7 Things to Consider Before You Buy a New Planner

As much as I want to encourage you to be present this season, I'm not naive enough to believe you're not also thinking about 2024. I mean, I just finished mapping out my business plans for 2024 so I'm right there with you if you're making plans and setting goals.

And if you want to be organized about making progress and planning your time, you might be considering a new planner. Yay!

Something fresh and new, with templates and layouts to support you in keeping track of everything that's meaningful and a priority in your life.

But before you click that buy button, I have a few questions I want you to consider first.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “Do you have a planner recommendation?”. To which I reply, “Do I ever?!”.

But if you have a pile of unused or half-used planners like I do, you know too well that so often we rush to solve a problem without first truly understanding what the problem is. 

If you want a planner that can actually help you get organized and feel like you have it together, you need to understand how you’ll use it, where you’ll use it, what you’ll be tracking, and a host of other preferences that are so important.

While I can tell you that I'm currently using a bullet journal and am really loving it, I might not recommend it for you.

And that just depends on why you want a planner in the first place.

So whether you're in the market for a new planner or just want to use the planner you already have more effectively, here are 7 questions to consider before you click purchase and start using your new planner. 

Why do you want a planner?

It's ok if your answer is because they're pretty or 'I want to be the type of person who uses a planner'. Those aren't silly reasons. But wanting a planner because you think it will change your life... might be setting you up for disappointment. Because a planner is just a tool. How you use it and how consistently you use it, can dramatically change things. But only you have the power to change your life. Remember that. Own that. And then use your planner to support that.

What’s not working about your current system for time/task management?

Think about the types of things that fall through the cracks, the appointments you've double-booked, the deadlines you've missed. Why did those things happen? Where is your current process broken? Be extra clear on this question so that you can be sure you're getting a planner that will help you solve these problems.

When you have something important to remember - task, event, note - where do you store that information so you won’t forget?

Do you reach for your phone, a post-it, your calendar, or email? What's your natural tendency - paper or digital? I don't want you to implement something so drastically different from what you're used to that you struggle to make it successful. Maybe you end up with a hybrid model like me. I use my digital calendar for commitments, events, and deadlines and my paper planner to track task lists and decide how I'll use my time each day/week. Deciding in advance which tool will be the "system of record" for which types of items, makes it easy to follow-through and know where to look first.

Where do your to-dos items currently live?

Do you have a centralized place for to-dos? If not, that's the first problem you need to solve because not all planners have built-in to-do list management. If you don't have a consistent, centralized place, you're going to need to either create one or make sure whatever planner you get has space for that. If you don't know how to create a running to-do list, make sure you grab my Working Mom's Ultimate Guide to Getting It Done.

Are you "on the go" or somewhat stationary throughout your day?

This answer will help you determine the size and format of your planner. Someone who sits at a desk for most of the day can use a larger, heavier planner. If you're on the go, you may want something smaller that fits in your bag or even a digital option that you can access at any time.

How much control do you have over your day?

For example, are 7 of your 8 work hours accounted for because you see clients almost every hour? Are you a teacher or a nurse with very little “free” time during the day to work on tasks? If so, you might not need a planner with a daily, hourly schedule. A weekly overview would probably be just fine. But if you have an “information job” with chunks of time each day to actually do the work when not in meetings, you might benefit from a daily spread where you can put tasks into specific time blocks.

How committed are you to the success of your new planning system?

Whether or not a planner is successful is more about your consistency than it is about planner design. Recognizing that you could "plan" with just a piece of paper is important (and actually a great place to start!). A planner might make it easier, but ultimately, you're responsible for its success.

Now, you may feel the urge to skip these questions and just click 'Purchase' on that new planner anyway. I get it. When you're feeling overwhelmed, you just want to solve the problem.  

But what if you purchase a tool that adds to your overwhelm? What if your new planner doesn't actually help you solve the problem because you don't even know what the problem is? 

If you start with these questions, that won't happen.

The routines, systems, and MINDSET shifts that you create to support your new planning tool are where the magic really happens. 

Where you get to feel like you have plenty of time for the things that have to get done and then some - for your family, for you, or for those projects and passions you've been dreaming of getting back to.

If you want more of that in 2024, I'm going to be leading a small group through an experience all about time. How to plan your time, maximize your time, and to feel like you have Plenty of Time.

I'm still finalizing the details, but I can tell you it's going to feel like the coziest book club you've ever been a part of. Where you ease into a room full of brilliant minds and friendly faces, wearing comfy clothes (bras optional), glass of wine or mug of tea in hand, and you soak in the inspiring, thought-provoking, loving conversations happening around you and feel like maybe, just maybe, the world will be ok because this group is here, changing the way things have always been done.

Add your name to the waitlist to be the first to know when details are announced.