My 2025 Planner Lineup

The workhorse, the goal-setter, and the too-pretty-to-pass-up

I love New Year’s Eve. Not because we go out—we don’t. Not because we drink champagne—we don’t. Not because we stay up until midnight—we usually don’t make it past the NYC ball drop at 11pm our time. But I love it because we stay in and cozy up and take down the Christmas tree and clean out things and, most nerdily, I close out my current planners and break out the new ones.

I have been a dedicated paper planner lover for at least a decade now, and at the end of each year, I give a lot of thought to what worked for me and what didn’t. For instance, when I was in burnout and then recovering from it, I realized a daily planner was too much pressure (all those to-do slots to fill and me not filling them) and I moved to a weekly layout.

Happily, in 2024, I felt better and was ready to go back to my daily planner. It’s been great getting back into the rhythm of that. I used it every day except for vacation days. So, I’ll be sticking with that in 2025. But, of course, I can’t have just one planner. Each has its own purpose. Here’s what I’m using this year:

The day-to-day workhorse planner: The Day Designer

I went with the tan faux leather cover. Ain’t she pretty?

The Day Designer has been the planner I’ve used the most over the years (since 2016 according to my order record.) It has a simple, elegant daily layout that is fine all on its own or blank-slate enough to add washi tape and stickers.

I like the huge space for a to-do list along with a column for my schedule, so I can put in coaching appointments or whatever else is going on that day. I’ve also sometimes used it for time-blocking. I love that there’s a Today’s Top Three box because that helps me prioritize. There are four boxes each day labeled Due, Dinner, Dollars, and Don’t Forget.

I don’t often use these boxes for their intended purposes but I do repurpose them. Sometimes I use the Dollars box to record word count when writing. Sometimes I’ll use a box to record a workout. There are also boxes at the bottom for extra notes and for daily gratitude. On weekends, the page is a little different with Saturday and Sunday on the Same page (Top 3 and schedule only, with a space at the bottom for future planning for the next week.)

What it looks like when I decorate the pages.

You also get full monthly calendars and some light goal-setting stuff at the beginning.

I think what I love most about it besides the smart layout is that it’s minimalist and elegant. I don’t like committing to one design for the whole year, so planners that are very colorful or have a bold design for the year aren’t my jam because I get bored of looking at the same colors or design elements. Day Designer lets me change it up with what washi tape (decorative paper tape), stickers, and pen colors I use or I can keep it simple for some weeks.

It’s my Goldilocks planner. Just right.

My washi collection

I may have a washi problem ;)

The goal-setting planner: Powersheets

Yes, I could set goals in the Day Designer, but I have found that I really like a system that guides me through big-picture questions for the year (and months.) I like questions to evaluate how those plans went and ways to make adjustments.

I have used the Powersheets from Cultivate What Matters for at least 5 years now if not longer and have found them tremendously useful. This is NOT a day-to-day planner. This is specifically a goal-planning system that walks you through the process of evaluating the different areas of your life and then setting goals around that.

At the start, you set up to ten big-picture goals you have for the year and then you break them down into a goal action plan.

After that, there is a process to go through each month where you evaluate how the previous month has gone, what you’d like to focus on in the coming month, and then set monthly/weekly goals and daily practices. This monthly tending page is where the magic is for me (that and the big goal-setting at the beginning.)

Each month, I decorate this page, set my goals, and then keep it open on my desk to check in with regularly. It helps me keep the ship pointed in the right direction.

At the end of each quarter, you also have the opportunity to check-in and revisit your big-picture goals from the beginning and adjust as needed.

The process has really kept me mindful and focused over the years. It’s one of those systems that works if you use it as intended. I love that it acts as a memory object as well. I can go back through the years and see what things keep coming back up, which goals I’ve met, what progress I’ve made. There’s also a spot for favorite memories each month and that’s fun to revisit.

So, if you’re looking to tackle some big-picture things in 2025, maybe check the Powersheets out. (Also, note that some of the stuff on the website is religious, but the Powersheets have no religious component.)

My I’m-Figuring-It-Out-Because-They-Were-Pretty-and-On-Sale Planners: Happy Planners

So. Okay. I cannot be expected to resist when Michaels puts Happy Planners on a BOGO sale. I bought these two because they were pretty and cheap and because I know I always find some use for random notebooks and planners. Also, because they are on a disc system, I can mix and match pages or frankenplan them together.

This first one has their horizontal layout, which generally works better for me than their classic vertical one. I’m considering using this one as a meal planner.

I figure I can put the dish/recipe location in the main section and then use the checkbox on the right to list any prep steps I may want to get out of the way earlier in the day.

This next one has the dashboard layout.

This one I think will turn into my content calendar for this newsletter. On the left side, I can list out the tasks I need to do, the post ideas, and what’s coming up the following week. Then, on the right side, I can list out the actual post schedule for the week.

We shall see!

The Wall Planner

This one isn’t used for planning but for recording. I really like Doodlelove’s calendars on Etsy and have ordered a few different versions over the years. I usually use them to record word count, but this year, I think I will use it for something different. I may use it to record exercise minutes since movement is a big goal for me in 2025. I could also use it to note the books I’ve read.

Regardless of how I end up using it, I love how pretty this looks on my wall and how sturdy the paper is.

Photo from Doodlelove on Etsy

So that’s the lineup this year. I’m sure the system will flex and shift around as I go, but I’m looking forward to this combo.

Some other planners or systems I’ve used and loved

• Need a weekly layout instead or want to mix and match layouts? I love Cloth & Paper’s gorgeous designs. Super elegant.

• Want a quarterly planning system that is flexible and can be done on paper or digitally plus uses a Kanban board? Try Sarra Cannon’s HB90 system (affiliate link.) Even though I use the Powersheets, I incorporate many of Sarra’s planning components (like the Kanban board) into my goal-setting. Plus, she’s a delight.

Alright, I think that about covers it. I hope you all have a wonderful New Year!

I’d love to hear if you use any planning systems and which you’ve found work best for you! Are you a planner? Do you like paper or have a digital system? Or, tell me what you’re doing for your New Year’s Eve! :)