Find Your Perfect Planner

Find Your Perfect Planner - I'm Not the Nanny

I’m forever searching for the perfect calendar to hang in my office. Trying to find my perfect planner is like searching for a new pair of jeans. I try out countless pairs and finally settle on the one that fits the best. Until my body changes (damn you holiday steak!) and the search continues. Today I’m rounding up a few of my favorites or those that friends have recommended so you can find your perfect planner for 2014. (Some links are affiliate links.)

I still love writing in my paper calendars.

momAgenda desktop planners

Many of my mom friends swear by momAgenda day planners. No, you don’t have to be a mom to see how the planners can keep you incredibly organized.  Not only do the calendars have stylish covers, the weekly pages have different rows so you can track of all your projects, each kids’ activities, or even meal plan. momAgenda currently has their most popular products on sale at 30% off plus free shipping!

Franklin Covey Customizable Planner

Back in my Passion Parties Consultant days I loved my Franklin Covey planner. I know the name conjures images of stuffy business suits, but Franklin Covey offers a truly customizable planner. You can choose the format of pages that work for you in four different sizes. There’s extras like note paper and goal setting pages that you can add to your ringbound planner.  If you’re a fan of  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  book there’s even 7 Habits planner pages for you.

Amazing Year Workbook pages

You already know that I’m a big fan of  2014 Create Your Amazing Year Life and Biz workbooks by Leonie Dawson. The workbooks also come with a 2014 calendar that is designed to help you achieve the goals you set in your workbooks. Read my full review of the Create Your Amazing Year workbooks and calendar here.

Moleskine Weekly Planner

If you like more of a classic look when it comes to your planner, try the Moleskine Weekly Notebook Diary/Planner. My sister carried a pocket one around one year and I really like how compact and portable the small size is. If you need more room to write, like me, you’ll want to opt for the larger size. If you want to show off your inner geek, there’s even a limited edition Star Wars embossed weekly planner. I love the Moleskine line of notebooks. I use Moleskine Classic Sketch Book and Moleskine Watercolor Notebook to draw and paint in. I have a drawer full of filled sketchbooks.

Erin Condren Striped Planner

I’ve been using my Erin Condren planner from Tiny Prints since July of this year and it’s my favorite so far.  The beautiful colors make me smile whenever I look at it.  This is another calendar that offers a grid system so you can keep track of different projects, etc. I mostly use mine to keep track of my blogs and consulting projects.  I use the daily planner but there’s also a monthly one if that’s what works for you. Tiny Prints also gives you options to personalize your planner with a photograph. You can read my full review (with video) for more details about the Erin Condren planners.

Do It All Planner 2014

Before I switched to my Erin Condren planner, I used the more budget friendly Do It All Planner. It also offers a grid system along. I simply outgrew it. It has plenty of space to write in and is small enough to fit into a medium sized purse. There’s also a built in band to keep the book closed. The Do It All Planner comes in several different designs, including one just for moms.

It might be challenging to find the perfect planner, but remember this:

The perfect planner is the one you’ll actually use.  

I keep my on my desk and look at it every time before I start my work day/night/naptime session. First, decide what you want to use your planner for. That will help you figure out which one works for you.  I only use my paper planner for work. All of our family activities are in Google calendar. That’s what works for me.

Did you find your perfect planner yet? Please share!

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