ReproJobs Test Kitchen: Planners! Calendars! Agendas! Oh my!
Lindsay Rodriguez is the Communications Director at the National Network of Abortion Funds. She serves on the board of directors for Fund Texas Choice and lives in Texas. She likes hanging out on patios with her dog reading books, winning intense arguments about leopard print being an everyday neutral, evangelizing about what makes good nachos, and while she hates cleaning her house, she’s really making some progress there this year. Talk to her about planners, overly complicated productivity systems, abortion funding, and which boxed wine pairs best with which bingeable TV show on Twitter at @LindsayHotRod.
If your inbox is anything like mine, you’re already making plans and setting meetings for 2020. And if you’re anything like me, you live for the moments that require stationery. So, yep, that means it’s time for a new planner!
To me, it feels like there are two types of people who thrive when they use planners. The first are the folks you’re likely thinking of: people who naturally catalog info into spreadsheets, write orderly and coherent notes anyone can read, and who get a little itchy not knowing what’s ahead. And then there’s those who do not come naturally to linear and orderly thinking, who struggle to get their lives together, and who perpetually feel out of sync or a step behind that first type of person. I’m the second type. (Set aside any Leslie Knope binder preconceptions you have.) If that sounds familiar and you might be the kind of person who double books yourself, loses your random post-its, and can’t commit to a standard color-coding system because you can’t ever remember what the colors mean (here are some color coding tips). You probably think you’re not organized enough to be a planner person—which is exactly why you need a planner. (And, yes, I know Google calendar exists.)
I love planners. I’ve tried them all! Knowing 2020 will be an inevitable hellscape, I’ve put together some of my fave planners for folks who are looking to make next year easier. Now you can cross “find a new planner” off your to do list.
Disclaimer: There’s no one type of organizational system that works for everyone, so it’s good to figure out what you’re looking to get out of your brain and find some structures that match that. And you might not know at first! I went through a lot of different types of planners (and time, and money!) before I landed on what works best for me. Don’t be afraid to try new things if they appeal to you. And, ask your co-workers to learn about their styles and what might also work for you.
Side Note: planners and agendas are terms used pretty interchangeably when you’re searching.
Judge a book by its cover. On top of our beautiful brain differences, be honest with yourself about your aesthetic inclinations. I’m not going to sugar coat it: most planners are offensive to my personal style in any number of ways that turn me right off. I have tried to talk myself into appreciating the functionality of something, but in the end, if I hate looking at something because I find it ugly, or I feel the need to change it all to match my needs, I’m not going to use it and the whole goal is defeated. Your vibe might not match mine. But if you feel a way when you look at a planner, follow your gut because ideally, you’ll be looking at this thing most days and that feeling is only going to intensify.
Ban.do
The first planner I ever actually finished after decades of trying to get organized was a Ban.do agenda. I chalk it up to the fact I liked the way it looks so much. I’m actually still buying up blank notebook versions of the Emerald Jade pattern that first sucked me in when I come across them second hand from random internet corners. You never forget your first. But accessories are where they strike gold! Yes, your accessories need accessories. My particular brain is tickled by adding stickers and colors to make notes when I check stuff off. I can’t be the only one since the passion for Ban.do agendas and accessories is near-religious on social media. I don’t know who decided that adults don’t need the same kind of rewards sticker systems kids do for chores and tasks because honestly, that stuff is like paying rent and keeping vet appointments and that’s boring as hell. You deserve a reward! Get yourself some stickers, friendo. You’ll be glad you did. Ban.do knows their agenda shit; their website is a veritable cornucopia of agendas of different sizes featuring art and design by the type of hip, together chicks that their whole branding vibe is based on. Price: $20-$32, available at bando.com/collections/planners.
Alternative
Valfré is for you if you’re tickled by stickers but your aesthetic is less rose-colored glasses and more weed-centric pin up straight from the depths of hell (but like, still cute). Bonus because Ilse Valfré is a Mexican-born Latina illustrator and entrepreneur whose distinctive style is instantly recognizable to other cool kids. And hell yes, they have stickers, too. Price: $28, available at valfre.com/collections/planners.
Passion Planner
Passion Planner rose to prominence on a viral crowdfunding wave, designed by a then-recently graduated Filipina-American first-generation college student who wanted a place to keep her appointments, but also like, figure out her life, you know? It tapped a moment, and while I haven’t personally used this one, the people who do are...well, passionate about it. The premise here is that planning is a whole process. By dreaming big, breaking down goals into a roadmap, and checking in regularly for accountability, you’re able to keep your life’s actions moving towards the values you hold close. It’s a little like a mini daily therapy check in, and with the state of mental health care access in this country, that probably can’t be a bad thing. And whoa, even they’ve even got stickers now. A nice feature here is that the Passion Planner website offers free PDF downloads so you can play around with the format to see if it moves you before dropping $30 on one. Take advantage of all the freebies you can because it can take a fair amount of trial and error to hit your planner bullseye. Price: $30-$35, available at passionplanner.com.
