Planner Pad Review

I wrote this Planner Pad review to introduce you to this unique paper planner that offers a new twist on planning.

By anyone’s standards I am what you would call a planner junkie. I swear I have tried them all.

And I do have a few favorites, the Planner Pad® being one of them. (As you can tell by the scuffed up cover in the photo above.)

In this review I will show you a peek inside and explain how this planning system works.

The Planner Pad Layout

On the surface, the Planner Pad is rather plain, but inside is where the magic happens.

The layout of the Planner Pad is different than most other planners.

Planner Pad® uses a funnel system to help you categorize, prioritize, and schedule your to do’s so that they actually get done – which is the ultimate goal, isn’t it?

Let Me Show You How It’s Done

The Planner Pad is a two page per week layout that is split into 3 sections.

Weekly Lists by Category

The top section is a weekly list of your To Do items organized by category.

I call this section the brain dump.

Across the top I write the projects that I am working on for the week, including a list for Home, another for Self Development, and one for Paperwork.

As I think of things that I need to do for each project, I add them to the appropriate list.

Daily Things To Do

The top section funnels down into the second section.

This is where you take the items from the top section and assign them to a particular day.

If you have a To Do that is due on Wednesday – you know you need to do some work on Monday and Tuesday to get it done.

Appointments

The third section of the Planner Pad® is for your appointments.

This is where you identify the time that you have available to work on your To Do’s.

If I have a client appointment on Monday from 8 to 10 and another from 12 to 5, then I can see that I had better get my Monday To Do’s done between 10 and 12. If I don’t then it will end up being a late night!

Paper vs. Electronic Planners

A quick word on paper vs. electronic planners – I use them together.

Since I always have my iPhone with me, I record all appointments directly into the iPhone.

On Sunday, when I do my planning for the week, I transfer all my appointment data into the Appointments section of the Planner Pad®.

Then, for the week at large, I use my paper planner to jot down notes, color code, and create.

There is a certain power in putting pen to paper. I find that it improves my memory and helps me organize my thoughts in ways that my iPhone just can’t.

I know that I am not alone in this thought process. This article on Fast Company provides more proof that writing things down the old fashioned way is beneficial.

How to Get the Planner Pad®

You won’t find the Planner Pad® at your local office supply store.

It is only available through Amazon – you can click here to see it: PlannerPad.

There are 2 sizes to choose from – 8 1/2 x 11 or 6 3/4 x 8 1/2. And there are 2 basic colors (black or green), and one themed organizer.

One of the things that I love about Planner Pad® is that you can choose your start date by quarter.

For example, my planner started last October.

This means that you don’t have to wait for the end of the year or mid year to get started.

What is Your Favorite Paper Planner?

The Planner Pad is a great choice if you are looking for a way to improve your productivity.

The unique funnel approach to planning will help you to fit the next steps to each of your projects into each day.

I know that there are so many great options for paper planners out there that it can be hard to choose the right one.

If you are having trouble with this follow these tips for picking the perfect planner.

I would love to hear about your favorite planners – tell me about yours in the comments below.

More Planner Reviews

• Visual people might love the Erin Condren LifePlanner
• Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner is designed to keep you on track with your goals.
• Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly Planner Review

Note that I did not receive any compensation for this Planner Pad review. I purchased a Planner Pad® last year for my own use and liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you. I have since purchased an additional 2 organizers for my sons. As a self professed planner junkie I have also tried a few other planners recently (because I can’t help myself) and will share those reviews with you as well.