Using Multiple Planners and My 2021 Planner Lineup

When I missed a lunch meeting a little over 5 years ago and bought my first pretty paper planner, I never thought I’d become so obsessed with planners and planning. I started with that one planner, but it has led me to have so many more.

That said, I’m not just collecting pretty books that I’m leaving to collect dust on a shelf. Each planner I use is a trusted tool in keeping me organized and feeling peaceful about my life. I seriously use each one regularly- although I’m in some more than others.

And, I am definitely not the only person to use more than one planner (although I do worry I may be one of the few that uses as many as I plan to use next year). Try a Google search or check on YouTube, and you will find lots of articles and videos about how to use multiple planners and the types of planners each person is using in a particular year or even quarter.

Each person who uses multiple planners has their own story for how they came to use more than one and what purpose each of their planners serve. Some folks have one planner for work and another for home. Others devote entire planners to meal planning, fitness, or social media content.

The decision to use multiple planners is a personal one. It’s based on they type of schedule and obligations you have as well as your desire to maintain more than one book on a regular basis.

Below, I discuss how to know whether using more than one planner will work for you, offer some suggestions for those who want to try using multiple planners, and present my planning lineup for 2021. I’ll also say, that this article is about using paper planners. (Using digital planners can be a great way to try different types of planning using a single device, but that is for another article 😊).

How to Know if Using Multiple Planners Will Work for You

As with anything, there are benefits and drawbacks to using more than one planner at a time. What works for one person will be a hinderance to another. Before you run out and buy a bunch of planners, here are some things to consider if you are interested in trying to use more than one planner.

The Benefits of Using More Than One Planner

Organizing A Busy Life. As much fun as it appears (or at least to us planner fanatics, it appears fun), most folks who use more than one planner are usually just busy people. Having more than one planner, in this situation, is more of a need than a want. What that means is, any single planner is simply too small to contain all the planning, scheduling, and lists in an organized way. If you have a lot of moving parts to your life that is leaving your planner bursting at the seams, it may be that you need more than one planner.

Compartmentalizing Your Life. When you have a lot of moving parts in your life, it may be best to keep them separate so you can focus on each one as needed. For example, you probably don’t need to keep all of your to dos and ideas for a volunteer committee in the same planner that you are tracking your fitness and wellness goals. By assigning different planners to different responsibilities or aspects of your life, you can keep the focus on the one you’re working on at that moment.

Using Different Planning Formats. Along the same lines, some planner formats are really helpful for organizing one aspect of your life while another format might be better for a different one. What I appreciate about using separate planners is that you can assign different formats to different planning needs. For example, for my blog content planning, I really just need a monthly layout with some lined note sheets to brainstorm and outline my blog entries. But, for my workdays, it’s really important that I pay attention to how much time I’m spending on things, my to do list, and my scheduled appointments, which makes a daily planner ideal. For ideas on different types of planning methods, see my first article on Decoding Planner Terms here.

Fun Hobby. At the end of the day, if you love paper, stickers, washi tape, and pens, you may just want to have a few planners that give you the opportunity to get creative. I love my weekly planner and set it up to be visually pleasing to me. But, because I keep my day job details in there, I could never share it with others. It also doesn’t leave a lot of room for pretty layouts. So, I have a Happy Planner that I use to try out different sticker kits and color combinations. While it functions as an after-work/personal planner, I find it a relaxing hobby to decorate it with stickers and washi tape each week. As you can see, this week’s theme was Wonder Woman, which I featured on my IG – @planonthesunrise.

The Wonder Woman stickers I used for this layout can be found on Amazon using this link– (#AD)

The Drawbacks to Using Multiple Planners

Using more than one planner is not right for everyone. So, it’s important to figure out whether you have the time and inclination to keep up with more than one. Here are some things to consider:

You Don’t Relate to the Benefits. Basically, if the section above on the benefits of multiple planners doesn’t seem relatable or appealing to you, using more than one planner may not be your thing. So, if you don’t wear a lot of hats in your life, don’t care to separate out your tasks, and your current planner is just enough for you, one planner may be all you need. This is especially true if you wouldn’t consider using several planners as a hobby on its own.

