Choosing Your Perfect Planner: Even If You Think You Are Not a Planner

Every fall, the planner aisle starts calling. Fresh covers, empty pages, endless potential.

And yet — if you’re like most of us — by March that shiny new planner is sitting somewhere under a pile of laundry, half-filled and fully forgotten.

So how do you find a planner that actually fits your life?
Let’s break it down.

Here are the links to my favs: 

• Free 2 Week Trial: Growth Day App
• Full Focus Planner  DISCOUNT CODE: JULI10
• Loose Leaf, 6 ring binder on Amazon, choose your own fillers

Transcript

0:59

as a nurse coach guiding, my clients to thrive and as somebody who is, has highly values personal growth and improvement. I have, become very aware that structure and alignment are key to supporting change and to making the changes that we really want to so that we don't drift. So choosing the perfect planner can feel overwhelming, but done well. A planner becomes a powerful tool for intention rather than just another task list. So that's what we're gonna talk about today. let's dive in. Welcome to Default To Yes, we're Science Meets Soul. I'm Nurse Coach Julie Reynolds, and together we're training our brains body and spirit to say yes to the life we are created for And I wanna welcome you to another extraordinary week. I. I know that there are a lot of different opinions and a lot of personal style involved in choosing a planner, and there are so many out there, First we're gonna talk about why a planner matters, and then we're gonna compare several popular options, and we're gonna weigh the paper versus electronic. And finally, frame an algorithm, a step-by-step decision guide to help you pick what you will stick with. even if you feel like you've never had a consistent planner before, maybe you are somebody who is ready to shut this episode off to say that you either have the perfect planner or aren't interested in a planner. hang in there with me because some of these principles will help you actually make those to-do. Lists come alive for you and work for you instead of the other way around. Any system that we have should be a system that works for us, makes it more easy, more fun, more enjoyable to get the things done that we need to have done or we want to have done. It shouldn't be the other way around. I think we have a lot of technology and a lot of systems. in our workplace and in healthcare, we have a lot of systems You start to feel like you work for the system instead of the other way around, and we certainly don't want to create more work for us and we're not going to do it or follow up if we do that in our personal life. So why use a planner? Even if you've struggled before, you might have tried planners and then abandoned them, and that's okay. the right approach shifts the question from. Am I disciplined enough to, does this system align with how I really want to live and what matters most? I had the privilege of when I was first, training to be a coach. I coached my son and he was not somebody who was ever going to use a paper planner or, maintain that for a long period of time. but. Talking through what you want a planner to do, where you will see it, where it will be helpful, what kind of planning is going to actually serve you. He was able to develop his own system. It isn't a system that I would Try to use, but it worked for him and it made him feel more organized and, really helped him accomplish his goals. And so it was fun to see. It's always fun to see what someone will do with some of this when you start to think about what system aligns with how you really want to live and what matters most. So here are some evidence-based reasons why a planner can help. first of all, writing down goals crystallizes them. Research by Gail Matthews found that people who write down their goals, share them and track progress, achieve more than those who just think about them. You probably have seen that in your own life that when you wrote it down or when you shared it and there was some, informal accountability, it helps Kind of forms that in your mind. There's something, magical about writing it down or saying it out loud Think about how you learn best, and That'll tell you a lot about how maybe you'll remember and crystallize those goals. planning clarifies priority and reduces cognitive load when you capture tasks and appointments and goals. On paper or a device, your brain has less keeping track to do. There's not that overhead and then there can be more doing what matters Linking long-term goals to daily actions keeps you connected to your purpose. you start to really appreciate how important it is to be aligned with values. A planner can help you stay connected to your why. If you're working your planner and it's aligning with your goals, you are going to put things on there that really matter and really move you closer to who you want to become. Also, it creates momentum. Via visible progress. Even small wins registered on paper feed motivation. If you've abandoned planners before, it may have been because the system wasn't showing you progress. when you sit down to create a to-do list, you put things on there even if you've already done them, just to check it off. And that can be really fun and motivating just so you can see your progress. If you don't write things down and you aren't recording any of this, you get to the end of the day