The Best Planners for Any Organizational Style
Whether you’re looking to figure out long-term goals, or keep up with day-to-day tasks, these ADHD-friendly planners are well suited to meet your needs.
Bullet Journal
> $24.95; bulletjournal.com
If you spend time on Instagram or Pinterest, you’ve likely seen pictures of brightly colored and elegantly designed “bullet journals,” which are sweeping the Web as the latest organizational fad. Chances are, those social media snippets left you a little confused by the seemingly complex journaling system.
Bullet journals, however, might be the perfect solution for people with ADHD, who often don’t have the patience to use traditional journals. The bullet journal’s simple system uses bulleted lists to combine your to-do list, daily diary, and long-term calendar into one straightforward system that’s easy to update, understand, and adapt to your needs.
Here’s how it works: Different symbols divide bullets into tasks, upcoming events, random thoughts, and long-term goals. An index makes it easy to keep track of everything as you go, and weekly and monthly calendars — as well as a long-term “future log” — make it easy to view your upcoming projects, trips, and dreams at a glance.
[The Power of a Well-Crafted To-Do List]
The company Bullet Journal sells an official journal, but they emphasize that you can use almost any notebook. Pick up one that suits your fancy, and learn how to use it at bulletjournal.com/get-started.
GOALDRVN
> $39; goaldrvnplanner.com
Traditional planners are great for keeping track of daily tasks and mid-length projects. But they can be counterproductive for people with ADHD, who tend to hyperfocus on the daily minutiae of their to-do lists — often at the expense of their long-term goals. For those who want to use their planner to see and sort out the “big picture,” GOALDRVN is the perfect solution.
GOALDRVN is an undated weekly planner that guides you through a step-by-step system designed to help you recognize — and implement — your long-term goals and lifelong dreams. A “Goal-Setting” section lets you create a vision board of your ideal life, while the “Planning” section helps you draw a road map for how you’re going to get there. A “Habit Building” section helps you set monthly goals for improving your habits and (finally) sticking to a productive routine.
[You Don’t Have to Do Everything]
The rigorous structure of the planner might be overwhelming to ADHD brains, at first. Luckily, the planner also includes 100 “Freedom” pages, and the undated format gives you the power to start, stop, and resume your goals at any time.
Seize the Day Planner
> $31.95; mochithings.com
If you prefer a minimalist style — or if the thought of following a specific journaling “system” makes your eye twitch — try the simple and eye-catching Seize the Day planner, which doesn’t demand that you use it in any particular way. Rather, it provides enough monthly, daily, intro, note, and “personal” pages to let you use the planner for at least a year.
This undated planner can be used to keep track of your appointments, daily schedule, checklists, to-do lists, or as a good old-fashioned journal. It comes in several colors, and can be purchased in a special “100 Stories” format that allows you to paste in photos and divide your planner into five specific “chapters.”
Seize the Day comes with pockets on the inside covers that let you store Post-its, ticket stubs, business cards, or any scraps of paper that you carry. The planner’s spiral format and compact size make it easy to carry and use wherever or whenever works best for you.
NOTE: Please note that all names, models, prices, links, and specifications were accurate and items were in stock at the time of this article’s last update on January 31, 2022.
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