Congrats! You’ve made the decision to commit to getting organized once and for all. But with so many planner options on the market, how do you choose the perfect planner/organizer to fit your individual needs? After hours of research, I present to you my personal picks for the 10 best planners and organizers for 2021.
The Best Planners and Organizers for 2021
I’ve compiled a list of the ten best planners and organizers for 2021. These planners range in size from half to full size, with options for daily, weekly, and monthly planning spreads. A few of them are customizable so you can create the home management binder of your dreams! This list includes options for all budgets from free (see #9) on up.
Before we get started here’s a list of my absolute favorite planner supplies:
Value Pack of Planner Stickers
Washi Tape (Perfect for color-coding)
Planner Stencils (for people like me who can’t draw a straight line)
Now, onto the good stuff…
1| PLANNING SIMPLIFIED (85 home binder printables)
Product Description:
Need to get your life organized? I created this printable binder to help you do just that! Planning Simplified includes 85 printables including calendars, budgeting, lists, goals and lots more.
This is a digital printable PDF. No physical planner will be sent.
What’s Included:
- Calendars monthly October, November, December 2020
- Calendars daily, weekly, monthly, year at a glance 2021
- Goal Planning Printables
- Budgeting Printables
- Lists, Lists, and More Lists
- Health & Fitness Printables
- Home Printables-for a clean and organized home
- Meal Planning Printables
- Motivational Quotes
- AND so much more!
Sizes:
Full (8.5″ by 11.5″) black/white
Pros:
An affordable, customizable printable planner option. You’ll have access to the files right away…no need to wait for shipping. You decide exactly which planner printables to use as well as where to place them in your home management binder.
Cons:
If you don’t have access to a computer and printer, this product is not for you.
Reviews:
“I just purchased the Planning Simplified Planner…It’s gorgeous!” –Lynne
“The cleaning printables alone make this product a huge deal!” –Rebecca
Cost: $12.00 $24.00
2| THE LIVING WELL PLANNER
Product Description:
Organize your whole life, not just your schedule with this undated planner. The Living Well Planner will help you focus on your long-term goals while navigating the daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities of running your home. From budgeting to meal-planning, it is the sanity saver we’ve all been waiting for. Two styles available: floral and striped.
What’s Included:
- 230-page undated spiral-bound planner
- Sticker set
- Access to Crushing It Central (email newsletter)
- Crushing It Bootcamp (how to use your planner)
- Crushing It Community (Facebook group)
- Planner Pages include: long-term goals, year-at-a-glance, monthly and weekly calendar pages, monthly goal planning, project planning pages, detailed monthly budget (2-page spread), monthly expenses log, and thoughts & notes pages.
- (12) durable tabbed divider pages with quotes.
Sizes:
Pages measure 7.5″ by 9.5″. Cover measures 9″ by 10″.
Pros:
Undated monthly calendar spreads so you can start planning whenever you’d like. Weekly (Monday start) calendar pages with time blocks and to do list. Room to include meal plans on weekly pages. Durable and pretty. Helps you focus on your goals and productivity. The front cover contains a pocket to store stickers and loose papers. The free bonuses which come with this planner are invaluable tools for newbie and veteran planners alike.
Cons:
Aside from the two cover choices, and the undated monthly calendars, this planner is not customizable.
Reviews:
“The Living Well Planner® provided me with the opportunity to actually make and keep my goals, for the first time EVER! I also love that it has meal planning, budgeting, and so many other sections all in one book. With 4 kids, hubbs, and a dog, life is crazy, but my planner is my little sanity-check each day.”— Nichole
“For the last few years, I have been searching for one that will hold up to all of my needs professionally, personally and financially. Well, ladies, this is it! This planner is WELL worth the price. There is a place for everything, including the daily to do’s. It is definitely worth the price due to what you get.”— Taylor
Cost: Living Well Planner $49
3| THE SWEET LIFE PLANNER & SWEET LIFE SOCIETY
Product Description:
The Sweet Life Planner uses a flexible disc-binding system, which allows you change your planning system from day to day or week to week or even month to month based on your personal goals, needs, or season of life! You can customize your planning system to meet your needs and ultimately reach your goals.
