Choosing A Planner

Fall / Back to School time means it’s planner time. The most wonderful/stressful time of the year. Social media is full of planner choices for 2025 when we still have a quarter to go. Target and Barnes & Noble already have the calendars and planners on display. The Hobonichi line-up drop has you trying to convert time for when you can place an order to Japan. But if you’re unsure where to start, here’s a quick look at the most popular types of planners in our group.

12-Month Weekly Planner

This is your typical planner setup. Starts in January and ends in December. There’s a monthly calendar (Sunday or Monday start depending on who you buy) and then your weekly layout behind it. It’s a solid planner that should capture all of your needs. Typically these come in a horizontal format but more planners are starting to offer vertical layouts for the week.

18-Month Weekly Planner

These run July 2024 – December 2025 and are typically good for those who have academic needs but the layout is the same as the 12-month planner.

Undated Weekly Planner

You get 12 months of a planner but the 12 months used are up to you. These are perfect for when you are just not ready to select a planner for January or want to try a new (to you) brand. You can try it for a month and then put it down to pick back up at another time.

Weekly Planners

Here you get the 12 monthly (maybe a few more) calendars in the front and then a two-page layout with the week on one side and a note page on the other. These are good if you don’t plan your days in a time-blocking format or if you take a lot of notes through the week that you would like to keep in front of you.

Daily Planners

Daily planners are becoming more popular for people who want to do a little planning and a little journaling each day. Or if you are into time blocking. Typically the 12 monthly calendars are in the front and each day has its own page. Date up top and a schedule printed on the left side but the rest is up to you to fill. Memory keeping, task listing, doodling, or whatever else you need can fill up the day.

Spring Start

Some planners give you the option to start the year in April. Like the ancients used to do!

After you figure out what type of calendar you want, then comes the tricky part. Picking a brand. Most offer something in multiple formats and sizes. The popular brands in our group are:

• Hobonichi
• Leuchtturm1917
• Muji
• Sterling Ink
• Tul
• Stalogy
• Moleskine
• Inamio
• Journey Planners (Nisha Fernando Designs)

There are hundreds of options and most of us end up with multiple planners for multiple reasons. And then change it all again in February. Have you decided on a planner (or three) for 2025?