10 Best Daily Planners (Review) In 2021

A lot of research goes into what makes us happy. We know that eating well, exercising, and socializing with our friends are sure-fire ways to improve our mood, but did you know that setting goals is also an important life skill? This diary uses scientific evidence on goal setting to help you plan every day. On each page, there is space to list your priorities, schedule your day, and write any tasks that need doing.

But that’s not where it stops. The Panda Planner also has a huge focus on positive affirmation. At the start of each day, there is a space to write about what you’re grateful for and what you’re excited about. Then, at the end of the day, you write down ‘today’s wins’ and how you can improve. This small act of self-reflection can have a significant positive impact on your mental health. This is one of the most popular diary planners for a reason. We strongly believe everyone could benefit from having a Panda Planner.

This next diary might not be full of self-help guides, but it’s perfect for keeping your life organized. The main part of the diary is split into weeks and months. That means you can keep a more detailed weekly schedule and just write significant dates into the monthly section. You also get 16 monthly stickers, so that you can quickly skip to the page you need.

One of our favorite features of ArtFan diary daily planner is the off-white paper. Instead of bleach-white paper, they’ve used a slightly darker color, which is much more attractive. It’s also thicker than standard printer paper, so it’s satisfying to write on. The outside of the diary is made from durable crosshatch leather and it’s all held together with an integrated elastic band. There’s nothing particularly innovative or new about this diary, but if you’re just looking for a way to keep your daily life organized, it’s perfect. And, for the quality, it’s affordable.

The Clever Fox Planner is pretty similar to the Panda Planner. Aside from the standard weekly, monthly, and yearly planning sections, there’s space dedicated to self-reflection. At the start of the planner, there’s an awareness, gratitude, and self-discovery section. There’s even space to write your ‘big goals’, create a vision board, and draw a mind map (don’t worry, if you don’t understand any of it, there’s a user manual).

After that, you’ve got your standard daily and monthly planner section. Everything is presented on high-quality 120gsm Swedish paper. There’s also a handy pocket to keep things like bills, loose bits of paper, and receipts. However, our favorite feature (by far) is the 50 pages of doodle space at the back. There’s nothing like distracting yourself from what you should be doing with some mindless doodling. The Clever Fox Planner comes in 12 different colors. Plus, it comes with 3 ribbons of colorful stickers, which you can use to organize your diary. We also love the fact that it comes in a premium gift box. It’s the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for someone who loves to stay organized.

The Productivity Planner by Intelligent Change is perfect for those who take the organization seriously. It doesn’t come in different colors and there are no stickers included. It’s not that kind of diary. Don’t be put off though, this diary is still a great way to stay organized. It’s not a yearly planner though – there are only 23 weekly pages, so it’s designed for 6 months of planning.

At the start of each week, there is space to plan the following 7 days. You can list the most important tasks, the task of secondary importance, and additional tasks. This is a sober way of getting your week in order. Then, at the end of each week, there is a section called the ‘Weekly Review’. This is the place for a little self-reflection. Note down how you think the week has gone and ways in which you could improve your productivity. If you’re not 100% convinced, don’t worry. Intelligent Change guarantee increased productivity or your money back.

If you’re looking for a budget diary planner, the Blue Sky 2020 Weekly & Monthly Planner is one of the best. Unlike the more expensive, modern calendars, it doesn’t have any self-help sections. This is more your traditional weekly and monthly planner. You get sections – one for the months and one for weeks. Both sections are spread across 2 pages, so there’s plenty of space to keep you more organized.

It might not have any self-help sections, but it does have a few little extra to keep you on top of things. There’s space to write important appointments, to-dos, reminders, and ideas. At the back of the book, there’s also a handy list of holidays and a place to write down important contacts. This might not be the most premium diary planner on this list, but it’s better than most you’d find in a shop. It’s printed on high-quality paper and the cover is durable and attractive. If it’s a cheap diary planner you’re looking for, this is the one we’d recommend.