and you just feel like you've done a whole lot and it's time to rest. but you can't remember what you did. worse you get to the end of the week and find out that nothing that mattered to you, nothing really important on your list got done. It was all taken up by things that maybe could have been delegated deleted or even deferred. It also helps you shift from reactive, putting out fires to proactive designing for your days. A lot of people find that they end up spending too much time on urgent tasks rather than important tasks, and a planner helps tilt towards important, But perhaps non-urgent strategy. This is what allows you to default to your extraordinary self and say no to things that aren't really in your lane. even if you hate planning, it's worth choosing the right tool for your style because done well, it supports your impact and overall wellbeing. let's talk about some different options for planners because I know this is a highly personal thing and I have tried all of them probably. So, paper planner options, first of all, we're gonna compare four styles, four types of paper planners. There's loose leaf, you can get those really cheap on Amazon, even generic systems all the way up to the Franklin Covey. loose leaf systems that cost a little bit more. There's a little more features. there are premium systems like the full focus planner by Michael Hyatt, the High Performance Planner by Brendan Burchard. And the classic Franklin Covey planner system. we'll weigh their pros and cons as well. So first of all, there's the loosely cheap generic. Get it on Amazon, put it together, kind of make it your own, what that offers is first a very low cost option. great for experimentation. So if you're not sure what's going to work for you and you're kind of experimenting some basic formatted, daily, weekly. Goal planning. Even there's habit trackers. You can even make your own. It's a simpler format. Some, like I said, monthly, weekly, there's usually space for tasks, and they're more flexible, so you're less committed, so less fear of wasting money. The pros are then that it's affordable, low pressure. If it doesn't stick, you haven't invested much, and it's good for simple tracking of appointments and tasks. You can always make note pages and, Customize that. So as you get into it, you can see what you really need. the cons might be that it lacks a robust system for goal setting and habit tracking and reflection, and, doesn't inherently guide you to link daily, to annual goals. So you have to build that yourself. And because it's generic, it may not really invoke a sense of, this is part of my growth system, which can reduce follow through. So if you feel like it's a throwaway, maybe it will become a throwaway. So consider all of those things. Now, second is the full focus planner, which I really do love. I will say that I haven't been super consistent, all throughout the year. These are quarterly planners, but they're very, they're very high designed and there's a lot that's gone into that. it's a system of goal setting and weekly and daily actions. It has structured sections of that includes annual goals, quarterly goals, weekly preview, daily big three, which is Probably essential to really making progress time, blocking morning and evening rituals, and it's, it's a little higher cost, better materials, and really beautiful planner. So I have a tendency when I open these up and fill them, I really invest myself in the process. I find myself a little bit more invested because. I've invested a little bit more and the planner is beautiful. the pros would be that it helps you connect with what matters. the full focus planner is a quarterly, You can kind of adjust that. they are not, dated. So you d can date them yourself. So if you do like on vacation and you're gonna be not using your planner, you don't have to use those pages. It helps you connect what matters with what you do today. It's great for coaching and professionals. If you're an entrepreneur, starting a business or running a business, this is a great planner for that. It encourages consistency with the rituals in the morning and the evening routines built in if you're not doing an evening routine, you will see that on your planner. it provides a little bit of accountability as well, users of this planner report strong benefits and I've seen a lot of success with that. I enjoy it. The full focus planner has been a fantastic tool for keeping my goals and daily tasks in check. Now, the cons would be that it is higher costs than a generic, and because it's 90 day quarterly format, you'll need to renew more frequently Some find this extra step, a little barrier. And to be quite honest, I'm one of them because I will stretch a 90 day planner, probably at least through half of the year, which isn't its intention. the best way to get the best out of this planner is to use it exactly and there's actually training on how to use it. Really great goal setting, training, and, in the front you have a place to record your goals and things like that. So really is a system to use. And if you are somebody who is. Highly structured or needs that structure. This is a really good, way to hold yourself accountable. A structure of this is stronger, which is great if you use it, but if you resist structure, then you might feel a little constrained and this would not be the planner for you and there's