Have you been working on your 2022 planner stack?  There have definitely been plenty of releases and cover reveals to keep you wanting all the planners.  But, when it comes to choosing the best planner for you it’s what’s on the inside that matters most. Yes, we all love the gorgeous covers and shiny new foil but the layout can really be a deal breaker when it comes to function and making your planner work for you. 

In this upcoming series of the Planner’s Guide, we are going to take a closer look at some of the many layout options that are currently available. This time, we are focusing on weekly layout options (vertical section, vertical columns, hourly, horizontal, custom) to help you decide which planner will work best for you in the year ahead. 

Before we dive in, let’s first consider a few important questions:

• Let’s start with the basics – Do I like to plan in a vertical or horizontal spread?

• How many planners will I be using – Will this planner be used strictly as an overview of my week or will it be a catch all for everything?

• What area of my life or role does this planner serve?

• Do I have a lot of appointments or like to time block – maybe a planner with hourly layouts?

• Is it hard for me to write in open space – should there be lines or no lines?

• Are my weekends busy – or is it ok if weekends share a space?

All of this and more — like size, paper quality, binding, portability — are important when choosing a planner.  Plus compound that with the distraction of shiny object syndrome or FOMO during launch season and you can later be left feeling buyer’s remorse. 

WEEKLY PLANNER LAYOUTS

There is definitely no shortage of options when it comes to weekly layouts considering most people really appreciate having that week-at-a-glance. In fact, just about every brand offers their own version of weekly planner.  Here are a few examples and recommendations to explore:

Vertical Sections

Other Recommendations: Plum Paper, Lights Planner Action, GoGetter Girl Co, Rongrong DeVoe

Vertical Columns

Other Recommendations: Aura Estelle, Plum Paper, Lights Planner Action, MakseLife

Hourly

Other Recommendations: Erin Condren, The Happy Planner, Plum Paper, Lights Planner Action, QuoVadis, Cadash & Co, Commit 30, Passion Planner, The Fabulous Planner

Horizontal

Other Recommendations: Erin Condren, The Happy Planner, Plum Paper, Lights Planner Action, Day Designer, Simplified, Amelia Lane

Custom & Unique

Other Recommendations: Agendio, Golden Coil, Purple Trail, Personal Planner, The Penny Pages, Lights Planner Action, Jane’s Agenda, Fancy Plans Co, May Designs