As a planner enthusiast, I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with different systems to find the perfect combination for my busy lifestyle. In 2024, I tried several planners to manage everything from my daily tasks to long-term goals and personal reflection. After months of trial and error, I’ve learned a lot about what works for me and what doesn’t. Here’s a breakdown of the planners I used in 2024, how they helped me, and the changes I’m making for 2025. If you're more of a video person, here's my YouTube video of my 2025 planner line-up. If you prefer to read, keep scrolling.
1. Erin Condren Petite Planner
Use: Daily planning for home, work, social media, and personal tasks.
Reflection: The Erin Condren Petite Planner was my go-to for 2024 when I needed flexibility and space to be creative. I loved having room to decorate with stickers and markers while staying organized with daily lists and schedules. The “at a glance” monthly view was a game-changer for managing long-term plans.
What would bring me planner peace: If the Petite Planner had a dedicated notes page for each week (like the Daily Duo), it would be my perfect planner. Since it doesn’t, I plan to alternate between this and the Daily Duo in 2025 for a more comprehensive approach.
2. Erin Condren Daily Duo
Use: Hourly daily planning and weekly meal planning.
Reflection: The Daily Duo was another favorite for 2024, especially when I needed everything in one place. While the Petite Planner kept me creative and organized, I sometimes craved the simplicity of having all my plans in one binder. Half of my year was spent in the Daily Duo, and the other half in the Petite Planner, depending on my needs.
What would bring me planner peace: If the Daily Duo came in a spiral-bound, quarterly format (similar to the Petite Planner), I’d be in planner heaven. For now, I’ll keep using both depending on what I’m working on.
3. Daily Grind Planner
Use: Goal-setting and productivity.
Reflection: The Daily Grind Planner is my productivity tool for when I need to focus on specific goals. It helps me track 10 goals per day, which is perfect for high-focus work periods. I also appreciate the add-ons like dot grid, lined, and blank pages for project planning. The wellness and self-care trackers (including a Glow-Up Challenge) are a fun way to stay accountable to myself.
What would bring me planner peace: While I love this planner, I wish it were a bit more portable. It’s great for at-home use but not the easiest to carry around, especially when traveling or running errands. I’m hoping for a smaller version in the future!
4. Laurel Denise Planner
Use: Content planning, social media projects, and deadlines.
Reflection: In 2024, I used this planner for the last quarter of the year, and it was a lifesaver for organizing my social media projects and collaborations. As my planner collection grows, I realized how useful it was to have a dedicated planner for work-related tasks. The undated mini version worked well, but for 2025, I’m excited to try the flagship, dated version for more space and structure.
What would bring me planner peace: I prefer a dashboard layout, and the continuous week format (where the left and right sides flow together) can be a bit tricky for my brain to process. I’m going to try to reframe it mentally, but I’d love more space to visualize my tasks and goals.
5. Makselife Goal Setting Planner
Use: Long-term and difficult goal setting.
Reflection: The Makselife Planner was essential for tackling my big goals in 2024. Whether it was financial, career-focused, or personal, this planner helped me break down yearly goals into smaller monthly and weekly steps. It also helped me identify areas of imbalance in my life, such as family time or self-care.
What would bring me planner peace: A coiled A5 version would make this planner more portable while still giving me the space I need to track and reflect.
6. Rongrong Planner
Use: Creativity and memory keeping.
Reflection: I started using the Rongrong Planner in 2024 for memory-keeping and creative purposes. I previously used an Erin Condren vertical planner, which worked well, but I prefer the openness and flexibility of the Rongrong layout. The disc-bound system allows me to switch out layouts and add blank pages, which is perfect for my creative needs.
What would bring me planner peace: I’m excited to use this planner in 2025 to document memories and unleash my creativity more freely.
7. Clever Girl Finance Budget Planner by Erin Condren
Use: Budgeting personal and household finances.
Reflection: The Clever Girl Finance Budget Planner was an upgrade from my previous weekly budget book from Erin Condren. I found it useful, but in 2025, I’m hoping for something more structured to better track monthly expenses and meet my financial goals.
What would bring me planner peace: I need a more solid monthly breakdown to effectively track all my finances. A more detailed system would help me stay on top of my budgeting goals.
8. Rongrong Reading Journal
Use: Tracking reading lists, goals, and reviews.
Reflection: I loved using the Rongrong Reading Journal in 2024! It kept me motivated to read more and helped me keep track of my books, notes, and reviews. It’s a great tool for self-care, as it encourages me to slow down and reflect on the books I’m reading.
Honorable Mentions
Erin Condren Pocket Planner
Use: Quick notes and on-the-go planning.
Reflection: A fun and portable planner, perfect for jotting down routines or quick thoughts. I used it for keeping track of daily routines in 2024.
Linda Tong Notebook Use: Journaling.
Reflection: My private thoughts go here, and I enjoyed experimenting with both this notebook and the journaling app in 2024. While I won’t be sharing these pages, I might share some spreads or before-the-pen layouts if I decide to use stickers.
Rongrong Self-Care Planner Use: Quarterly challenges for self-care. Reflection: This is a new planner for 2024, but I’m excited to use it in the coming year to create structured self-care challenges that keep me on track with personal wellness.
What’s Changing for 2025
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m sticking with many of the planners that served me well in 2024, but I’m tweaking my system a bit to make it even more efficient and portable. I’m moving to a dated version of the Laurel Denise Planner, upgrading to a more structured financial planner, and continuing to use my Daily Grind Planner for productivity. I’m also excited to experiment more with my Rongrong planner and memory-keeping projects.
Ultimately, planner peace is about finding the right tools for your needs—whether that’s creativity, productivity, goal setting, or just staying organized. I’m excited for what 2025 holds and can’t wait to see how my planning journey continues to evolve! Let me know what planners you used in 2024 and what changes you're making for 2025! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Comments