a link to all these planners. You can take a look at them before you purchase them. But there is a link, in the notes to the, to these different planners. Now another one I wanna talk about is the high performance planner. another one that I've used and really enjoy. What it offers, first of all, is a two in one planner in journal with morning mindset prompts and evening reviews and weekly habit assessments, monthly strategic thinking. It's, again, it's an undated format, so you can start at any time. And if you are you. Skip a couple days. It's not a big deal. You can pick up where you left off. the emphasis is not just on tasks with this planner. there are, places for appointments, but it's also, has a very high focus on habits and mindset growth. the pros would be strong integration of personal development with the planning, which. Fits for anybody who, it probably fits for all of us. If you're listening to this, then you value personal growth and how to set goals and what doing what matters. it's good for people who want more than just getting things done. You want transformation and have placed that high on who you're becoming. This is a good planner for that. Now the cons, because it includes a lot of elements, like journal prompts and assessments. There's more to fill in, So there's a little more effort that you put into this so it could feel like you're working for the planner if it's not your natural, bent. But if that is something you want to become more disciplined at, this is a really great, it can. coach you towards what you want. it's a larger format than some additions, so it's a little less portable and can be a little heavier. So it's not one that you can carry around. And the full focus planter comes in several different sizes, and it also comes in loose leaf. the high performance planner is, not as mobile, so it's one that mostly sits on your desk or at your table and you fill it out at home probably, or in your office. Now, when we get to electronic options, there's another little benefit to using the high performance planner. the Franklin Covey Planner system, I remember years and years, decades ago, this is how I started with planning. It's a longstanding system that roots back to the eighties. planner pages, time blocking, prioritized tasks, roles and goals. has modular inserts in a ring binder system so you can mix and match a lot. If you know the Franklin Covey system and what you like about it, you could do your own with some of those generic, inserts you get on Amazon, Pros to the Franklin Covey, higher quality paper. very customizable. strong for a person who likes to own a system rather than tweak it. It has a proven track record. It's good for people with multiple roles. So if you're running a business and a personal life Managing your family a job and a business, you want a system to integrate. this is good for people with multiple roles. the cons might be that it may feel a little old school for some, and setting it up takes time. choosing inserts, customizing, and the startup cost Is not trivial either. if you don't maintain it, the binder systems can feel bulky and become disorganized. customizing your own is that sometimes we can tend to stick too many things in it. so. Let's see. I'm gonna put all of this together in a table and I'll try to put it in the show notes. if you want the the sheet, just go to go to the website, the show website, default or I'm sorry, coaching with julie.com. Forward slash Yes, and I'll put this comparative summary on that so you can download it from there. if you're wanting a little bit of a guide here. So paper versus electronic. This is another question that we have with. The planners, there's really no absolute better. It really depends on you, your workflow, the context, like if you're shifting between clinic and home and travel, how you think best. there are pros and cons to considering both of them. Pros for paper. A physical planner would be the tangible and tactile. Writing by hand has been shown to improve memory and embed tasks more deeply, and there's less distraction with paper. You're not jumping into notifications or apps or inboxes, you get that whole page view see A week at a glance or flip pages and physically cross off tasks, which also feels very satisfying. There's a mindset shift to this too. Holding that premium planner, a nice cover quality materials can signal that this matters and increase the commitment to it. the cons would be it's less flexible and mobile. if you're out and about, you might forget and leave it behind. Maybe just don't wanna carry it with you. there aren't automatic reminders and alerts unless you supplement with a phone. you also can't easily search or trend data unless you add manual logging and or environmental in space. Carrying both a planner and your phone or tablet might feel Like more stuff Now, electronic apps or digital planners, I probably would not do as much planning and tracking if I didn't have an electronic component to this. So there's the mobility and syncing. I was always finding that I was leaving my planner at home. I don't carry a great big purse. I've seen a lot of my colleagues. Pull out their planner and carry around their planner. sometimes they're small enough to fit in your purse, but not big enough to really do the kind of planning I'm talking about you've got a calendar there basically, which is