Best 2021 Planners, From a Planner Addict

I’m a planner. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Give me a goal, some paper, and a calendar and you’ll find yourself a happy gal. Planning things out gives me peace. It offers a false sense of control, of trust that if you merely take your checklist and move down it methodically, checking off each task as it happens, you will accomplish your goals and live a fulfilling life.

There’s a psychology to it that I cannot deny. I know that it’s up to me and any team members to make things happen, but I still don’t feel like tasks are real unless they are in front of me in black and white, usually encased in a grid of some sort. Moving to Beijing increased that need tenfold, as I require somewhere I can track where I’ve been, the fastest subway stop exit to get there, expenses in two different currencies, four family members’ schedules plus an ayi, and multiple blogs and tasks for beijingkids every week.

With all of this emotional baggage attached, you can imagine the choice of a planner is no small feat. So although I now very comfortably use a bullet journal, trust me when I say I’ve tried nearly every planner marketed to me on both sides of the world. In case you are now a few weeks into your new year and realizing you need more than your typical DayPlanner, (which I’ve also tried many times), then peruse my micro-reviews and find one you want to try!

Bullet Journal

Affectionately called BuJo by those in the know (or who want to feel cool), this is almost a make-you-own-planner template. The system was created by Ryder Carroll, a Brooklyn, New York product designer who discovered he needed a more methodical way to organize himself. It was not just about tracking the what but also the why of each task. In this way, he encourages people to live a more intentional life.

First, off, dispense yourself of the myth that if you use a Bullet Journal, you must be a calligrapher or artist. Although you’ll see the most extravagantly themed and drawn journals, I dropped all those expectations and just use one or two colors plus a highlighter.

The main reason why this is my favorite and more current method is that I can adjust my pages based on the kind of day/week/month I am going to have. When I went on vacation, I didn’t even map out the days; I just used that space to write, draw, and collect memories. Additionally, I don’t need to fit my plans into someone else’s template. If I need more space for plotting out a certain milestone I want to hit, I just take it.

Mother’s Journal for Inner Peace

Author and publisher Arielle Haughee knows I love planners and asked me to look at the advanced copy she has specifically for mothers. I’m pretty skeptical of anything marketed to mothers; I don’t need a planner full of grocery lists and recipes and playdates and clothes sizes. This one’s different, though. The minute I opened Haughee’s creation, I started answering all of the questions. The very first page asks who you are (besides a Mom), which is a great way to start. She also gives space for you to say which days and times you will take a moment to fill out her journal, a lovely step that made me consider just how much time I spend on my planner every week.

There are Mommy Mantras and places to write down your stressors for the upcoming week as well as when you’ll take breaks. She also adds her own encouragements along the way, one of the first I’ve found that doesn’t sound condescending.

Passion Planner

Here is where my love of planners turned to obsession. Four years ago, when I started working full time from home while acting as primary caretaker to two children, I was desperate for a way to organize my work and my time so that I didn’t have to force myself to stay awake until 2am to meet deadlines.

Before you begin with any kind of calendar, you break your goals into tasks and time chunks. Each day, you write the “Gamechanger” for that 24 hours; if you do nothing else that day, you will accomplish this task or meet this goal. There are also spots for “Good things that happened” or “Grateful for” today, depending on which planner you receive. My absolute favorite part of this planner is the variety. I used the weekly layouts until schedules got too complicated, both the compact and full-sized versions. Last spring and summer, when nearly every day required all of my strength to move through with grace, I changed to the daily planner. Every day has its own page, and it allowed me to focus on what to do that would enrich my and my family’s life. Whether it was meal planning, work, e-learning, taking a walk, or calling a friend – each day was still a gift and I needed the full page to appreciate it.

Woonscious Planners

Woonscious stands for Women Moon Conscious and was created by Catalina Del Castillo in Shanghai. She’s working towards biodegradable planners by 2022 with pineapple peels for covers, and 100% recycled paper and ring binders. Del Castillo combines planning and doodle books with an understanding of menstrual cycles for both productivity and mental balance. Her website says it can help women in three specific ways:

1. Understand your mental and emotional state of mind.

2. Understand how your physical and mental body can be connected to the moon.

3. Manage time and networks mindfully.

I should say that I am not a very “lunar” kind of person, so I approached her planner with some trepidation. Nevertheless, I used the examples on her website for a few days last week, and it fit quite nicely into what I need for the organizational part of my life while allowing space for reflection and connecting what I eat with my mental and physical well being. The planners come in half-year books, which might be enough time to really see how our bodies and minds are connected. And, bonus – you’re supporting an entrepreneur in China!

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