{"id":175810,"date":"2023-03-28T09:44:50","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T14:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=175810"},"modified":"2026-03-10T13:03:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T18:03:10","slug":"the-3-best-planners-for-making-more-of-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/character\/self-improvement\/the-3-best-planners-for-making-more-of-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 Best Planners for Making More of Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Back in January, we wrote an article explaining why it might be better to wait to make your New Year\u2019s resolutions until around the spring equinox<\/a> \u2014 when the daylight starts outpacing the darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, we\u2019ve arrived at that time, and if you\u2019ve been feeling the spring sap running through you, you might consider getting yourself a planner to convert that emerging energy into action. <\/span><\/p>\n

While I\u2019m a fan of using digital planning tools like Todoist<\/a> and Fantastical, I know many people prefer analog planners. There\u2019s something about the tactile nature of putting pen to paper that helps turn your abstract intentions into material reality. Every now and then, I\u2019ll switch to analog planners to get that benefit. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had favorite paper planners that I\u2019ve turned to over the years, but I thought it would be interesting to see what other options are out there. <\/span><\/p>\n

The market is saturated with different types of analog planners, and the number of choices can feel overwhelming. The one you ultimately pick depends on what you\u2019re hoping to do with it. Some paper planners just let you schedule your day. Some seek to be a general self-improvement tool and offer guidance on creating goals and tracking habits. Others are open-ended and leave it up to you as to how to track your day and life.<\/span><\/p>\n

I recently ordered a dozen planners to give them a test drive. Below I share the three I liked the most and highlight their features to help you home in on the right planner for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best No-Frills Planner: AT-A-Glance Weekly Planner<\/a><\/h2>\n

My go-to method of planning is to \u201ctime block\u201d my week out each Sunday<\/a>. This involves mapping out my days and allocating a set amount of time to each task scheduled for the week ahead. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite sorting through a load of new planners, none of them turned out to be superior for the time-blocking task than one I’ve used on and off for years: the At-A-Glance Weekly Planner.<\/span><\/p>\n

The At-A-Glance Weekly Planner breaks down each day into 15-minute increments, so you can plan what you\u2019ll be doing at any given time from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. <\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s all this planner offers or \u201cdoes,\u201d so if you\u2019re looking for something simple and straightforward for scheduling your life, this is it. <\/span><\/p>\n

The one downside to this planner is that it\u2019s set to a calendar year. So when you buy one, you have to buy the planner for the entirety of 2023. Since we\u2019re almost in April, you\u2019ll have missed out on three months of use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best Self-Improvement Planner: Roterunner Purpose Planner<\/a><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a paper planner that\u2019s an all-encompassing self-improvement tool, look no further than the Roterunner Purpose Planner. It\u2019s really impressive what the designers thought to include in this bad boy. Here are the highlights:<\/span><\/p>\n