fine, but if you're really wanting to track your habits and your goals, then, Then having an electronic option mobility and syncing is really helpful. Reminders and notifications are essential for me. they help me stay on track and so I probably have eight different alarms in my phone right now just to remind me of mindsets. intentions checking in with people, things like that. the other thing about electronic, Planners is searchable. Archivable. You can find past tasks and quickly tag filter or link, and there's integration with calendars if I make an appointment, it'll go right onto my Google calendar. task apps if you, like digital workflows. The other thing is they're often cheaper, lower upfront cost. They're a lot of free and low cost apps that you can find and use. but the cons are there is a distraction risk. using a device means you could get sidetracked by other apps and notifications. You open up your planner to check off a task or, add an event and find yourself scrolling on social media a half hour later. So there's that. Or checking email when you didn't mean to answering a text. When you really don't have time, it's not really the designated time for that, tapping an app may not trigger the same sense of ceremony as opening a planner. having that as part of your morning routine might be a little. Like, so less ritual feel and then less tactile. If your brain prefers writing, keying may feel less engaging and doesn't have the same impact. And then screen fatigue. If you're already spending a lot of time on screens, adding planning onto a device might feel less restorative. So which do you choose? I had to put together a little bit of an algorithm to help me decide. So ask yourself, how you think, how you move through your day, and how often you are in clinics or meetings. what is the calendar? Is the calendar heavy? How do you time block? How tech savvy are you? And how much have you struggled with prior systems? If you're already meeting up with some resistance, then I'm gonna encourage you to make an appointment with me and we can talk some of this out. We can figure out what thoughts you're having that are triggering some of those emotions or resistance. if you love. Writing by hand feel grounded by physical tools and want that ritual aspect, then lean towards paper. If you move between devices often and need reminders and integration, then lean towards digital or a hybrid paper for visionary goals and digital for tasks and alerts. If you tried one modality and given up, switch that format Rather than a different planner in the same format. a change of medium can really reenergize and sometimes that novelty can make it a little fun. there is nothing wrong with getting halfway through the year and just for the sake of novelty choosing a new planner, What matters is that you're doing it, that you have a system that is working for you. If it's not working for you in the middle of the year or a couple months in, then switch it up. I have changed planners just for the sake of getting a different cover, Alright, so the algorithm for choosing a perfect planner. Here's, a step-by-step decision tree that you can use to choose a planner system that you'll stick with. Think of it as a flow chart First of all, clarify your why for planning. What do you hope a planner will help you with this year? It maybe keeping better track of your calendar. Maybe it's connecting daily tasks to bigger goals, maybe reducing overwhelm. Then write down one to three outcomes that you want highlight. Three key tasks that each day that will move your mission forward and track your, maybe it's track your wellness habits, avoid missing follow ups, or maybe you're wanting to connect with with friends, and you want to make sure that you're not letting too much time go by. It's okay to put that on the planner and remind yourself. If you don't have a clear why, you'll likely abandon the planner. having a purpose gives it meaning. assess your workflow and environment. Do you carry a laptop, tablet, phone, everywhere? Are you moving between locations? Do you prefer writing by hand or typing? Do you like reminders and alerts, or are you fine with opening a book each morning? How many roles do you juggle? How much time can you commit each day to planning and reviewing even five to 10 minutes counts, but being realistic here, it matters. Then decide on modality, paper, digital, or hybrid. I like a hybrid because paper for vision and goal setting and seeing, my week in review and be able to see that in light of my goals and my values, my intentions, that is important to me in my morning routine and evening review. Digital is where I live every day, and a lot of times in my morning routine will be just digital. if I'm gonna do, I would say probably monthly when I sit down to do my weekly abandon or my monthly maintain, I'm going to probably pull that paper out and be able to just check myself and be able to see it now and then maybe on a daily basis. I'm on my electronic planner, but I have a really good electronic planner I use the Growth Day app and it is. All in one. So it's the high performance planner that's on paper. in an app I can plan, track my tasks, I can customize that. I can have them repeat, send me notifications, send me reminders. It go, will put things right onto my calendar. I also have the daily, there are courses in there that I can take on, different