Don’t force yourself to love something that isn’t working for you.
Here is a list of planners that I can consistently recommend:
- The Get To Work Book – this is the planner I am trying for 2016
- The Passion Planner – I had this in the large size this year and it was too big, but my daughter loved hers.
- Erin Condren’s Life Planner – I have never used this, but two women I highly respect swear by this planner.
- Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map Planner – If you are more spiritually minded or want a greater focus on your values this is a great planner to choose. I’ve used this and loved it.
- NEW ADDITION: These Spark Notebooks and Planners look REALLY good and they are the most economical of the bunch.
It isn’t about the planner. It is about creating goals and making them happen. The reason you choose to use a paper planner is because you are ready to craft the life and business that you want. You could use a $5 planner from Walgreens and get the same results. Really. It all comes down to you working your plan. Do you have that? Need help? Ask me how I can help drive you towards making that planner purchase worthwhile in your business and life.
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