The Sweet Life Planner Printables Club is a subscription-based service that gives you unlimited access to more than 15 videos and 100’s of printables which you can use to customize your planner, organize your appointments, master your to-do lists, and plan the coming days, weeks & months.
What’s Included (the planner):
- Beautiful, leather texture covers (in two color choices)
- Daily edition has over 480 full-color pages – don’t worry, they don’t make your planner bulky since you won’t put them all in at once.
- Daily edition has 12 different daily page designs each with different artwork
- Includes a zipper pouch to hold extras
- Includes 2 sheets of sticker pages!
- Every planner includes a quick start video guide to help you get started using it right away
- Includes beautiful, pink and white striped keepsake box
What’s Included (the printables club):
Hundreds of printables in a variety of styles and sizes to suit all of your planning needs. Including (but not limited to):
- Budget Planning printables
- Daily, Weekly, Monthly planning printables
- Habit Trackers
- Meal Planning Pages
- Grocery Lists
- To-Do Lists
- Goal Planning Printables
- Free Video Trainings (currently 15 available)
- Cleaning & Organizing Printables
- Access to the Private Sweet Life Planners Facebook Group
- And so much more!
Sizes:
Pros:
Purchase a Sweet Life Disc Bound Planner as well a membership to the Sweet Life Society and use it over and over again. No need to purchase a new planner each and every year.
Cons:
If you don’t have access to a printer or computer, then the Printables Club won’t benefit you. However, you can still purchase pre-made kits which you can use to customize your planner in the I Heart Planners Shop.
Reviews:
“I’m obsessed with this concept of being able to move pages around to make it customized to how you like it. And having blank pages to print on/write on/put anywhere is just dang cool!”–Tara
“I think everyone could benefit from joining the club. I’m retired and hesitated about the ongoing cost because my budget is very lean. Then, I realized that I would get more than just printables. I have found a peacefulness that I never had before. I can find things and I feel like it has been very helpful to my overall wellbeing. No longer do I become so upset because I can’t find something or I missed a deadline because I forgot to do something.” – Lois
Cost: Disc-Bound Sweet Life Planner $27,50 | Sweet Life Society– $29 per month or $297 for annual membership
The Best Planners and Organizers for 2021
4| ERIN CONDREN COILED LIFE PLANNER
Product Description:
Plan your day, your way! The 2021 LifePlanner™ is the ultimate weekly planning system to get organized, achieve your goals and preserve memories in one stylish space. Choose between three layouts, two color schemes and over 100 cover designs to find the best fit for your schedule!
What’s Included:
- Vellum overlay sheet
- One designer cover page
- Opening quote spread
- 2020/2021 “mini-month” spread
- Goal setting spread
- Weekly spreads for each week of the month
- Notes section (lines, dots, coloring book pages)
- Contacts sheet
- 4 sheets of coiled-in stickers with metallic accents
- Two-Page 2021 mini-month overview
- Ending quote page
- “keep it together” folder
- “plan for it” pouch with goodies
Sizes:
7 ” by 9″
Pros:
A huge variety of stickers and accessories available to purchase. A plethora of customizable cover designs to choose from. Well designed, durable planner.
Cons:
The pages of the planner are not customizable or able to be moved around in the planner.
Reviews:
“This is my sixth year in a row to have a LifePlanner, and each one has kept me organized, efficient, on task & ready to conquer the world as a busy mama.”–Shay
“Being a full-time teacher and mom, life gets crazy. If it doesn’t get written down in my life planner, it often doesn’t get done! It truly keeps me sane!”–Krista
Cost: Starting at $55
5| THE HAPPY PLANNER BOX KIT
Product Description:
If you’re looking for an all-in-one planner, the Happy Planner Box Kit is for you! The Happy Planner is a disc-bound planning system that allows you to be creative AND organized at the same time!
