The 10 greatest planners for 2020

Instead of an app or gadget that is supposed to increase your productivity, you should invest in a good paper planner this year. Finally, there are numerous studies that show that writing down your to-do list and daily schedule – rather than typing it on a laptop or iPhone – makes you feel more concerned with the task at hand. And although we've written about some of our favorite planners in the past, like this Japanese option, we wanted to find the best planners available. That's why we turned to productivity experts, life coaches, and people who love stationery and know how to do things, and asked them about their favorites. Below are the best life planners, day planners and planners who will keep you up to date in 2020.

BestSelf Co. Self Journal

Life Coach Penny Zenker recommends the BestSelf Co. Self Journal as it helps break large goals down into digestible 90-day pieces. “I'm using this now because it's a comprehensive goal-setting and tracking system with all-in-one reflection. It helps me to coordinate my goals and my daily tasks, which makes me more productive. “Liz Sumner, a progress and life coach, also likes the Self Journal. "The basic version contains a lot of valuable material to get you started," she says. "I've been using it for several years since I discovered it at Kickstarter. It combines the best parts of a journal and a planner."

The Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt

Personal branding expert Richard Janes has "over the years spent a small fortune looking for a planner that really helps you focus on your work." He calls Michael Hyatt's Full Focus Planner "the best, what i found. The reason why it works so well for me is that the layout offers a clear focus on the essentials and still allows me to clear my head of all the other tasks lurking around. But it doesn't go overboard so I can easily plan my day, week and month. "A note: This planner is organized in 90-day blocks. This means you have to buy four to get to 2020. However, it also offers a little more flexibility and can be started at any time of the year.

Day timer starter set organizer

Day-Timer 2020 Daily-Planner refill

Christy Whitman, life coach and author of The Art of Having Everything: A guide to unlimited women, has been using the day timer for over 20 years. “I love this brand because the layout of the pages allows me to have a place for the tasks to be done today, a schedule and also a page for writing and writing down. So every day is on two pages and gives me a complete overview of my day, ”she says. "When I have an appointment, I can take notes next to the appointment and remember call information, the person's name, or other important information." Whitman also loves Day-Timer's customer service, especially the memories of new pages for the new year. "You send me an email with the order number, the refill numbers and it's easy for busy professionals."

Russell + Hazel Peony Mini 3 Ring Binder

Russell + Hazel 2019/2020 mini-month tabs

Darcy Miller – an author, illustrator, and artisan with a carefully organized office – prefers the use of a Binder-style planner, especially that from Russell + Hazel of Minnesota. "I use it for my daily notes and planning, and then I have one for each of my children, in which I record things about them over the years, from teacher conferences to medical appointments," she says. The 8 x 9 inch folder is small and light enough to fit in your pocket. However, if it's not there, "it looks good when it's on the table." She also likes the loose pages, which can be removed and rearranged if necessary.

Brepols Back to paper 2020 diary notebook

“My favorite planner is the Brepols diary,” says Sandeep Salter, founder of the Picture Room home goods store in Brooklyn. This simple planner helped her transition from a digital calendar user to a written one. “I was actually just a Google Cal user until recently when I peeled off a very important studio visit. Just didn't show up because it was accidentally deleted from the Cal! I was ashamed. That is the beauty of a physical diary. My toddler can never accidentally delete important events. Now I use the Brepols especially for meetings and studio visits. Dates in front, notes in back. "

Kokuyo Jibun Techo 2020 diary

Wakako Takagi, co-founder of the Los Angeles-based stationery store Baum-kuchen, likes the Jibun Techo from Kokuyo. “This is my right analog tool that I can take anywhere. I use the monthly pages as a master planner and my weekly pages to provide me with detailed appointments, things to remember, and documentation of some of the most important parts of life (e.g. how many kilometers I walk each day to train to orient for a marathon). "In addition, she adds, the card holder insert of this journal has a dual function as a wallet. "So I just have to grab Jibun Techo and my keys and I'm ready to go!"

Milligrams 2020 without diary – daily

Two Strategist employees (including myself) have a version of this planner from the Australian stationery store Milligram. The author Lauren Ro actually introduced it to me last year: “With a variety of abstract covers, colors and programs, they were the planners of my dreams. I chose the daily "non-diary" with grid pages for every day of the year. "This year, she's trying out the weekly family life diary," which has room for action lists, budgeting, meal planning, and more. "But I'm going to pick up the dotted non-diary for the second year in a row, for The Strategist's editorial calendar Keeping an eye on each page has plenty of room for the to-do lists and notes of the day, and it is easy to scroll months in advance, it just looks great to sit on a desk, and the laundry is carried over the course of the day good one year.

Smythson 2020 Soho Agenda

If you fancy splurging, writer Leah Bhabha likes her Smythson Soho Diary. “The Soho is bigger than a pocket calendar that doesn't offer much space for writing, and smaller than a desk diary that lugs around like a textbook. It's the ideal size, ”she says. She also likes formatting. "The weekly agenda allocates a significant square each day, and on the opposite page you will find a weekly to-do list." In addition, the paper itself is "half as thick and heavy as normal pages, but it is enough to say that they make writing easier without running through ink."

Smythson 2020 wafer agenda with bag

For a cheaper option from Smythson, Tad Friend, a staff member at The New Yorker, recommends the wafer agenda. He's been using this planner for more than 20 years and says, "Fly weight is a clinch feature." It's small enough to fit in your back pocket, but it's still full of information. "It reminds you when the Red Grouse shooting season ends, and it includes the phone numbers of the & # 39; main clubs & # 39; the western world, like Boodle & # 39; s and White & # 39; s in London, which are listed above, so you can call regularly to ask if they have one Hugh Jass is waiting in the lobby. "But because it's so easy to stick in your back pocket, Friend warns that" the only weak point of the calendar, as I've noticed twice, is that it doesn't work well in a washing machine. " He uses a marine version that appears to be out of print. However, some pastel options are still available.

Lemome 2020 planner

For those who use digital calendars to plan appointments but still need a paper planner that helps them get the most out of their time, Girlboss CEO and editor-in-chief Neha Gandhi recommends her Lemome planner. Instead of writing down appointments and logistics, she outlines the main goal of each day in her planner. This helps her to stay focused during the day and to track projects over time. “I like this special planner because it doesn't waste real estate on large daily calendars, but only delivers monthly and weekly high-level notes. I can organize meeting notes based on the day they were taken (and then point the date to the meeting that the notes in my digital calendar came from) so that I don't flip through a notebook endlessly to find a nugget of information that is always somehow unreachable, ”she says. She also likes the practical size, "which fits perfectly in every work bag" and which the planner "fits with the notebooks I use so that everything fits on my desk".

Vox Media maintains partner partnerships. These have no impact on the editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find more information in our Ethics Policy.