It’s hard for me to plan things and stay organized. I can’t sit and think a whole week worth of tasks, let alone a month. I have different roles and each role has their own set of to-dos. Storing them all up in the bunk of my head can be confusing. It’s so easy to forget when I don’t do them right away or when I don’t write them in a place I could see it again.
So even though I can’t for the life of me keep a planner before, I kept trying. I tried several kinds figuring out what suits me.
At first, it became overwhelming since I have different notes on different places. After trying different kinds, I realized what I really needed – a digital planner with built-in easy-to-organize features. At the end of this article, I’ll tell you what it was for me!
Let me share with you a list of the 10 most highly recommended planners (physical and digital) that you might find useful to keep track of work tasks, meetings, school events, doctor’s appointments, family gatherings, and the never-ending to-do list.
10 Most Highly Recommended Physical and Digital Planners
Physical Planners
While digital planners offer convenience and efficiency, some people still prefer physical planners for their tangible nature. Physical planners allow you to write down tasks and appointments in your own handwriting, which can be satisfying and help with memory retention.
They also offer a break from screens and can be a great way to disconnect and focus on the task at hand.
Additionally, physical planners typically don’t require a learning curve and can be used right away, whereas digital planners may take some time to get used to.
But actually, there’s been lots of suggestions (intended to be helpful) in the recent years on how to journal which could be something new to learn. Perhaps you’ve heard Bullet Journaling? I’ve tried that and it’s kinda revolutionary, for me. Here’s a book I read about it.
Anyway, here are amazing planners that have been highly recommended among working moms:
1. Erin Condren LifePlanner
The Erin Condren LifePlanner is a popular choice for busy moms (and anyone really), and for good reason. It’s customizable, with a range of covers and layouts to choose from, and it has plenty of space for scheduling your day-to-day tasks. It also includes sections for goal-setting, gratitude, and meal planning, making it a comprehensive tool for staying organized.
Price range: $55 – $75
They also offer other planners from $30 price perfect for teachers, homeschoolers, students, and brides & grooms.
2. Passion Planner
The Passion Planner is another great option as It includes space for setting goals and tracking progress, as well as weekly and monthly layouts for scheduling appointments and tasks. It also has a section for reflecting on the week and prioritizing tasks for the following week, which can be helpful for staying focused and productive.
It is a great tool for staying organized and productive. Its layout allows for reflection and goal-setting, which can help keep me focused on what’s important. The weekly and monthly layouts also make it easy to schedule appointments and track progress on tasks. It’s helping me stay on top of my to-do list and achieve my goals.
Price range: $20 – $40
3. Day Designer
The Day Designer is a daily planner that’s perfect for busy people who need to plan out their day hour-by-hour. It includes space for scheduling appointments and tasks, as well as a section for tracking daily expenses and a to-do list. It also has motivational quotes and prompts throughout, which can be helpful for staying positive and motivated.
Price range: $15 – $60
4. Panda Planner
The Panda Planner is a unique planner that incorporates elements of positive psychology to help you stay focused and productive. It includes space for setting daily, weekly, and monthly goals, as well as sections for reflection and gratitude.
Price range: $20 – $35
5. Clever Fox Planner
The Clever Fox Planner is designed to help you balance your personal and professional life. It includes space for setting goals, tracking habits, and scheduling appointments and tasks. It also has a section for tracking expenses and a pocket for storing important documents.
Price range: $25 – $35
Digital Planners
Although I enjoy writing things down and organizing them in a way that makes sense to me, I find digital planners more convenient and efficient to use. They offer linking and search features that isn’t possible with physical planners, allowing me to manage my time more effectively. Plus, they’re always accessible whether I have my laptop or just my phone with me.
Here are some great digital planners you can choose from:
6. Trello
Trello is a digital project management tool that can be used as a planner. It allows you to create boards for different projects or areas of your life, and then add cards with tasks and due dates. You can also assign tasks to different team members (like your partner or kids) and set reminders for upcoming deadlines.
Price range: Free – $17.50 per user per month (for business plan)
7. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a free online calendar that can be accessed from any device with internet access. It allows you to schedule appointments and tasks, set reminders, and share your calendar with others. You can also create multiple calendars for different areas of your life (like work and family) and color-code them for easy reference.
8. Asana
Asana is also project management tool that can be used as a planner. It allows you to create tasks, assign them to team members, and set due dates and priorities. You can also track progress, communicate with your team, and share files.
Price range: Free – $30.49 per user per month (for business plan)
9. Todoist
Todoist is a task management app that can be also used as a planner. It allows you to create tasks, set due dates and reminders, and organize tasks into projects or categories. You can also add notes and comments to tasks, and collaborate with others on shared tasks or projects.
Price range: Free – $36 per year (for premium plan)
10. Notion
And finally, my it in “THIS IS IT!” 👏 Notion is a productivity app that can be used as a planner, task manager, calendar, note-taking, record-keeping, organizer, and content generator with its in-app AI features. It’s a flexible tool that allows you to create notes, to-do lists, schedules, and databases all in one place. You can customize it to fit your needs, and it’s great for keeping track of both personal and professional tasks.
I personally like that you can create pages within pages and embed links, tables, images easily. It has lots of useful templates too and easy-to-navigate user interface. There’s more to say but I’ll leave it for a future post.
Try it for free and I think you’ll love it too, if you really give it a try. I used the free version for months and was happy with it and decided to upgrade (still for personal use) to their $10/month for their other lovely features. It’s very affordable for the value they offer!
Price range: Free – $25 per user per month (for enterprise plan)
Conclusion
Staying organized is essential for keeping your life in order. Whether you prefer a physical planner or the digital option, there are plenty of tools available to help you stay on top of your game. Consider trying out one of the options listed above to see which one works best for you and your busy lifestyle.
Read more: How to Manage Work and Homeschooling while Staying Productive
