After meticulously flipping through every weekly planner I could find in Office Depot, I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as a “good” and a “bad” planner.
To help anyone that is also passionate about getting organized during the summer, allow me to introduce you to the world of planners.
Starting off with the Legend Planner; there’s a reason they call it “deluxe.” The cover comes in 19 different colors each engraved with a clock face design. But beyond the aesthetics, the Legend Planner allows users to keep track of their personal, spiritual, health, relationship and work goals with weekly habit trackers and monthly goals.
Even better, this planner also keeps all months and days undated so that the user can start from whenever they choose. That way, you don’t have to feel behind if you decide to start jotting down plans later in the year.
My favorite part about this planner, however, is the first few pages that ask the user to write down their dreams, passion and priorities. A few pages after, there are slots to write down both one-year goals and three-month goals which are accompanied by spaces to strategize how to achieve them. In total, it’s the perfect planner for those that are goal-oriented and also want to focus on their well-being.
For some, the Legend Planner might just have a little too much fluff, and they would prefer a simpler approach. Here, I introduce you to the undated weekly goals notebook.
At just $9, this minimalistic planner has all the necessary parts: weekly goals, habit trackers and space to write down daily plans. The best part, in my opinion, is the spiral binding. Spiral bound notebooks allow for users to cut their space uptake by half and maximize room for their work.
Another option, which might be a little less conventional, is Notion. Notion is a website that allows users to make custom pages that suit whatever needs they have, completely free.
With Notion, I’ve created habit-trackers, diary entries, playlists, to-do lists, timelines and, of course, a calendar. Plus, I choose to spice up my pages with GIFs and pictures to reflect my own aesthetic. Even if you’re not sure how to design your pages, the website offers free templates and you can find more online.
Because Notion is an online tool, it’s easy to take it everywhere. “Keeping a planner has really helped me stay on top of all my goals,” senior Shrika Kantipudi said. “Though, lately, I’ve been looking for an online version that can go with me everywhere. Notion has been the perfect planner to take on all my trips this summer.”
Another online alternative that has quickly become a favorite of mine for the summer is ClickUp. ClickUp is a free website that allows you to add people to your workspace to collaborate on projects.
Each project tab comes with to-do lists, calendars, documents and so much more. That way group assignments or even just staying up to date with friends can be made easy. You can even play “teacher” with this site as it allows you to assign specific tasks to people shared in the workspace.
These features are perfect for the go-getters of the summer who want to stay on top of their work. Just recently, I have begun to use ClickUp to set due dates for completing different parts of the college application process. With my friends added to these projects, we can be ahead of the game together.
Regardless of what planner you choose to use, starting with one now may help you have your best summer yet.