What’s Included:
- (1) 12-month undated Classic Happy Planner
- (4) sheets of stickers
- (4) sticky notepads
- (2) magnetic bookmarks
Sizes:
7.75″ by 9.75″ (cover), 7″ by 9.25″ (pages). *Multiple planner sizes available
Pros:
The Happy Planner is an affordable, and customizable system. You can choose to go with a basic day planner or add any of their expansion packs to suit your needs.
Cons:
With so many fun and creative options, you may wind up spending all of your time creating pretty pages instead of focusing on getting organized!
Reviews:
“The colors of this planner are really vivid and radiant, I love how it all works together to create a unique planner. Especially the combination of soft muted watercolors and radiant, deep, bright hues. The kit also has many spectacular extras. One of the best.”-Trisha
” This planner is great and allows me to track my fitness and diet goals… the stickers are also very cute. You can start whenever you want because of the 12 blank months. The ability to buy fillers to easily add to the rings definitely saves me money!”- Debby
6| EMILY LEY SIMPLIFIED PLANNER
Product Description:
(From emilyley.com) The Signature Simplified Planner is a beautiful, joyful agenda for busy women in all seasons of life. Designed minimally on purpose, its open pages serve as a fresh start every day. We believe margin matters, and our mission is to inspire women to organize, simplify, and carve white space for the good stuff of life.
What’s Included:
- Emily Ley Simplified Planner (full-size) soft-cover that features a colorful striped design in shades blue, green, pink and yellow
- Planner covers a 12-month date range from January – December
- One week per two-page spread has ruled planning space Monday – Sunday plus circles to check off tasks when complete
- One month per two-page spread has unruled daily blocks and a lined section for listing to-do’s
- Each month includes a “simplified tip” for various ideas on how to further organize your schedule
- Months are tabbed to quickly flip to any date the tab color alternates each month
- Planner features white paper with each day of the week in a colorful block
- Wirebound in gold with durable poly covers. Interior front and back cover feature a gold foil dot design. 8-1/2″ x 11″ page size.
Sizes:
Multiple planner sizes available. Planner shown is 8-1/2″ X 11″.
Pros:
If you’re easily overwhelmed and are looking for a basic planner to help you organize your days, the Simplified Planner is for you. Plenty of space for lists and planning, no fluff. Soft-cover versions (available on Amazon) are budget-friendly.
Cons:
Not suited to be used as a home management binder. Interior is not customizable. The cover of the planner shown is flexible, although hardcover versions are available at: www.emilyley.com.
Reviews:
“I have searched for the perfect planner for a really long time. The Simplified Planner has a nice colorful and clean cover, is spiral bound so it stays flat when opened. I think I’m going to need and use it a lot!” – Heather
“This is the best planner ever – with a simple but complete format it’s exactly what I need, very lovely.”-Anna
7| PANDA PLANNER
Product Description:
A daily planner, calendar, and gratitude journal to increase productivity, time management, and happiness.
What’s Included:
- Daily section (3-months)
- Weekly section (3-months)
- Monthly section (6-months)
- Ebook-How to Crush Your Goals
- Ebook-A Billionaire’s Guide to Productivity
- Ebook-How to Cure Procrastination
- Ebook-The Keys to a Happy and Productive Life
- Ebook-How to Get Your sh** Together in Under 60 Minutes
- Ebook-How to Get Back on Track When You Fall Off Course
- Video course on productivity
- Access to Panda Planner community
Sizes:
5″ by 8.25″
Pros:
Hardcover, compact, thin, and easy to transport. More features to help you focus on your goals and stay positive. Includes free ebooks, a video course on productivity, and access to the Panda Planner Community.
Cons:
This planner only covers 3 months of planning, unlike the typical yearly planner.