You’re a Minimalist. Having more then one planner necessarily means having more stuff. It can also result in extra office and craft supplies that can be considered clutter. If you prefer to have a more streamlined existence, you might be better off choosing a planner that can be customized to serve several functions rather than having several books that feel like they are taking up space and complicating your life.

Time is a Rare Commodity. Planning in multiple planners takes time. If you don’t feel like you have the time to keep up with writing down things in more than one planner, or just wouldn’t like to spend your free time this way, it probably won’t work for you. The same is true if you don’t think you’ll have the time to review and use the planners. There’s no point in having a planner if you are going to write in it occasionally but not check it regularly.

Paper is Not Your Thing. As I noted in the introduction of this article, this post is about having multiple paper planners. That may mean carrying several books or binders filled with paper and pens or pencils to write in them. (When I go on vacation I have a separate large bag just for my planners). Also, if you prefer a digital medium over paper, then no matter how pretty they are, you probably won’t use them.

Multi-Tasking Isn’t Appealing. If you’re not a big multi-tasker and keeping up with more than one book seems like it would be overwhelming, you probably don’t need to use more than one planner. While using planners should help keep you organized, it takes a certain level of effort and organization to maintain multiple planners. Each one will require you to regularly take it out, check it, and add to it. The more planners you add, the more you’ll need to juggle these tasks among the planners. Below, I’ll explain how I use each of my planners and how they fit into my days, weeks, months, and even years.

It Can Get Pricey. This one should be obvious. Having multiple planners, even inexpensive ones, can be an expensive endeavor since the costs add up. Even buying some on sale or with coupons can mean spending well over $100 dollars a year when using one planner will cost just a fraction of that amount. If money is tight, multiple planners may be out of the budget.

Suggestions For Trying to Use Multiple Planners

Although I listed some of the drawbacks for using multiple planners, I still think it’s worth trying it if you have a busy life that could use the organization different planners bring. Below are some tips for starting out with more than one planner and how to add on others as you figure out what works for you:

Have a Master Planner. No matter how many planners I use, I always have one that is my master planner. Your master planner should be the one planner that, even if you lost all the others, you’d still be able to keep up with your obligations with it in your possession. I recommend a weekly layout with monthly calendar views for your master planner. What makes it a master planner is that it should have all of your appointments and most important to dos. This is what my 17-month, large weekly planner is for me. It is the one planner that I take everywhere- medical appointments, the dentist, kids’ appointments, work, school meetings, etc.

Figure Out Your Needs. Although I want to buy every planner that I see (literally, because they all have some unique or beautiful feature that I find interesting), I have been very strategic in purchasing planners that will work for my particular needs. Because I’ve always used a horizontal layout, my master planner is a horizontal. But, I needed a daily planner with three things: an hourly schedule, a to do list, and space for notes, which led me to the Simplified Daily. Your planners should reflects the purpose you have for using them.

Go Slow. I didn’t start using multiple planners all at once. That I currently use this many at one time is the result of an evolution in my planning. I started with one and then added others as I found I needed them. So, start with your master planner and see if there’s area of your life that requires more space for planning. Perhaps your master planner cannot handle all of your daily to dos, so it makes sense to add a daily planner to your routine. Or, you may be training for a marathon and need a fitness planner to jot down your workouts, calorie intake, and motivational phrases. Try not to add more than one planner at a time and once you add a new planner to your routine, use it and the ones you already own for several months before adding another.

Research Planners You’re Interested In. One of the reasons I do planner reviews on my blog is so folks can get an idea about a planner before purchasing one. And, the way I came to find the planners that I use was through reading reviews about them in articles or watching them online. I’ve mentioned her before, but the YouTuber, Amanda of Amanda’s Favorites has a lot of reviews where she walks you through the specs of various planners. In fact, she has so many to review, she’s taken to posting some videos on IGTV – @AmandasFavorites. Kelli Plans it All also has a great YouTube channel where she has reviewed planners from some lesser known companies. If you search for the name of the planner you’re interested in and “review” you may find customer reviews, blogs, and YouTube videos that will help provide information before you purchase it.

