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The Best Calendars, Planners & Personal Organizers

Last updated on February 1, 2022

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In a world of screens, the thought of a paper-based planner might seem as archaic as mailing your bills through the post office or sending messages using a typewriter. But there’s a reason paper planners remain popular, and their portability is only a small part of it. After all, you can get planners for that smartphone you always have with you. Writing down your goals on paper is more powerful than tapping them on a screen.

Research has confirmed this long-held thinking. People who write their goals down are more likely to achieve them than those who simply think about them. You’re even more likely to have success if you share those written goals with an accountability partner, like a trusted friend or spouse. But having a planner is a great start.

There are numerous types of planners, though, starting with the calendars and daily planners you probably think of first. Those are certainly more relevant than ever, with creative planning even becoming a crafting hobby. Consumers head to art supply shops to buy Washi tape and stickers to decorate planner pages for extra inspiration.

There’s more than one type of planner, though. There are the daily planners and calendars that people use to be productive. If you’re hoping to get your financial affairs in order, for instance, you can find planners specific to budgeting and spend tracking. You can also find planners geared toward organizing your household or planning your upcoming wedding.

But no planner will help you if you don’t use it. It’s important to make your planner work for you. There’s no right or wrong way to organize your life. If it keeps you on track and gets you excited about your planning sessions, that’s the best planner for you.

Our Picks For The Top Calendars, Planners & Personal Organizers

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Product Overview
Our Take
 Top Pick

TREES Weekly & Monthly Spiral Bound Academic Calendar Planner

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

TREES

Weekly & Monthly Spiral Bound Academic Calendar Planner

You’ll get 24 months of planning, covering both 2022 and 2023 in full. The thick paper lets you use your writing utensil of choice without worrying about it bleeding through. You’ll get a minicalendar of the previous and next month on each monthly calendar to help with planning. The PVC cover is both sturdy and lightweight, providing waterproof...

Overall Take

For Long-Term OutlookThis two-year calendar gives you the space you need to plan ahead.

 Runner Up

smart planner Budget Financial Planner Organizer & Calendar

smart planner

Budget Financial Planner Organizer & Calendar

This planner has everything you need to set a budget and monitor your progress. You’ll get a variety of trackers and budget planning sheets to motivate you and help you get organized. The planning calendars are undated to allow you to write the month and dates in as you go. It also includes an expandable inner back pocket for storing receipts thr...

Overall Take

For the Financially MindedIf your goal is to get your money in check, this budget organizer will help get you started.

 We Also Like

Action Day Weekly & Monthly Hardcover Diary Calendar

Action Day

Weekly & Monthly Hardcover Diary Calendar

With each day, you’ll get scheduling for each hour, ranging from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s also plenty of space for your to-do list and items to delegate, as well as an area for noting your goals and long-term projects to help keep you focused on what’s important. The planner includes 24 blank pages for taking notes throughout the year.

Overall Take

For the Busy ProfessionalYou’ll get everything you need on one layout with this daily planner, including a to-do list, a dated diary section and a place to list your goals.

 Strong Contender

Cassandra Aarssen Cluttered Mess To Organized Success Workbook

Cassandra Aarssen

Cluttered Mess To Organized Success Workbook

From a professional organizer, you’ll get tips for decluttering your surroundings, along with worksheets to organize your life. The book includes a binder for managing your household, as well as meal and travel planners, goal trackers and much more. The book has more than 100 checklists and worksheets and even more that you can download.

Overall Take

Sort Things OutDeclutter your home and life with this workbook that helps you get everything in order.

What to Look For

  • It’s important to look at how busy your schedule is. Some people can do with one page per day where they track their to-dos, notes and appointments. Some can condense a full week on one or two pages, with each day’s activities taking up a small section of each page. Still, others will need two full pages for each day to log all their appointments and task lists. By deciding what you need in advance, you’ll make sure you aren’t disappointed later.
  • Paper thickness is definitely a consideration. Although thinner paper keeps a planner lightweight, the ink can bleed through, particularly if you like to use heavier ink or highlighters. Make sure you aren’t sacrificing paper weight as you choose a planner that covers a long time span or promises a lightweight build.
  • The cover of your planner comes into play, as well. Some daily planners let you add your own cover, but if you’re using the cover it came with, make sure it actually protects the pages within by being durable and water-resistant.
  • Calendars and planners typically span the current year. However, academic calendars are available that are designed to cover the entire school year. This helps students heading back to school at the end of summer get a calendar that can kick off in August or September and run through the following May or June.
  • If you take your planner on the go with you, a pocket for storing slips of paper can come in handy. This is especially useful if you need to hold on to receipts for expense tracking purposes when traveling for work.
  • A planner can only help you apply the skills you already have. You might benefit from a book or course that helps with organization. These will often build in exercises that you can put to use as you plan your week, month and year.

More to Explore

Calendars date all the way back to the Bronze Age, when the Sumerians used calendars to track time. They created a calendar with 29 or 30 days designated to each month, basing the number of days on whether that month had a full moon. No matter how many days each month had, though, they always assigned 12 months to each year.

Nearly 600 years later, the Egyptians used the moon’s cycles and a star, Sirius, to create their own calendar. This 12-month calendar was similar to the Sumerian calendar, with one important exception. It had five additional days. But it wasn’t until 1582 that the modern calendar came into being. It was based on previous calendars, but astronomy, religion and politics were all part of developing the calendar, which was primarily created because Pope Gregory XIII wanted to celebrate Easter on the correct day.

More to explore