Alternative
Panda Planner comes with a somewhat similar vibe surrounding it about dreams and passions (one of the FAQs on their website is actually “Are Panda Planner and Passion Planner the same thing?” and an explainer) but feels to me a little more approachable and lower intensity, with a focus on restarting from a place of climbing out of chaos and depression to feel more balanced. It was designed by someone with multiple chronic illnesses that had left him feeling out of control and unable to get organized. The Panda Planner is undated and comes in three-month, six-month, and year-long versions. The people who love this one are also pretty devoted, but they’re more likely to tell you as an aside in a convo about how they’re doing instead of posting links to it on social media and evangelizing. There’s also a version of this one that comes from a personalized mental strengths-based model to organizing, which is an up and coming trend in other crowdfunded planners like EVO (I took that quiz for funsies and I’m an alchemist apparently). If you do want to try Panda Planner without the financial commitment, Panda Planners come with download codes to ebooks and videos. If you know someone who has one already, hit them up for a link and code. Con: No stickers. But they will sell you a pack of fancy sticky notes, and really, who working in social justice work doesn’t need more Post-its? Price: $25-$35, available at pandaplanner.com.
Bullet Journal
This wouldn’t be a true planner round up without getting into the Bullet Journal (or BuJo - I’m so sorry, but that’s genuinely what it’s called by members of that community). While this system has spawned a bajillion dollar industry and more Instagram posts than you can shake a stick at, the point of bullet journaling is that it’s a cheap, easy way to get into paper planning with a super low entry point. Speaking of Instagram, don’t get hung up on the types of posts you see around this one online because, as imagined, there’s no artistic talent at all needed.* You can start a Bullet Journal with a pen you have lying around and generic grocery store notebook for less than a $1. The structure here uses symbols to jot down quick info bites into coded bulleted lists each day. Small pieces of info keep better records of your day than you’d expect, and the ease of entry means you’re more likely to use it. It’s easy to roll your eyes about it “saving you”, but this is where I started because it felt approachable and easy, and it’s where I go back when I’m feeling overwhelmed and just need to get things out of my head quickly to clear the clutter. Price: Free if you use one of the notebooks you have lying around the house or from a conference swag bag or $25 for a branded Bullet Journal, available at bulletjournal.com/products/notebook.
I’m here for anything that helps people feel like they can turn down the volume of the noise in their heads. But don’t bother with the app.
I’m also not going to join the backlash trend here to say decorating and hand lettering your books is frivolous, time-wasting, social media fodder because that argument feels offensively coded in misogyny and wanting to get back to “authentic” dude who created it. And yeah, you heard that right, you can’t even have a planner without someone hating femmes all over it.
Alternative:
Desk Pad If you’re mostly at a desk and don’t want something portable (yet!), and you’re looking for somewhere to brain dump (but c’mon, you like a little aesthetic or guidance) get yourself a desk pad. It seems like a small thing that can’t possibly make a big difference, but nothing adds some order and brightens your desk like a fancy desk pad. Again, aesthetics that make you smile, and structure that keeps you accountable is a game changer once you buy in. There’s been real advances beyond the basic yellow legal pad, and I keep one on my desk, next to my front door, and on my nightstand because you never know when you be like “Oh that thing I almost forgot!” Now you’ll feel the tangible shot of joy of really checking things off. You’ll finally remember to hydrate. Or get that thing at the store (online shopping counts). Maybe you’ll finally be grateful. Thanks, desk pad! Still think you just want a yellow legal pad? You’re not getting off the hook that easy.
What do I use?
OK, buckle up, because in this, as in all things, I’m a little too much. I didn’t want to overwhelm you at the beginning. At this point, I use a customized a5 six ring leather binder, filled with a mix of things like cartoon cat dividers from China and goth-austere black on black stationery, and a complicated mix of recurring tasks, monthly, weekly, daily, and annual spreads depending on what my week looks like. I’m trying to track my shopping habit so I have a bunch of finance stuff (weird, I keep going broke buying money-saving tools). I have a divider for my day job and one for my abortion funding work with meeting note templates. I have a lot of blank and grid loose leaf paper because I do take notes, but they’re often complicated mind maps. Or just two words whose significance I don’t remember later. It’s all in hole punched in a binder because I like the flexibility to move things or to totally change my system as schedules shift. And lots and lots and lots of stickers and different colored LePens. The color coding means nothing except that I crave a lot of color. If you’d told me 5 years ago that I’d be HYPER INTO paper organizers, I would’ve called you a liar, but here we are. I still have trouble thinking in spreadsheets, though.
Alternative:
Hobonichi. Not really. I’m just putting this here because I’ve been eyeing these for a few years, but I’m in too deep to my own thing to throw it all away now. But sometimes I dream of burning it all down and going minimalist, despite knowing that’s not my real soul. So you should try it and tell me all about it.