10 Best Personal Planners for Business in 2022 (Lemome, Panda Planner, and More)
Slow down your planning process and re-set your goals and re-prioritize. By doing so, you'll be more productive and less likely to procrastinate. Here are some tips on how to find a personal planner for business that’s right for you and a top list of our favorites, including our best pick from Traveler's Company.
Quick List - Top Personal Planners For Business
Traveler’s Company
A Beautiful Planner With Space for Creativity
Gallery Leather
A Handcrafted, Colorful Planner That Let's You Plan Two Years Ahead
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
Why You Can Trust Us
Every mybest article is crafted with hours of in-depth research and interviews with experts. Each month, we are continually expanding our database of products based on our research. By emphasizing user insight and reliable information, we deliver trustworthy content to readers.
How to Choose Personal Planners For Business
Choose Something That’s Easy to Use
Refillable Planner Binders: Easy to Personalize
When you choose a planner binder, make sure the rings are big enough. Most are 0.9 to 1-inch, which means you can insert about 150 to 200 sheets of paper. A year’s worth of weekly schedules is already 100 pages, so if you get something too small, you may have to give up your contacts section.
Notebook Planners: Includes All the Basics
Notebook planners have all the basics inside, such as annual calendars, monthly or weekly schedules, to-do lists, and pages for notes.
Most are for 12 months starting from January, and when September rolls around, shelves are lined with the following year’s planners. You can’t change the pages that are inside, which means you don’t have to worry about refills.
From planners with hourly schedules to planners that are like productivity coaches–enjoining you to jot down your goals and plans–there are all sorts of types out there. It’s fun to look at all of them and figure out what you like best.
If there’s a lot in the planner, though, it’ll be thick and heavy. If you want something light, then you'll need to choose a thin monthly or weekly planner, rather than a page-heavy daily one.
Pick Between Compact or Easy to Write In Planners
When looking at size, ask yourself the following questions: is it easy to carry around and is it easy to write in? If you’re looking for something that will fit in your purse, go for something compact, such as a 5 by 8-inch planner. If you want a planner with plenty of space to write in, then go ahead and get one that’s closer to 11.4 by 9.5 inches.
Smaller options may be easy to carry around, but you’ll have to cram in all your notes. On the other hand, huge planners leave plenty of space for writing, but take up more room in your bag. So figure out what means more to you.
If you’re on the fence, then just go for the middle ground. One that's A5 (around 8 by 12 inches) or B5 (around 7 by 10 inches) is a good size.
Find a Planner With an Approach You Like
Planners have different layouts. To choose between them, think about how much organizing you need in your life. If you need to plan for the long term and jot down big dates–business trips, conferences, and deadlines–then get a monthly planner. These have a calendar that spreads across two pages and spans 31 days.
If you just need to scribble down a few important tasks per day, then a weekly planner could be for you.
There are two main types. One has the days of the week listed down the page on the left, and lines for note-taking on the right. These are flexible–you can write whatever you want in them. The other has the days of the week spread out in boxes across two pages. These are great for organizing and planning out a weekly schedule.
Then there's the daily planner, which gives you an entire page to write down your plans for a single day. Get one if you like planning out your day in detail.
Make Sure It’ll Look Professional at Work
This holds doubly true if you’ll be writing in front of clients from various backgrounds. Though it may sometimes be hard to draw the line between unprofessional and professional, a subdued design and color is the safest, most practical choice.
Choose Something That’s Durable
When in a business setting, you generally don’t want to use a battered planner in front of your clients, boss, or colleagues. So pick something that’s durable, with a tough cover, like faux leather. Don’t get a plastic cover because they tend to crack.
If you want to protect your planner from coffee stains, you could also purchase an additional transparent protector for your book. If you want the planner to look luxurious, you can also choose one with a cover that simulates leather.
The important thing is that you find a planner that looks good for at least a year. So think twice about that genuine leather planner–because it needs to be handled gently and stains in the rain. If you want something that is low maintenance, go with faux.
