Productivity is a lifetime pursuit for many, as they strive to maximize their day and achieve a higher rate of work output. This is equally true for businesses that aim to augment their employees’ efficiency and, consequently, their own profits.
Consequently, entire sectors and professions have arisen around the theme of productivity. Numerous coaches and instructors specialize in aiding individuals and corporations in improving their efficiency. Websites, books, and YouTube videos are all dedicated to this topic.
There are numerous tools available to assist individuals in improving their productivity, including time management apps, calendars, alarms and reminders, focus apps, and more.
One frequently used tool is the productivity planner. But what exactly is it, and how can it be beneficial?
If you’re interested in learning more about productivity planners and how they can help you streamline your life, this compilation of the best productivity planners of 2023 might be helpful.
A daily productivity planner is similar to a personal journal. However, instead of jotting down thoughts and recollections, productivity journals are primarily focused on helping you enhance your productivity.
Productivity planners can assist you in pursuing your objectives and completing your tasks. In addition to scheduling, they can also monitor a variety of factors, such as progress towards goals, achievements, moods, habits, health and fitness, and more. They can even be used to track your thoughts.
These planners are frequently multifunctional. They can serve as your planner, but they can also function as your calendar, organizer, note holder, and address book. They help you strategically complete your tasks while providing you with a reference record when necessary.
There are often various types of planners available for different purposes and audiences. Some companies produce planners for students, young adults, and even specific professions. There are also planners for specific use cases and situations, such as kitchen, meal prep, recipe planners, travel planners, and planners for health and fitness.
What Constitutes a Good Productivity Planner?
A good planner will provide you with the tools to organize your life. It doesn’t have to be the best time management planner – it could be a premade one that includes all the sections you need. Alternatively, it could be a blank notebook that allows you to create your own. You may not even want a paper planner at all! In that case, a productivity app on your computer, phone, or tablet might be a better fit for you.
The first thing to decide when shopping for the best productivity planner is whether you want a paper planner or a digital one. Once you’ve made that decision, the next step is to consider the factors below – although these criteria are more relevant to paper planners than digital ones.
The layout of your productivity planner should suit your preferred planning style, so it’s important to find the right layout. Consider whether you prefer a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, or undated planner. You can also look for planners that offer a combination – for example, some have both daily and weekly planning pages.
Size, weight, and portability are important considerations unless you plan to keep your planner on your desk. You’ll want a planner that’s just the right size – large enough to allow for adequate planning, but small and lightweight enough to be easily portable.
The durability, cover type, and style of your planner should meet your needs, especially if you plan to frequently carry your planner in your bag.
The binding style of a planner is largely a matter of personal preference, but it’s worth finding one that suits your needs. Hardbound books are typically more durable, while spiral-bound planners allow you to remove pages as needed.
The paper type may not matter to some people, but if you enjoy using fountain pens or inks that can bleed through, you’ll need to consider the quality of the paper. Some planners use better quality paper than others.
Choose a planner design that you find aesthetically pleasing. This isn’t always necessary, especially if functionality is more important to you than appearance, but it’s something to consider.
The ability to refill pages in some planners (such as binders) allows you to reuse the same cover for years. If this appeals to you, you might want to consider refillable options.
Finally, consider the type of features and pages a planner offers. Do you want a habit tracker, goals tracker, finance tracker, brain dump, idea log, or notes section? Or do you prefer a basic planner with only planning pages?
When selecting the best planner for productivity, your personal preferences and needs are key.
The Best Productivity Planners for 2023
Daily Planners
1. Hobonichi Techo – Best for Fountain Pen Users
The Japanese-made Hobonichi Techo, introduced in 2001 and released annually ever since, is a popular daily productivity planner. Despite its small size (4 x 6 inches), it is designed to be durable and compact, with a variety of features including moon phases, conversion tables, and recipes for Donburi rice bowls.
2. Stalogy 018 Editor’s Series – A Daily Planner with Excellent Paper
The Stalogy 018 Editor’s Series, also made in Japan, offers similar quality to the Hobonichi Techo but at a lower price. It’s an excellent option for anyone who wants a daily planner with premium paper.
3. The 5 Second Journal – Best for Beginners
Developed by bestselling author and popular TED speaker Mel Robbins, the 5 Second Journal uses a science-backed method to help you prioritize your day and increase productivity. It’s a great option for those new to planning and journaling, with its easy-to-follow system.
4. Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt – Best 90-Day Planner (and Daily Planner!)
Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner takes a unique approach to productivity. It uses a 90-day system, designed to help you stay focused on your most important goals.
Weekly Planners
1. JSTORY Large Weekly Planner – Best Distraction-Free Weekly Planner
For those who prefer to see an entire week at once, the JSTORY Large Weekly Planner offers a simple and clean layout. It’s an undated planner, which means you can start at any time of the year.
2. Moleskine 12 Month 2023 Weekly Planner – Best 12-Month Weekly Planner Overall
The Moleskine 2023 Weekly Planner offers a week-at-a-glance layout on the left page and a ruled page on the right for notes, making it ideal for both scheduling and note-taking.
Monthly Planners
1. AT-A-GLANCE Two-Year Monthly Planner – An Excellent Two-Year Planner for Those Who Want to Think Ahead
The AT-A-GLANCE Two-Year Monthly Planner is ideal for those who like to plan ahead. It’s a simple planner that features a two-page spread for each month, with plenty of room for notes.
2. Lemome 2023 Planner – Best No-Frills Hardcover Planner
The Lemome 2023 Planner is a straightforward, no-frills planner with a durable hardcover. It’s a great option for anyone who wants a simple and functional planner for the year ahead.