The BestSelf Co. The SELF Journal takes self-motivation to the next level. It helps you plan out the next 13 weeks of your life to maximize your productivity, become more successful, and become happier. Because it’s only designed for a quarter of the year, it’s perfect for business people and entrepreneurs (who split the financial year into quarters).

On each page, you can write your daily goals, track your big-picture goals, prioritize your day, and reflect on successes and failures. It also has space to write down your activities and habits (such as waking up early or working out) and tracking if you achieve them each day. All of these sections motivate you to become a better version of yourself. Not only has this diary been featured in multiple big-name publications (New York Times, Inc magazine, etc.), it’s recommended by a lot of entrepreneurs. There’s a quote from Daymond John, founder of The Shark Group, on their Amazon listing. If you’re the business-minded type, this is the diary planner for you.

You might recognize the title of this diary planner. Yep, that’s because it’s the same as the last product. However, in this pack, you get 4 of them, in different colors. That means you can keep your productivity high throughout the business year, without any breaks. The main benefit of buying this 4 pack is that you save nearly $25. We also really like the fact that you get them in different colors, so you don’t get confused. This is also cool because they’re a great keepsake, especially if you used them during a time of your life that was particularly successful.

They’re undated, so you can start writing in them at any time. If you’re an entrepreneur, we think it’s best to line your diaries up with the quarters of the business year. The benefit of this is that you can easily reflect on your last quarter and find ways to improve. We think BestSelf Co. SELF Journal is essential for anyone trying to succeed in the business world. They might be a bit more expensive than other diaries, but that will seem insignificant when the profits start rolling in. For more useful products for your professional needs, check out our guide to the best pens for work.

If you’re a busy person, it’s easy for stuff to show signs of wear and tear. For example, if you’re a traveling businessman, constantly unpacking and repacking a briefcase, by the end of the year, your diary can look tired. The Day-Timer Distressed Look Starter Set Organizer solves that problem completely. The paper diary is housed in a large case, keeping it in perfect condition throughout the year. The case is made from simulated leather vinyl, which has been distressed to make it look like it’s used. It also has multiple pockets to keep cards, pens, receipts, and other important things.

The diary inside is pretty basic. You get 3 months’ worth of undated planning pages. On top of that, it’s got space for to-do lists, a contact book, and even a map of the USA. It’s not the most stacked diary planner, but it does the job. We reckon this is the perfect diary for people on the move constantly. Especially those that struggle to keep things in good working order.

If you’re looking at this diary planner and wondering why it’s so ugly, don’t worry. It’s not the finished product. It’s a book full of refill sheets, so you don’t have to keep buying a new diary every year. Of course, you need to have an existing Day-Timer diary planner for it to work. The sheets in this refill pad cover 12 months (January 2020 – December 2020).

The 12 months is split into separate days, each of which covers a whole 2-page spread. That means you’ve got plenty of space to list your appointments (from 8:00 am – 5:45 am), action lists, and notes. This refill pad works perfectly with the Day-Timer diary planner we featured last in this list. You could use it to replace the 3 months that are provided with the simulated leather case. The Day-Timer diary planner is perfect for traveling salesmen and people who are self-employed. It has space built into each page to track your auto mileage and expenses, so you can claim them back at a later date. 

We’ve all heard about German efficiency. Well, why not bring that into your daily planning. Leuchtturm is a stationery brand founded in Hamburg over 100 years ago, so they’ve had plenty of time to create the perfect diary planner. One of the things people love most about this diary planner is the quality of the paper. They use 80 g/m² acid-free paper, which works with pretty much every ink. It’s a hard thing to describe the paper quality, but you can tell the difference when you write in Leuchtturm1917 planner.

Inside, they haven’t wasted any space with unnecessary details. On one side of the page, there’s a space for you to plan your week and the other side is just lined paper for notes. The notepad comes in 4 different colors and has an elastic strap to keep it together. Our only complaint is that it doesn’t lie completely flat when you lay it on a table.