10 Best Personal Planners For Business Ranking
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Traveler’s Company Traveler’s Notebook Brown Leather｜Small | | A Beautiful Planner With Space for Creativity | |
2 | Gallery Leather Desk Weekly Planner | | A Handcrafted, Colorful Planner That Let's You Plan Two Years Ahead | |
3 | Book Factory 2021 Weekly Pocket Calendar | | Cost-Effective and All-Inclusive Pocket-Size Planner | |
4 | Action Day Weekly Planner 2021｜6x8 in. | | Get Things Done With This Goal-Oriented Planner | |
5 | Papercode The Simple Elephant | | All-in-One Planner, Journal and Guide | |
6 | Lemome Planner 2021 | | A Classic and High-Quality Planner With Simple Features | |
7 | At-a-Glance Monthly Planner｜Large | | Tabbed to Make Each Month Easy to Reference | |
8 | Global Printed Products Monthly & Weekly Planner | | Minimalist Riff on the Dotted Journal | |
9 | Filofax Malden Ochre Personal Size Leather Organizer | | Look More Professional With a Luxurious Leather Option | |
10 | Panda Planner Best Daily Calendar | | Motivate Yourself by Writing down Priorities, Reviews, and Tasks |
Traveler’s CompanyTraveler’s Notebook Brown Leather ｜ Small
A Beautiful Planner With Space for Creativity
It’s also highly durable–some reviewers have commented they’ve been using this cover for more than 3 years, but it’s still in perfect shape. And it has a vintage look and is 4.72 by 0.39 by 8.66 inches. It may seem like a big investment at first, but since you can use it year after year, it’s definitely worth it.
A Handcrafted, Colorful Planner That Let's You Plan Two Years Ahead
The weekly section is for a year, while the monthly section is for two years. It’s great if you want to plan in advance, but if you don’t think that far ahead, the second year might be a waste of space. Reviewers warn that it doesn't lay flat, but they also say that it has plenty of space for notes and has everything you need of a planner included.
Cost-Effective and All-Inclusive Pocket-Size Planner
If you go on overseas business trips, you’ll be happy to know it also contains colored world maps and international calling codes.
The planner’s durability seems to be on the weak side, with some reviewers saying the cover comes off easily. It doesn’t lie flat on the desk either. But it’s a good choice if you’re new to planning out your life on paper and don’t know if you can keep it up.
Get Things Done With This Goal-Oriented Planner
This planner is 8 by 6 by 0.7 inches and there’s a larger option, too. It has an elastic band, a pen loop, and a durable cover that keeps the planner from getting all smushed in your bag.
It’s designed to fit a 9 to 5 schedule, with just a bit of space for Saturday and Sundays, so stay away if that’s not how you work. Reviewers mention that the quality has gone down in recent years, with the paper being fairly see-through. However, reviewers still love the way the planner is set up, and say it's very useful for planning goals.
All-in-One Planner, Journal and Guide
The sheets are A5, and it comes with a pocket, a pen holder, an elastic band, and three string dividers.
Having said that, don’t get this if you take notes during calls. It does not lie flat, and you’ll have a hard time keeping the planner open without holding one or both sides down. Reviewers like how it helps with planning goals and is a great motivator
LemomePlanner 2021
A Classic and High-Quality Planner With Simple Features
Some reviewers found that there were several weeks missing in their planner, so the first thing you should do when you buy this is to make sure everything’s intact. If it’s not, have it replaced. On the other hand, reviewers like the sturdy pages, the clean design, and the features
At-a-Glance Monthly Planner ｜ Large
Tabbed to Make Each Month Easy to Reference
It’s like a desk calendar, so you can take one look and figure out what you’ve got planned for the month. And the squares for each day are big enough to jot down a few appointments.
But it’s not made for carrying–it has no pen holder, pockets, or elastic band. There’s also not enough space for people who have a lot of meetings in one day. Reviewers like the big boxes for each day where you can write a lot; plus, the tabs for each month were also a hit since they allow you to scroll through the pages easily.
Global Printed ProductsMonthly & Weekly Planner
Minimalist Riff on the Dotted Journal
It lies flat on your desk, so it’s easy to write in. The book is 5 by 8 inches, but it’s also available in bigger sizes. However, its simplicity has some drawbacks.
There’s little space to take notes, so if you have a lot to record, you’ll have to get a separate notepad. Reviewers like that it's practical and how most pens don't bleed through the pages.
Look More Professional With a Luxurious Leather Option
It’s 6.73 by 3.74 inches and has a small pen loop. But if you like to dump your keys and planner into your bag, the leather will scratch, so be careful about scoffs. Reviewers like how soft and high-quality the cover is and how it can fit a lot in it and still close.
Motivate Yourself by Writing down Priorities, Reviews, and Tasks
It has monthly, weekly, and daily sections too, but they will only last you for 90 days, provided you use it daily. Only purchase this option if you don’t mind using four of them in one year.
Reviewers like that dates aren't preprinted, so you can utilize the book efficiently if you don't like writing in it on weekends or holidays. They also like that it has so many ways to help you organize yourself and keep track of your goals.
Other Books to Help You Organize
Besides planners, you can use journals or plain notebooks to help you keep track of your life and goals. It can also be stress relieving or motivating to write your feelings in a diary. Regardless of what purpose you will use a new writing book for, check out some of our articles below if you need a little help choosing the best one.
The descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.