Try Inexpensive Versions. If you are simply looking to try different planner styles (horizontal, vertical, dashboard, etc.) but are not sure if they’ll work for you, start with more inexpensive versions before investing in a flagship brand. For example, the Simplified Weekly planner comes out twice a year in hard-cover binding and costs around $50 with shipping. However, the company has partnered with At-A-Glance and has the same layout but less expensive binding on paper. You can find these on Amazon or at your local Staples office supply store. Day Designer has partnered with Blue Sky and has similar daily planners on Amazon at a fraction of the cost of their flagship version (see below). If you’re interested in a high-priced vertical layout, try the Happy Planner first. Once you find that the cheaper versions work for you, you can spend money on the more expensive versions, if that’s your thing.

“Day Designer for Blue Sky” – a collaboration between Day Designer and Blue Sky (#Ad)-

Experiment First. You may not need to buy an entire new planner to try out a different planning method for some aspect of your life. Just using a notebook you own or adding paper and inserts to a customizable planner you already have might give you the space to experiment. I discuss many of these customizable planners in my second Decoding Planner Terms article. For example, if you already own a Traveler’s Notebook system, that can allow you to add different books, some with pre-printed layouts for months, weeks, or daily planning. Ring-bound planners have space for adding various inserts, as do disc-bound systems like the Happy Planner. Trying out a different planning method in several weeks’ worth of planning pages can help you identify whether you need a new planner for that type of planning or if the added section will continue to work for you.

My 2021 Planner Lineup

Now that you know a little bit about the pluses and minuses of using multiple planners and have some suggestions for getting started, here is my lineup for this coming year and a quick summary of how I use (and plan to use) each planner.

Planners I Will Use for Daily Planning (Depending on the Day)

Ban.do Large, 17-Month Weekly. This is my master planner and has been since I first started buying nice planners a few years ago. I love that it spans 17-months because I can do the sort of long-term planning we moms tend to do for our families (and that I mentioned in this article on planners that cover more than 12 months). I use it for all of my scheduled obligations- work, teaching, church, personal, kid stuff, etc. It’s an extension of my brain and I carry it wherever I go. I purchased this particular planner during a May launch before some problems with the company were revealed that I mentioned in this article. In terms of how often I’m in this book- definitely each work day, and on Saturday when I transfer into my weekend planner the appointments I’ve set for Saturday and Sunday in my Ban.do.

I think I found a comparable alternative to the Ban.do planner and hope to buy a Large, 17-month Pipsticks + Workman planner next year. Here is one for this year- (#AD).

Simplified Daily Planner. I’m on my third Simplified Daily and cannot imagine my life without it. As I wrote in an article posted last year, I start with a fresh page every day (I rarely ever plan ahead it in). I transfer my appointments and reminders from my weekly planners and fit them into a schedule and to do list. As I wrote in this recent post, I also use the notes section to prioritize my day and plan for the next one. Since I have a day job, this planner is mostly used during the work week (Monday through Friday) with the calendar layout devoted to the deadlines and schedules of the students I supervise throughout the year for my office.

Happy Planner Classic Vertical Weekly. This 18-month planner, which I reviewed in this prior post, serves several purposes for me. First, the three vertical boxes per day gives me plenty of space to plan out three categories of tasks- household, fitness, and after-work personal to do’s. Second, the layout is perfect for using sticker kits and decorating. Although it only takes a few minutes to create a layout, I find this to be a stress-relieving activity and fun creative outlet. In that way, I use it for self-care. I decorate this planner on the weekend and refer to it daily to make sure I’m on task in each of the areas I track in it. Here is a 2021, 12-month Happy Planner classic vertical planner that is in the latest Stargazer theme (which I think is pretty gorgeous) (#Ad):

Lilly Pulitzer To Do Planner. This is a new version of a planner I reviewed in 2019. In that article, I explained that none of my planners have the space I need to plan out my weekends. In fact, most planners don’t have much space for weekend planning, and since my working mom status leaves me with a lot of errands and projects on the weekends, I needed something with more space that I could tote around with me on my days off. This planner has a great two-page layout with sections for appointments, shopping lists, top priorities, calls & emails on one page, and a full page for notes on the other, which I use as a big to-do list. It is undated, and it lasts several years if you only use a two-page layout per week, as I have. My old one will be all used up by the last week of December, so I’ll be starting the new year in this one. I am in this book two days a week- I set up the weekend’s lists Saturday morning and check off what I’ve completed throughout the weekend.