Reviews:
“This minimal planner helps me to set monthly, weekly, and daily priorities and goals.”-INC
“I love planners, but even though I buy them I never seem to fill them out every day. But not this planner! I started filling it out on the first day and now I feel more productive than two months ago. I’ve laid out my goals and now I’ve seem to have accomplished many of them.”- Maria
8| PASSION PLANNER
Product Description:
More than just a planner – This tool will help you define and break down your short and long-term goals and incorporate them into your daily life. Create the life you’ve always wanted! Start chasing your passions and achieving your dreams today.
What’s Included:
- Faux-leather cover, hand-bound
- Ribbon marker
- Reinforced elastic band to keep it all together
- Passion RoadMap
- 1 Year Monthly and Weekly layouts (Weeks start on Mondays and end on Sundays)
- Annual and monthly overview calendars (Dated planners run January 2021 – December 2021)
- Monthly reflection questions to keep you accountable and focused on your progress
- 20 additional blank pages
- 20 additional dotted grid pages
- Fabric accordion pocket (back of planner)
- Free downloadable PDF printables to help you stay organized (via Passion Planner website)
Sizes:
5.8″ by 8.3″
Pros:
For every planner purchased, the Passion Planner organization donates one. Plenty of space for doodles and creativity. Available in 5 colors.
Cons:
In order to keep this planner compact, there are no daily planning pages (only weekly). Lines may be too close together for people with larger handwriting. Bound system, not customizable.
Reviews:
“I typically doný use planners, perhaps just for a week or two. I am always late, I’m disorganized, and I seem to forget about my appointments… until I got this Passion Planner. I think it’s an amazing planner in so many ways. But most of all, it’s durable. I have spilled on it, accidentally slept on it, used it as a saucer for my teacup, and dropped it. But it still looks fabulous.”-Melissa
“I’ve been using this Passion Planner for three years now, it’s the only planner I’ve used for such a long time. Previously, I would use a planner for only a short period of time. But this Passion Planner is also a motivator, reminder, diary, journal, blank canvas… Practically a life tool to support me during every day of my life.”-Anne
9| COZI
Product Description:
Recognized by the TODAY Show as the #1 must-have app to make your life easier, Cozi helps families manage the chaos of daily life with a shared calendar, shopping lists, to-do lists and more.
With Cozi you’ll be able to:
- Keep events and activities all in one place
- Keep and share the grocery list in real-time
- Store recipes, plan meals and shop for ingredients
- Use from any mobile device or computer
Pros:
Cozi is totally FREE! So, if you’re looking for the cheapest way to stay organized and plan your days…this is it!
Cons:
Not everyone does well with a digital planning system. If you prefer a pen and paper system, Cozi may not be for you.
Reviews:
“I love that my husband always has access to Cozi, so there’s never any question about what we have going on.”-Katrina
“I keep the entire family on track by adding the school calendars, sports schedules, doctor appointments and my work schedule to Cozi. This helps everyone in the family know what is coming and what they need to be prepared for. It also ensures that the kids are at the right place on time.”-The Sandoval Family
Cost: FREE
10| CREATE YOUR OWN BULLET JOURNAL
Product Description:
If none of the planner options on this list suit your individual planning needs, why not create your own bullet journal? You can create your own bullet journal for less than $25.00. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
Once you have the basics, a quick search on Google will give you a wealth of creative bullet journal layout ideas.
If you want to take your bullet journaling to the next level you can add in:
- The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by Ryder Carroll
- A Beginners Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy
- Planner Sticker Set
- Washi Tape
- Artist Markers
- Assorted Sticky Notes
Pros:
A bullet journal can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. It’s a great option for people who want to include more creativity and personalization in their planning.
Cons:
Bullet journaling can be a time suck if you’re not careful. Also, much like scrapbooking, it can get expensive.
I hope this list of the best planners and organizers for 2021 has given you some inspiration/motivation to plan your best year ever!
MORE ABOUT ORGANIZING AND PLANNING:
- Free Printable 2021 Calendar To Help You Crush Your Year
- New Year’s Resolution Ideas (You Can Actually Keep)
- 12 Free Printable Motivational Quotes
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