How to Choose the Perfect Planner For You!

The Intentional Mom Planning System is where you need to start with our incredible collection of product options. It will help you establish the basics for your life & home so you’ll finally have a plan, save yourself time, and go to bed feeling like you accomplished something every day (because you did). Save up to 60% HERE!

I will admit that I was reluctant to become a planner girl for years. It wasn’t because I’m not a planner since I love planning out every last detail of my life (maybe to a fault?), but it was because the idea was just too overwhelming.

How do I choose?

What do I look for?

What if I choose wrong and hate it?

They are SO expensive!

Because I am someone who loves to plan and always likes to be prepared with whatever I might need whenever I might need it, I was convinced that I really could become a planner person. And, that is when I discovered that it really is all about having the right planner first and foremost.

If you struggle with this, keep reading because I went through the looooong process of discovering how to choose the right one, partly because I did choose the wrong one more than one.

Here is what I think you need to figure out in order to find the perfect planner for you.

(this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you)

What size do you want to carry around?

Do you want something that is totally portable to throw in a smallish type purse, or is something bigger going to be better since it will be more difficult to misplace? Think about your purses and bags, how will you be carrying it around? Keep this in mind when choosing a planner. I generally have bigger purses and bags, and I can easily misplace things in a house with as many people as I have living here, so I determined that something bigger is more my style.

What size do you like to write?

Do you like to write small with minimal room for doodling and that sort of thing, or, are you someone you likes to write larger?  Again, I like to write bigger, well that and I’m blind, so for me something bigger is also a better option rather than something that is more of the fit in your purse variety.

Do you like having blank space for notes?

Again, if you are using a smaller purse type planner, your extra space for random notes and thoughts will be more limited. I like having blank space, so if this is you too then you might prefer something bigger as I do.

What information do you want your planner to contain?

Do you want it to be little more than a calendar with maybe some weekly or daily areas as well? Do you want only the basics? If so, you can look for a more basic planner. I happen to like my planner to have all the information that is important to me in it. I am big on goals and breaking down goals and plans into smaller pieces, which I prefer a planner to have included. I also love having additional important information like budgets, family information, and maybe some other important information like names and numbers because I am an old fashioned girl and prefer pen and paper for that sort of thing.

How heavy or lightweight do you want the pages to be?

Do you like having thicker pages or thin? What kind of pens do you want to use, sometimes page material comes into play when you are thinking about what type of material you want for the pages in your planner.

Do you want the pages to be matte or glossy?

This may seem trivial, but it really can make or break whether you actually use a planner that you purchase. If glossy things really bother you, for instance, make sure that the pages of your planner don’t have a glossy finish.

What type of cover do you want?

Do you want it to be like a hard cover book or more flexible like a paperback? What is your preference and what will work best in the bag or purse that you plan on carrying it in? Both parts of this question need to be examined.

How durable do you need it to be?

If you are the only one who will be touching it, you might not need to worry about this, but with a small army at home, everything I own needs to be durable – including my planner to a great extent.

Get something that is pretty

Make sure that the planner you use is pretty to you is so important. If it is pretty, you are more likely to use it.

Get something that you love, regardless of the cost

I am cheap frugal, so I cannot believe that these words are coming out of my mouth, but I can say from experience that if you don’t love it, you won’t use it. And, if you find something you love but buy something that will do because it costs less, you won’t ever stop thinking about the other one..and you’ll end up buying that one eventually. In this way, buying the one you want in the first place really is the most frugal option. Again, just trust me because I never say this in any other case, but your planner is the heartbeat of who you are. Your planner is the hub of your existence.

Quite frankly, your planner matters. It’s as simple as that.

Once you have answered these questions you are ready to move forward with choosing the best planner to fit these needs. But, take your time, don’t rush.

And now, let me show you my planner, aka, my brain. I LOVE it!!!

This is the latest Living Well Planner from Ruth Soukup.

She came out with her first planner last year, and I fell in love with her planners back then. This year’s planner is even better.

It meets all my needs as I outlined above, and did I mention that it’s pretty?!

The size is perfect, and I do prefer something that is larger with more heavyweight pages. I prefer something that has everything I might need in it, and it also has plenty of blank space to fill in extras.

I think the thing I love best about Ruth’s planner is that it walks you through actionable steps in not only setting goals, but actually accomplishing them. This really is what takes this new version over the top, and I’ve yet to see any planner with such a thing.

I also love that there is a place to track your reflections of greatness and grace. This is such an important focus to keep in the forefront – especially on the really hard days!

Take a look around at this amazing planner by clicking on the graphic below.

Choosing the right planner really is serious business. As someone who never used planners but took finding the right one seriously, follow these steps to make the right choice for you!