The only drawback is that I don’t think Lily Pulitzer is making To Do Planners in this style, so grab one on Amazon while you can (#Ad)!

Specialty Purpose Planners

PowerSheets Goal-Setting Planner. I write about this planner often throughout the year and cannot say enough good things about it. Although in recent years, they’ve added monthly calendar layouts, the planner itself is really more about goal-setting and habit tracking than traditional planning. For a full review, check out this recent post. In terms of how I use it, I am in this book every evening. It sits on a book stand next to my bed and I review it daily, using the monthly layout to track daily wins, the notes sidebar for a prayer list, and checking off my daily, weekly, and monthly habits as I complete them. It has kept me on track for several years, and I cannot recommend it enough!

Michael’s Recollections Creative Year Personal Planner. Earlier this year, I explained how I use the Michael’s Recollections personal-sized binder planner as an easy, affordable faith planner in this post . This is my fifth year using these little binders for faith planning. I use their monthly and weekly planner inserts as well as their Spiritual and Inspiration inserts. To keep up with church events, I add those to the undated Creative Year Calendar inserts. The weekly planner pages I use as a gratitude journal. I am in this planner each night, and it sits with my PowerSheets Planner. I check the monthly section for church activities before writing out a list of 5 things I’m grateful for in the weekly layouts.

Erin Condren Monthly Planner. I’ve been using a monthly planner for blog planning since the Fall of 2019. I discuss the benefits of a monthly planner (which has no weekly or daily layouts) for blog planning in this article here. While I noted in a prior post that I will not be using an Erin Condren next year, I will be staying with this one until I purchase a different one next spring. I tend to use this planner mostly on the days that I am planning blog content, brainstorming article ideas, and outlining posts. I also include my goals for the month in the monthly dashboard sections and plan out when I’ll be writing which posts. During the week, I’m in this book maybe 2-3 days.

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Holiday Traveler’s Notebook. Around the end of 2019, I wrote this post on how to use a traveler’s notebook for a holiday planner. That year, I was using an old red traveler’s notebook cover I got off of Amazon. The elastic band on that one fell apart, so I purchased this fabric, holiday-themed cover from an Etsy shop this year. I have 5 inserts, in it including ones from JM Planning Essentials. My inserts help me keep track of my holiday lists (shopping, etc.), traditions, spending, calendar, and menus. I mostly use this planner in November and December to plan for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I use it like a bullet journal, making lists and creating my own layouts. If I take it out during the year, it will only be to add gift ideas to a shopping list for the next holiday season.

My Newest Planners

Happy Planner Recovery Edition. I reviewed this planner a few months ago in this prior post and discussed the many ways you can use it, even if you’re not in a 12-step recovery program. As I noted in that article, I thought it would be a great wellness and mental health planner, and that’s how I’ll be using it in 2021. Although the planner is new, I’ve already started the habit of using a planner for this purpose. I started with a smaller traveler’s notebook in the summer that had a monthly calendar insert as well as an insert for weekly planning. So, I don’t really see this as a truly new addition, but a different layout of something I have found works for me. I will likely be using this planner daily to check on my wellness and during my therapist appointments. These can be hard to find, so here’s a link so you can grab your own (#Ad):

Happy Planner Big Calligraphy Planner. I wasn’t sure if I should even include this as a new “planner,” but given that it’s a Happy Planner, I figured I might as well. I reviewed this large Happy Planner in a prior post , where I explained that, at least how I intend to use it, this is more of a hand-lettering workbook than a planner. As I described in my review, I love the look of hand lettering and have learned a lot about it but found my perfectionist tendencies left me overwhelmed as I tried to fill up entire pages with hand-lettering practice. I will be using this planner to see if I can improve my hand lettering techniques with just a few lines of practiced strokes and letters per night. So, although I’ll use it daily, I’ll probably be in it less than 5 minutes per night. Here’s one that you can order now (#Ad):

If it fits your lifestyle and planning needs, using multiple planners can be a fun and functional way to keep your many tasks and appointments organized throughout your week. Do you use more than one planner? If so, how many do you have and what are their functions? Leave a comment below!

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