7 Best Planners For 2024 (Plus How To Actually Use One)
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Every year, we’ll buy a new planner and hope for our most productive, organized year to date. And inevitably, we’ll stop using it within a few weeks. You, too?
But in 2024, we’re doubling down on our intentions. We’ll find the planner that’s right for us and understand the best ways to use them—ones that align with our values and our working styles. To help us get there, we turned to Aileen Xu, an entrepreneur and content creator focused on lifestyle design. Her YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and her brand Lavendaire created the Weekly Reset Planner with input from thousands of users.
“Focus on the joy, and pinpoint the feeling of why you want to use your planner in the first place.”
— Aileen Xu
The key, Xu explains, is to make the process of consistently using a planner fun and rewarding, rather than a chore. “Make it something you look forward to. Focus on the joy, and pinpoint the feeling of why you want to use your planner in the first place. Whether you love the satisfaction of crossing off to-dos, reflecting on what you’re grateful for, or being organized, focus on that feeling to keep you motivated.”
Secondly, think about your needs. In Lavendaire’s focus groups and surveys for the Weekly Reset Planner, consumers shared their most-wanted features: gratitude sections, self-care spreads, weekly views, and a habit tracker. Consider which parts matter most to you: if you want a daily or weekly view, a physical or digital version, bullet journaling options, and so on.
Consider, too, if you want a dated or undated planner. Dated weeks, while helpful, can be discouraging if you miss a week or two. If you’re someone who’s just starting out their planner practice, Xu recommends an undated planner instead: “As someone who also finds it difficult to consistently use planners, I hated the feeling of wasting paper—not to mention the guilt!—when you don’t use your dated planner.” An undated planner means no guilt or wasted paper.
Finally, Xu shares a few tips on how to use your planner when it comes to time management—or in her words, attention management. “Become aware of what you give your attention to throughout the day…Having better time management starts with having the awareness and intention to point your attention to what matters most.”
“It’s not about getting more done, it’s about getting the right things done.”
— Aileen Xu
Once you know your most-important tasks, Xu suggests aiming for three important tasks per day rather than a never-ending to-do list. Jot those three to-dos down in your planner (or anywhere else you’ll see it throughout the day like a Post-it or your Notes app).
You may not get to them all and that’s okay. “Practice having grace for yourself and learn to focus on what you put on our plate. It’s not about getting more done, it’s about getting the right things done.”
To make the most of 2024, we’re sharing our favorite sustainable planners. For a paperless experience, we love noteamine’s digital planner that includes the same features you’ll find in a physical one. And, of course, the one you already have will be the most sustainable. 😉
However you plan out your next year, may it be your best one yet.
1. Lavendaire
Features | FSC certified paper, soybean ink, natural linen cover, eco-friendly packaging, monthly spreads, weekly planning, weekly reflections, habit tracker
Ships To | Worldwide
Price Range | $40
Lavendaire’s The Weekly Reset helps us live a more intentional life with each passing day. Updated in response to 2,500 pieces of user feedback, this undated planner offers space for weekly planning and reflections, moments of gratitude, habit tracking, as well as monthly spreads. (You’ll also receive a complimentary sticker set to zhuzh up the pages!) Gorgeous, eco-friendly, and meticulously made.
2. Papier
Features | Customizable, FSC certified paper, eco-friendly packaging, made-to-order, yearly & daily planners, ~500 options
Ships To | US, UK, Canada
Price Range | $35–$60
Papier is our go-to for customizable and sustainable paper goods. Originally from the UK and now with a US presence, this thoughtful brand uses FSC certified paper, recyclable packaging, and made-to-order practices to minimize waste. Plus, Papier teams up with makers from around the world to bring their creative ideas to life—like British-Iranian artist Laila Tara H and LGBTQ+ interior designer Matthew Williamson. We’ll take one of each (for planning at work and home) with our initials, please.
3. Wisdom Supply Co.
Features | Certified B Corp, zero waste, recycled & sustainable materials, locally made, gives back, monthly spreads, weekly planning, four cover options
Ships To | Worldwide
Price Range | $46
While other planners contain laminates, binding, and plastic, Wisdom Supply Co. opts to use only sustainable materials instead. This zero-waste planner uses recycled paper sheets and your choice of cover, made from straw, hemp, recycled denim and/or cotton textiles. Inside, enjoy monthly at-a-glance sections, 52 weekly spreads, and corner-cut guides so you can easily flip to the week you need. Once you’re done using it, you can throw the entire planner in recycling!
4. Ponderlily
Features | Recycled paper, vegetable-based inks, weekly & daily planners, Monday/Sunday starts, undated & dated options, monthly & weekly spreads, space for intentions & gratitude
Ships To | Worldwide
Price Range | $37–$59
Started by Carina Lawson, Ponderlily is a UK-based small business offering gorgeously designed planners and journals. Whether you prefer a Monday or Sunday start date to your week, an undated or dated calendar, or a daily planner over a weekly, Ponderlily has them all. Thoughtfully printed in Europe, every page is made of recycled paper and a vegetable-based ink. We especially like the extra space for notes, gratitudes, and habit tracking—self-care for our best selves.
5. Green Dreamer
Features | Recycled paper, cotton cloth covers, gives back, designed by sustainability activist Kaméa Chayne, digital & physical copies, undated, various cover options
Ships To | US (digital option available)
Price Range | $10–$35
From Kaméa Chayne, sustainability activist, host of Green Dreamer, and The Good Trade team favorite, comes the Green Dreamer Planner. Available as a digital download or as a physical planner, this intentional planner combines goal-setting guides, affirmation sections, weekly actions, and undated weekly spreads all in one. The pages are 100 percent recycled, and the optional cover cloths are 100 percent recycled cotton, too. Proceeds support the Green Dreamer podcast.
6. Karst
Features | Certified B Corp, sustainable & upcycled stone paper, carbon-neutral, ethically made, weekly planners, reflection prompts & monthly themes, daily goal setting
Ships To | Worldwide (or find at stockists)
Price Range | $39–$69
Karst is a certified B Corp changing the way we think about paper. Instead of using trees, Karst leverages upcycled calcium carbonate and resin for stone paper—it’s waterproof, recyclable, and exceptionally smooth to write on. The weekly planner contains daily goal setting, weekly and monthly reflection prompts, and monthly themes focused on self-improvement. If you can’t find what you need online, you can sometimes find Karst products at stockists in-person.
7. Soumkine
Features | Zero waste planners, ethically made in France, Italian paper, weekly & daily planners, blank options
Ships To | Worldwide
Price Range | $15–$49
Fiodor Sumkin spent years trying to find the perfect notebook, and when he couldn’t, he made his own. Soumkine offers high-quality, affordable paper goods, including planners we love. Yes, you can choose from daily and weekly options. Or, if you’re less structured and just want enough space for the year, consider the “zero-waste” planners made with 68 pages for your to-dos, goals, and dreams. These are locally printed in Paris using raw Italian paper—so they’re about as luxurious as they sound.
Featured image from Lavendaire