skills I wanna build. We have a daily fire with Brendan, so every morning there's a message there for inspiration on another, on a specific growth topic. I love the Growth Day app for a planner, it's my favorite planner, and I've been using it for several years I'm in my third year of never missing a day on the, on the growth day up, so that's huge to me. It also, I'm also very incentivized by streaks, and you can create a streak there and it will show you Where you are. There's also, a leaderboard. if one of your strengths is competition, there's a little bit of that, but there's also a community in there so I can learn from other people and share my goals with them. I love the Growth Day app. It is my favorite. Okay. So going back to, the algorithm, you're deciding on a modality, paper, digital, or hybrid. match the level of system to your need or commitment. If you want something simple and cost effective, go generic and loose leaf for cheap if you want. I actually, last year, used a$5 planner that I got it, office Depot, that on my way out on one of their end caps, and I use that. Th that was my paper planner and I accompanied it with the Growth Day app. So, if you want deep customization, then many roles, long-term archive, then consider Franklin Covey. If you want structured system that aligns with high performance goals, goal links, habit tracking, then the full focus or high performance, planner. If you do the high performance planner, it's easy to transfer over to growth Day. Those two things go together, but full focus. Also goes well with the Growth Day app So ask yourself, am I willing to use full features, goal pages, weekly reviews, habit trackers? If not, choose a simpler system. You can always upgrade later. You can add your own things to it. If you journal, you could have your weekly review or your monthly pages there with a planner and then journal pages, right? right there with it. fifth, check usability and feel Flip through some sample pages, either online or in the store. Does it feel intuitive? Does it invite you in? Does the size or format suit your lifestyle? Does it fit in your bag Does it fit on your desk? is the cost acceptable? You'll invest more if you buy something premium, but that sometimes increases commitment, but also risk if you feel like now you have to use it. If digital test the app's workflow. There's a free trial on growth day. You could even go in there and try that for free for a couple weeks and see how that works for you. Does it integrate with your existing calendar? Are you comfortable with the interface of that? So commit to a short pilot period with your planner. Choose a planner and commit to using it for 30 to 90 days. The first week or two might be a little bit choppy, and you might be getting used to it, but it doesn't mean that you're not a planner. It doesn't mean that you're not disciplined. Don't make it mean something that it doesn't. You cannot believe everything that you think, so give it a chance I would say 90 days with it, and see if it is working for you at the end of each week and each month review what worked and what didn't, Even if you're thinking this isn't working, analyze what is working and what isn't. Maybe it's just a change of planner that you need, not that you are not a planner. If the planner isn't working because it's too complex, too simple, or the format is just a mismatch, then adjust it rather than abandon it forever. Abandoning often happens because it isn't the right fit rather than you're incapable. you're capable and this is a good idea. You just need to find something that works for you. So build it. Build the habit around use. anchor it into your day. This is habit stacking at its best. Every morning before you get started, you open your planner for maybe five minutes, and every evening you review those. Big three tasks and note one of your wins. this is where you record your gratitude, or what happened, so that you can really integrate those wins into your narrative and appreciate what you actually did accomplish in a day. Use it for reflection, purpose and progress and what to stop or start, how to really, what it's gonna look like to default to your extraordinary self. Especially if you're running a business, have a side gig or multiple goals, these reflection loops are gold. If you skip a day, no big deal. Just pick up tomorrow. The ritual helps build the habit. So if you skip a day or if you skip a week, just pick up where you left off. All right? Then link daily tasks and weekly and quarterly to annual goals. This is where many planners and people fall short. When you're planning, you write the tasks, but you don't connect them to bigger goals. Good planners will embed this. For example, the full focus will set annual and quarterly goals and then determine weekly big three and then daily big three. That's. Super important because it keeps you moving in the direction that you really want to go instead of just putting down a bunch of tasks and making lists. And, those are just task lists. and if your planner doesn't force this, to happen, like you're not using the full focus planner or the high performance planner, for example, then just build it in, ask on Sunday, what are my three biggest tasks this week, that move me towards my quarterly goal? Then each day ask, what are my three most important tasks today? This will keep you on mission