Stationery is probably one of the most fun things to own, on top of its usefulness. Stationery also offers our eyes relief from staring at digital screens all day. You can buy planners, pens, and paper that reflect your personality and be as creative, or as simplistic, as you want on the pages. Planners are great for anyone with a busy schedule. Many planners are well-rounded, containing monthly and weekly sections, and often come with additional self-reflection, blank pages for notes, motivational quotes, and stickers.
What to look for
While most planners and journals help you organize tasks and appointments, many recent iterations include mental health tools such as gratitude lists, mood check-ins, and more. If all you want is something to organize your day, then grab a simple agenda. For those who crave more, a goal-oriented planner with fun organizational stickers is best.
Dot grid, lined, or blank?
I find that each style of paper speaks to everyone differently. A dot grid notebook ignites my creativity, for instance, but blank paper wipes my mind of ideas. Lined pages, however, give me structure. Thankfully, some notebooks and planners have a mix of two or all three. Make their own tables, illustrations, lists, graphs, and more out of dot grid paper, or write more fluidly with lined pages. Then again, you’ve got complete creative control with blank pages.
Daily, weekly, or monthly?
Daily planners are ideal for people who have a lot to do on most days. There’s lots of space to write down tasks and appointments. If you’re more interested in a guided journal that will help you balance your mental health, this 5 Minute Joy Journal is perfect for you. You get to set a daily intention, self-reflection, and keeping track of your mood everyday. On the other hand, a classic daily planner such as Leuchtturm1917’s Daily Planner is straight to the point, with one page devoted to each day of 2023, and a section for project planning. Features also include eight removable pages, stickers, and a blank table of contents.
Consider getting a fully customizable life planner by Erin Condren. Their LifePlanner™ is a six-month customizable coiled agenda where you choose from a multitude of cover designs, page layouts, and more.
Weekly planners have less space for each day, but you get to see your week mapped out across two pages. Lavendaire’s Weekly Reset Planner is an undated motivational weekly planner that comes with a two-page reflection spread at the end of each week. At the beginning of the week, you jot down your goals, self-care practices, and habits to track in addition to your schedule.
The dated 12-month agenda is perfect for you if you need to get straight to organizing your life. And if you desire a little flare, Be Rooted’s 2023 monthly/weekly planner might be what you need. It’s simple yet elegant, with a gorgeous illustration on the cover. The planner contains minimalist-style stickers and is the classic iteration of an agenda. I find 12- or 18-month agendas best for people who get excited about switching to a new one every year.
If you like sophisticated classic notebooks, Moleskine is a very trusted brand. They’re known for having durable bleed-proof pages perfect for sketching. Moleskine has a diversity of notebooks, including a classic 12-Month 2023 Planner. Moleskine has also got some limited-edition designs, like their Petit Prince planners.
Are you looking for something broader? Check out monthly planners. They’re good for writing down long-term plans, deadlines, and important dates only. They tend to have less pages, and provide a quick way to organize, such as this appointment notebook from Rifle Paper Co.
Josephine Mwanvua | Contributing Writer