Extra: Top Electronic Efficiency Planners
If conventional paper planners aren’t really your style, it might be worth considering a digital planner instead. Here are some of the top digital efficiency planners you could try out.
Todoist
Free or Paid: It is a paid service, but they do offer a basic plan that’s free for life
Key Features:
- Todoist Karma and streaks motivate you to set a productivity target and uphold a daily productivity practice
- View your dashboard in today’s or upcoming views
- View your project dashboards in list or board (Kanban) view
- Use tags and labels for organization
- Access to integrations
- Comparatively affordable professional plans, and a decent free-for-life plan
- Set reminders and recurring tasks to simplify your planning process
Todoist is a compelling app that aids in cultivating a productivity practice via daily and weekly productivity targets and a feature called Todoist Karma. This feature enables you to earn points for completing tasks, which boosts your ranking. But apart from this handy feature, Todoist is an excellent tool in and of itself.
This app lets you view your dashboard in today’s or upcoming views. You can also directly access your project dashboards in either list or board view.
Don’t forget to check out our Perfect Notion Journal Template.
Trello
Free or Paid: This is a paid service, but they do offer a basic plan that’s free for life
Key Features:
- Uses boards, cards, and lists to help manage tasks and projects
- Many collaboration features, including the ability to assign multiple users to a task
- Create subtasks
- Set deadlines
- Activity log
- Premium users can access table and calendar views
- Access to integrations
Trello is an innovative productivity app that is suitable for individual users and teams of various sizes. It offers a generous free-for-life tier that may suffice for some, but advanced features like an improved table or calendar view are only available with a premium or business subscription. These enhanced views give Trello a more planner-like feel, so you may need to invest in the tool!
Trello allows you to use cards and Kanban boards to arrange your tasks and projects. You can also add due dates and collaborators if others are working on the same tasks. The app also offers integrations, allowing you to combine Trello with other productivity tools that you might already be using.
Commonly Asked Questions
What Is the Most Effective Planner?
There’s only one correct answer to this question — the most effective planner is the one that best meets your needs. When picking a planner, ensure it suits your schedule, possesses the features you require, and fits within your budget. If you can’t find the perfect match, a bullet journal might be worth trying.
Do Planners Boost Productivity?
Planning is crucial to navigating your day more effectively. Spending a small amount of time planning can save you a significant amount of time when it’s time to act.
A planner aids in prioritizing, analyzing, and executing tasks, increasing your productivity and helping you stay on schedule. To assist with task management, it may be beneficial to categorize your tasks as: overdue, urgent, important but not urgent, and nice to do.
A planning journal can help visually break down large tasks into smaller, manageable tasks. This visualization can also help you estimate more accurately how much time each task will take.
What Is a Good Planner?
A good 2023 planner blends all the features you need. It will provide the perfect balance between design, portability, durability, layout, paper quality, and budget.
What Makes a Good Planner?
The definition of a good planner varies among people, as everyone has different preferences and requirements. However, it might be wise to look for a planner that fits within your budget and meets your needs in terms of size, layout, durability, and portability.
What’s a Bullet Journal?
A bullet journal or BuJo, as they’re often called, is sometimes the best productivity journal. Much like a standard productivity planner, bullet journals are entirely created by you, making them fully customizable to your needs.
Bullet journal users often express their creativity through calligraphy, stickers, sketches, photos, and more.
Bullet journals are an advanced form of planner, arriving as a blank lined, unlined, dotted, or grid notebook. While you can use it like any other planner, it can be far more personal due to its customizability.
This type of productivity planner is excellent if you like to create your own, but it does require a significant amount of time.
What Is the Best Planner for ADHD?
What works for some people with ADHD might not work for others. However, digital planners like Todoist or Trello, which offer some flexibility while accommodating ADHD, could be considered. Alternatively, you might try paper planners like Clever Fox, JSTORY Large Weekly Planner, or even the Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt. Be prepared to experiment to find the planner style that works best for you — or just create your own bullet journal!
What Are the Best Productivity Planners for Entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs often have extremely busy and dynamic schedules. If your plans tend to change frequently, sometimes at the
last minute, you might want to consider a flexible planner that’s not dated or a digital planner that can easily be changed. The Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt, the BestSelf Co. Self Journal, and the Rocketbook Panda Planner could be beneficial.
Digital tools like Todoist, Trello, or Google Calendar could also be of great use. They’re flexible, adjustable, and they offer reminders, which could help an entrepreneur stay on top of their schedule.
What Is the Best Planner for Moms?
Moms usually have a lot to juggle. Balancing personal tasks, family chores, kids’ schedules, and often work commitments can be a handful. For mothers, planners that offer more than the average daily or weekly spread can be extremely helpful.
The Amy Knapp Family Organizer includes space for meal planning and grocery lists. The Clever Fox Planner includes space for setting goals and reflecting on progress. The Erin Condren LifePlanner is fully customizable and offers plenty of space for every part of a busy mom’s life. Digital planners can also be a great option for moms on the go.
What Is the Best Planner for College Students?
College students often have a diverse range of activities to keep track of, from classes and study sessions to extracurricular activities and social events. Therefore, a planner that can accommodate all these facets of a student’s life can be really beneficial.
The Panda Planner, for instance, includes daily, weekly, and monthly sections, and space for review and reflection, making it great for tracking academic progress. The Clever Fox Planner also offers similar features.
Digital planners like Google Calendar, Todoist, and Trello can also be very useful for students who prefer to keep track of their schedules digitally.
The key is to find a planner that offers the right balance between academic and personal life planning, along with the ability to set and track goals.