rather than just busy for the sake of being busy. So the other thing is to review and iterate. Every quarter I have a little meeting with myself, design myself like at least a half day retreat to go over what last quarter looked like and what next quarter looks like. did I get any closer to my big goals? What habits helped and what got in the way. This is when you can pick up what skills do I really need to learn? Adjust your planner system. Maybe switch formats, drop an unnecessary section. Add supports, like stickers or habit trackers, digital reminders. This is when you can build those in. Celebrate wins. The planner should help you see them. so all of this for me came out of not ever being able to consistently keep up with a planner. So to zoom in on how actually to get it stick, not just like make, not just to making the perfect choice, but build the practice be kind to yourself and realistic. You don't have to use this perfectly. The power is inconsistent effort, not perfection. And then start small. Instead of trying to fill up every page with all the details, choose just one ritual. Maybe it's that morning, three big tasks, and then build from there. Use the planner in the context of your identity. So you might say, I plan because I support wellbeing, not just for productivity, but for presence clarity and impact. That meaning will fuel your motivation. make it visible and accessible. If it's buried in a drawer, you won't use it. If it's on your desk or next to your bag, you're more likely to pick it up. I keep mine on the dining table, and so in the morning when I get up, I'm having my coffee. I can sit there. If my desk is cleaned off, it's there. Maybe I'm having my morning coffee at my desk and I can look at my planner. Really depends on whether it's a workday or an office day. Put it where you'll see it. Then celebrate when you use it. Even crossing off one meaningful task is a win. Acknowledge that and integrate it. Being able to see it is going to help you remember that you did something. So it's kind of that principle of making your bed. Same principle. There's something that you did, a visual that you have been successful today You have stayed moving forward, then pair it with accountability. You might share your weekly review with a colleague or a client that'll help you stay engaged. if you miss a day, it doesn't mean you're failing. It means just the next morning open up the planner, review and move forward. reflect on why you're doing this. The habit only sticks when you know the deeper impact. Alright, so. Choose your planner. this week you're gonna choose your planner. we're coming up. On the end of the year, all the new planners are gonna be out. We're gonna be seeing new planners in the stores, seeing all the new calendars in the stores are already seeing them. So. I hope that you will really consider that this is the time of year to get mine. I just got mine in the mail. I love to put that together. I think that's fun and I like to go in and fill it out and start thinking about even the next quarter. I've given you a lot to think about, maybe more than you ever have thought about planners, or maybe you're like me and you just want a good planner, but you haven't really intentionally thought about why and what you want in a planner, and maybe you've gone through so many planners that you've kind of given up. Choosing a planner isn't about picking a product. It's about selecting a system that aligns with your life, your workflow, and your deeper why. You're not just planning your day, you're planning how you show up for others and your own health and growth. And a good planner will support that. So here's our takeaway. clarify why you want to plan. Decide paper versus digital based on how you work. Match your level of system. Simple, structured, customizable to your commitment and style. then pilot it, review it, iterate, build the habit of use, morning and evening review and weekly checks. be resilient in the face of missed days because we're all about progress, not perfection. Finding a perfect planner isn't about paper versus digital lines, versus boxes, or even cost. It's about designing a system that helps you live with intention. Your planner is not a measure of your discipline. It's a mirror of your priorities. It's how you remind your brain and your heart of what matters most. even if you started and stopped a dozen times, that doesn't mean that you've failed. It means that you're still refining the rhythm. that fits your season. what we're really doing here isn't just planning our days, we're training our minds to focus, our emotions to align and our lives to move in the direction of purpose. So this week before you buy another planner, pause and ask yourself, what do I want my days to feel like? let that answer guide your system When your planner reflects who you are becoming, not just what you need to do, you'll stop feeling like you're chasing life and start leading it. Until next time. If any of this is something that is getting you stuck, make that appointment. Let's chat and get a strategy. It's completely free. share this with a friend and maybe you can go on this journey together. Above all, keep saying yes to what matters most. Live with clarity, lead with courage. And remember, your plan is simply the path to your purpose as you go out every day and default to yes, your extraordinary self.