I’d like to start off with the confession that I have tried most, if not all, of these daily planners. As someone with a terrible memory and an obsession with to-do lists, an intense planner is incredibly necessary to get me through each month, and pretty much each day.
While there are a million different types of planners out there, they pretty much do the same thing. Some qualities may be more important than others, depending on your degree of reliance on your planner and the kinds of things you want to use it for. There are planners with a monthly calendar, a weekly breakdown, and some with incredible designs and trendy stickers. If you’re looking for a little more organization, or some motivation to actually get ish done, one of these planners might be the right move for you.
1. The Classic Lilly Pulitzer
If this planner was a resort, it would be a five-star. It comes with everything you need (monthly calendar, weekly organizer with sufficient room for each day) in addition to things you never knew you needed (customized stickers, encouraging quotes, designs on each page).
While this planner might be a bit too preppy for some, the cheery designs and cute stickers made it hard not to write in this planner every day. With its hefty price tag and slightly overwhelming designs, it ended up not being the right planner for me, but being my first ever planner, it made me incredibly organized and I highly recommend it.
2. Kate Spade
If you’re looking for something a little bit trendier and a little less overwhelming, you’ve come to the right place. Kate Spade planners are about the same as Lilly Pulitzer ones, but without all the frills. The design is pretty basic, with a trendy cover and some plain pages, but everything is very high in quality. You’ll still get the same front folder, along with a monthly calendar before each month planned out by week.
Every month begins with an encouraging quote, like the suggestion to go out and pick some pumpkins in October. If you’re looking for something a bit more practical than the Lilly Pulitzer planner (and can do without the custom stickers), a Kate Spade planner is probably the right pick for you. Can you tell this is the one I use yet?
3. Anthropologie
While there are a few different designs at Anthropologie, most are pretty similar. They’re incredibly classy in the sense that they all look like hardcover novels, and aren’t covered in any crazy designs. The pages are thinner and simpler, so this is perfect for the person who is already pretty organized, but just needs a place to jot down some notes from time to time.
4. LifePlanner by Erin Condren
While I’ve unfortunately never gotten the opportunity to try this planner, it looks like it might be next on my list to buy. These are totally customized, so you get to build your own. While a monthly calendar in addition to a weekly layout works best for me, it might not work best for everyone. You get to pick your own layout, in addition to customizing your own cover (sometimes that’s the most important part) and you can even have your name printed on the front. I’m low-key obsessed.
5. Passion Planner
The Passion Planner is another customizable planner that I’m dying to try, and I’ve heard it’s one some people can’t live without. It encourages you to set goals and follow them through, so this is essentially the most perfect planner for some New Year’s resolutions (hint hint). It starts with a passion roadmap, then a weekly planner, a monthly layout, and a monthly reflection so you can reflect on those goals. If you’re looking to accomplish some short or long-term goals, this planner is definitely the pick for you.
While planners might not be everyone’s “thing,” I think they should be. They’re pretty much essential for college students, because it’s hard enough to remember all of the meetings, sporting events, and classwork with just our memories alone. Investing in a planner is life-changing, and you can decide for yourself whether you want a more goal-oriented one or one with lots of pretty patterns. Choose wisely, go forth, and get planning.