CLICK HERE FOR THE 2018 PLANNER ROUND UP!
It’s over halfway through November and I haven’t decided on a 2017 planner yet, which is giving me super anxiety. Half of me wants to go digital to streamline things and for shareability (I’m currently trying to man a physical planner and Google Calendar and that’s definitely not working out well). But then the other half of me cannot get enough of the satisfaction that comes with physically crossing something off my to-do list or accessorizing with every Post-It Note option ever.
I decided to check in with some of my favorite creative entrepreneurs to see how they’re organizing their chaos. Here are their planners they trust to making life a little easier:
1.) The Desire Map Planner ($44.00)
Recommended by Rebecca Nash-Emerson, Creative Director at Rebecca Nash Photography.
I am absolute in LOVE with Danielle Laporte’s Desire Map Planner (available in a weekly or daily option). I have tried so many planners, some ok and some amazing, but they have kept me focused on my to do’s, my $, and my busy schedule. The Desire Map Planner still has a place for those things – they are important after all – but it is helping me to stay focused on my core desired feelings. How do I want to feel? Is what I am doing getting me closer to that? Those are the new questions that are guiding my life and my business decisions. It’s made me so much more open to different opportunities.
2.) The Day Designer ($59.00)
Recommended by Christina Ochoa, Founder+ Digital Strategist of The Social Butterfly Gal.
When it comes to having a planner for your business, my go-to is The Day Designer. I’ve been using the Day Designer since launch day of my biz and let me tell you- it’s amazing. I’m a very Type-A, organized person and what I love about The Day Designer is it has sections for time blocking, a daily to-do list, what you will have for dinner, what is due etc. It even has a daily gratitude section in each page. The way I like to use mine is by color coding my days. Ex client sessions are green. Events are red and meetings are blue. By doing this, I feel so at ease with the flow of my days. I wouldn’t know where I would be without my Day Designer and I 100% recommend it to anyone who’s a creative entrepreneur!
3.) The Large Flexi Planner by Orange Circle Studio ($17.99)
Recommended by Allie Nimmons, Creative Entrepreneur behind Allie Nimmons Creative Web Design.
Nothing is too small to add to my Orange Circle Studio Flexi Planner. Not only do I add deadlines and tasks for large projects, but reminders to follow up on an invoice, reminders to post a behind-the-scenes Instagram post, reminders to read a newsletter that came into my inbox. Before my planner, little things would pile up and pile up and keep getting pushed back until it became a problem. While I don’t prioritize them the same as large, paying tasks, making them real in my mind by making them real in my planner has made my business richer and has made it look like I have a whole team working for me. Each page is a full week. Seeing that I have things to do, knowing that I am busy encourages me to work hard. And yet because I don’t include too much detail, even a full day of work doesn’t seem daunting.
4.) The Productivity Planner ($24.95)
Recommended by Louise Henry, Founder at Solopreneur Sidekick.
My favourite planner is definitely The Productivity Planner. It has completely changed the way I work and increased my productivity 10x. I love it because it forces me to prioritize my most important task for the day, keep on track (using the Pomodoro technique) and analyze at the end of each day if I was productive. Having one journal to track progress has been really helpful (vs. having it mixed in with all my other notes) and I love being able to look back and see clearly what I’ve accomplished.
5.) The Ashley Shelly Planner ($49.95)
Recommended by Ashley Shelly herself!
I created the Ashley Shelly Planner because, as a business owner, I needed a durable planner that had plenty of storage pockets, equal space for all days of the week including Saturday and Sunday, an open time slot area where I could write in my own times (not pre-printed), and notes pages included each month. Paper quality is huge for me, so thick inside pages were a must! The perforated corners at the bottom of each page can be torn off to create a built-in bookmark. I also couldn’t create a planner without a spread (the Creative Spread) for getting inspired each month. To me, planning life is a mixture of scheduling and prioritizing our mental health. What’s a plan worth if you’re not also enjoying the plan?!”
6.) Plum Paper Designs ($32.00)
Recommended by Delana Simmons, Owner/Virtual Assistant at Dreaming Dragonfly.
I LOVE my planner from Plum Paper. They have tons of cute cover designs that can be customized with your name. But my favorite part was being able to choose a vertical weekly planner layout that has the days broken down by morning, afternoon and evening. You can also add additional sections for blog planning, fitness planning, meal planning – all kinds of options! Its definitely been a lifesaver for scheduling everything from morning coffee to a workout and dinner!
7.) Create your Colorful 2017 ($20.00 – Printable)
Created by Petra Monaco – dreamer, hippie gypsy soul spirit, author, entrepreneur, mother, confidence builder + action taker, coach and mentor to women.
I have purchased many planner’s over the years but none had exactly what I needed in order to help me grow my business. I am a firm believe in we know best what we need and decided to create my own. It allows me to review what has worked and create a monthly focus on what I want to work on. I also needed to track my expenses and my business metrics such as social media as well as brainstorming pages for all of those new ideas that are coming in. And the best part is that I can color to mesh with my quirky personality.
8.) Passion Planner ($34.99)
Recommended by Audrey Shore, Brand Design Specialist at Misty Mountain Design
As a busy solo-preneur, I need planner with a month overview, appointment organization, and both personal and business to-do lists so that I can manage my brand design projects at multiple levels, which my Passion Planner provides all in one beautiful package. In addition to the more mundane lists and schedules, it includes passion road maps that help you map out your goals and set a process to get there (I have achieved more in 6 monthswith a passion planner than I did in the entire prior year, it’s amazing how many big goals I have been able to check off!). On top of that, it includes inspirational quotes, weekly focuses, and a spot to journal and write down the good things that have happened. The Passion Planner gives me space to organize my business, and focus on my personal life through space for personal appointments, personal to-do list, journaling, and personal self improvement challenges. Not only has my passion planner helped me organize my life, and given me a sense of order, it has helped me manifest so much positivity and meet several major life goals by writing them down and setting a process to bring them to fruition!
9) Mental Health To Do Planner ($8.31 – Printable)
Created by Amy Jones, Owner and Designer of The Happy Life Balance.
I started Mental Health To Do Printable Planners for the main purpose of helping people to improve their mental wellness. This topic is very near and dear to me as I have suffered with anxiety over the last few years due to both work and personal stresses. When my anxiety got really bad I found a lot of comfort and control in planning ahead in all aspects of my life but I couldn’t find a planner that incorporated general every day things with specific things to so with mental health. I wanted to be able to schedule my day as well as keep track of my mood, my sleep pattern, and plan in key things like mindfulness and me time. Its with that and my love of design that I decided to create my own.
10.) The Happy Planner ($29.99)
Recommended by Premium Content and Social Media Strategist Chrissie Wywrot of Chrissie Wywrot, Inc.
I love The Happy Planner — it has stickers. Also, because it divides the days into time periods of the day — morning/afternoon/evening instead of time blocks. I was specifically looking for that when I found it! Also, stickers.
We’ve also heard great things about:
- Kate Spade 2017 Agenda ($40.00) – Because, well, gold foil.
- Rifle Paper Co Agenda ($30.00) – It’s got inspirational quotes and sections for celebrations.
- PowerSheets Intentional Goal Setting Planner ($55.00) – Not a traditional planner, but definitely a must have for conquering goals in 2017.
- The Happiness Planner ($30.00) – For embracing the power of positive thinking, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-
development.
What planner are you going with for 2017? Tell me why you love it below so I can make a decision!
