I've been seeing online a lot of people who are about to go through a transition and are looking for advice on which planner to choose. This is actually a big challenge: finding a planner that will work for you in a situation you haven't experienced yet. It's hard to know what you will need before you're there. But those of us who like planners and planning want to have a system set up before we start, so we don't have to spend the first week(s) in our new situation with the added stress of having to figure out our planner setup.
Maybe you are starting grad school or a new job. Maybe you are having a baby, or going from kids at home to kids at school. Maybe (like me) your kids are getting older are starting new activities along with ramped up homework and school trips. Maybe you are moving internationally. (If you are, feel free to contact me, I've moved internationally a bajillion times and know the drill.)
Whatever your new upcoming situation, here's how to figure out a planner that will work for you.
Option 1: Choose a planner that has worked for you in the past:
Even if you haven't been in the same situation before, you might try a planner that worked well for you in similar circumstances. For example, if you had a really busy time in the past and are about to be really busy again, use the same planner you used then.
The year I was really busy working full time, taking graduate classes, applying to graduate schools and getting ready to move, I used a Septanote academic year planner. Years later when I moved internationally with my family, I used a Trinote (which has the same format January-December). That format (vertical days with space for lists) worked well for me during busy, transitional times.
Option 2: Use a planner that works for other people in the same situation:
In my online research on Uncalendar planners I discovered several nursing student message boards asking which planner works well during busy, pulled-in-all-directions nursing school. Over and over again people recommended the full size Uncalendar. Search online and ask people who do what you are about to do what works for them.You might even find planners designed specifically for that situation or profession.
Option 3: Experiment:
Experimentation doesn't have to mean the expense of buying and trying lots of different planners. The only thing that matters right now is page layout and size. Focus on those. Covers, accessories, everything else can wait.
Start with the page size you will need (or think you will need) and draw up or print a page layout in that size. Do you like the look of a particular planner's page layout? Draw up a few weeks' worth to try out and see if it will work for you. You can do this with a few different types and use them sequentially (or even simultaneously if you can keep them synched) to figure out what might work well for you.
Once you have figured out the format of pages you need, then you can figure out what type of book will hold them. Below is a summary of your dilemma. You need a balance of flexibility and portability.
Bulky and heavy--------------------------------------------------------------------Lighter/ more portable
Ring binder (Filofax etc.) Travelers' Notebook (booklets in cover) Bound book
Flexible use-----------------------------------------------------------------------------More rigid use
Ring binder (Filofax etc.) Travelers' Notebook (booklets in cover) Bound book
Be open minded. You might need to try something you've never considered before. And in the end, you won't really know what will work until you are in the situation and living your new life. If you get rolling and discover the planner you're using isn't working, give yourself permission to try something else.
Have you been in this situation before? How did you figure out your planner setup?
