Thursday, January 10, 2013

What's in a planner?

Choosing a planner to keep your and/or your family's life in order can be overwhelming these days. A lot of people use electronic planners to keep their busy lives in order, and then there are people like me who just love the art of writing on a piece of paper. There are endless planners out there and range drastically in size, color, price and options.

Most of you have probably already purchased or created your 2013 planner, but if you haven't, or if yours isn't working for you now, you might want to consider a few things before purchasing your next one.

I found this checklist at www.myattentioncoach.com that can help you determine what your planner should include.

To use the checklist, place a check mark next to each characteristic you would like to have in a planner and indicate an A, B or C priority next to each characteristic you check.
A = planner must have this
B = would be nice for planner to have this
C = not so important to me

After you select which characteristics are important, take the list with you to the store or have it next to you while you search on-line. This will help narrow your search and end up with a planner that really works for you.

Planner Characteristic Checklist:
_____ Month-at-a-glance view
_____ Week-at-a-glance view
_____ The ability to see each day separate from all others
_____ Spiral bound so I don’t lose any pages and can have the entire year in one product
_____ Binder format so I can add and remove pages as needed
_____ Zippered binder so I don’t lose any pages
_____ Electronic with no need to print
_____ Electronic with the ability to print a To Do List
_____ Electronic with the ability to print an appointment schedule
_____ Paper so I can write in it when needed
_____ To Do List available for every day
_____ To Do List for the whole month
_____ To Do List for each week
_____ Room to plan for multiple roles (i.e. Employee, parent, spouse, business owner)
_____ Calendar and To Do List integrated into one planner
_____ Calendar and To Do List separate from each other
_____ Small size for easy portability
_____ Large size for ease of writing and room for more items
_____ Medium size as a compromise between small and large
_____ Time slots for meetings and appointments all day
_____ Specific time slots included in the Calendar section
_____ Pockets for other items such as cell phone or wallet
_____ Wall calendar format
_____ Portable format
_____ Attached strap so it can be carried like a purse or briefcase
_____ Price is no object
_____ Budget = $______

Add your own characteristics here: __________________________



Here is the one I ended up purchasing at Wal-mart and it was less than $10! It comes in different colors and sizes. I chose the Morocco pattern in pinks and yellows and the size is 8 1/2" x 11".
Planner
I love having the 2 page spread for the quick glance at my calendar.


Planner


Planner

The individual week pages give me plenty of space for "to do" and notes for the day.
Planner

Good luck making your selection and happy planning!

1 comment:

Kelly said...

I just purchased a planner from this site: http://www.erincondren.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=1156&products_id=3508 It's definitely pricier than the one you've listed here, but I'll be sure and let you know how it works out!