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After the Mordor-level dumpster fire that was last year, it’s safe to say we’re all looking forward to the fresh start that a new year provides.

As we wave farewell to the Year That Shall Not Be Named, it’s a great time to take a beat for goal setting and productivity planning — which means you’re gonna need a solid planner that can serve as the ax to your Gimli.

Ready to kick this year’s metaphorical ass? Then look no further than this expert-curated list of the best productivity-cultivating planners— so you can rule them all! Er, your goals, that is.

We spoke to a few productivity pros to get the scoop on planners. Here’s what they told us to look for:

  • Goal setting pages and prompts. These can help you organize your thoughts and truly focus on the to-do’s that matter.
  • Time tracking. According to a 2010 study (and a smidge of common sense), people who plan their days effectively have a higher quality of life than those who fly by the seat of their pants.
  • Weekly spreads. “Your planner should be a weekly view, not a daily view,” recommends Megan Sumrell, a time management and productivity coach. “Your brain functions better and can prioritize and plan when it can ‘see’ your entire week instead of just one day.”
  • Generous note-taking space. So you can get your brain-dump on — good for getting things done and reducing stress.

Most importantly, adds life coach Krista-Lynn Landolfi, “Choose a planner that feels easy to use, one of that inspires you with thoughtful quotes or questions, or one that makes you feel like a boss.”

How to use a planner to maximize productivity

  • Use it daily. “Experts say it takes 21 days of practice to form a habit and 90 days for it to become your new normal,” explains Landolfi, “so using your planner daily is the first goal to aim for.”
  • Hold yourself accountable. “Once you have that system, it’s about treating it with reverence,” explains Jeremy Redleaf, cofounder of productivity startup Caveday. “It’s a sacred habit you maintain that’s aligned with your values.”

In summary, says lifestyle and success coach Amy Landino, “Carry it everywhere. Write everything down.”

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Some of these planners cover a full year, some 6 months, and some 3 months. So you can gauge what a full year of planning would cost, we built this pricing guide based on how much it would cost to use each planner exclusively for 12 months. (You’re welcome!)

  • $ = under $50
  • $$ = $50–$100
  • $$$ = over $100

MiGoals Goal Digger Planner

Price: $

This cult-favorite planner (yes, planners DEF have cult followings) contains a space for daily journaling along with short- and long-term goal setting prompts.

Full Focus Planner

Price: $$$

This quarterly planner is all about productivity and achieving your goals. Explains Redleaf, “It’s like running your own mastermind group with yourself.”

Moleskine Weekly Planner

Price: $

Simple and durable, Moleskine planners are a favorite because they provide ample note-taking space and are totally clutter-free.

Annual Passion Planner

Price: $

The Passion Planner starts with an extensive, granular goal setting spread that allows you to craft your days around your goals.

Good Morning, Good Life: 12 Month Planner

Price: $$

This planner, designed by Landino, is all about starting every morning strong so you can crush your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.

The Time-Block Planner

Price: $$

With this quarterly productivity planner, you can map out your intentions for every hour of the day, so you can focus on what really needs to get done.

Living with Bianca Accountability Journal

Price: $$$

This quarterly planner lets you set 3-month “macro goals” and then mini goals that will help you achieve them. It’s simple and minimal but alllll about accountability.

BossBabe Planner

Price: $$$

This quarterly planner, designed for female entrepreneurs, allows you to home in specifically on your personal and professional goals for the 90 days ahead.

TOP Planner

Price: $$

Created by Sumrell herself, the TOP Planner teaches you how to plan and set goals using a series of worksheets along with monthly and weekly spreads, monthly goal setting, and weekly reflections.

LUX PRODUCTIVITY Pro Planner

Price: $$

This undated 6-month planner offers lots of space for you to bullet journal to your heart’s content, along with budget and health trackers, project planning tools, and goal setting and weekly reflection pages.

Inkwell Press Productivity Co. 360 Disc Planner

Price: $$

This custom (and pretty!) planner can be built from the ground up with the features you need. The Goal Setting Planner Bundle is a great starting point.

The Wellness Planner

Price: $

Productivity could be considered a function of wellness, and this planner will help you get your well on with trackers for goals and tasks as well as feelings, nutrition, and fitness.

Fresh Start Workbook and Planner

Price: $$

A favorite of Sumrell, this entrepreneurial planner is full of worksheets, prompts, and guides that are all about growing your business and laser-focusing on your goals.

Alter Planning Co. The 2021 Annual

Price: $

The 2021 Annual provides space for you to set and plan your yearly and monthly goals along with your daily priorities — all in a clean and beautiful week-at-a-glance format.

Rocketbook Panda Planner

Price: $

This sleek undated planner combines low tech and high tech for the best of both worlds. The pages can be scanned into the Rocketbook app and then wiped clean for endless use.

Plum Paper Goal Planner

Price: $

Plum Paper’s extensive customization options let you build your own planner to make sure it’s the perfect productivity tool for you.

Clever Fox Planner

Price: $

Goals, habits, gratitude — this planner tracks it all, with lots of note-taking space available too. Landolfi says it’s a great goal setting tool.

Day Designer 2021 Flagship Weekly Planner

Price: $$

Day Designer’s planners are beloved classics, featuring yearly goal setting and a detailed (but never cluttered) weekly layout.

Erin Condren LifePlanner

Price: $$

The LifePlanner is an enduring favorite because it can help with not only goal setting and time management but also meal planning, budgeting, health, and lots more.

Purple Trail Weekly Planner

Price: $$

Purple Trail custom planners can be built according to your exact needs. Juggling a lot of stuff? Choose the weekly spread with three customizable labeled sections for each day.

Agendio Planners

Price: $$–$$$

Ready to take a deep dive into customization? Agendio is what you seek. Plan every single page to create a productivity tool as unique (and as part of you) as your fingerprint.

Roterunner Purpose Planner

Price: $$

This highly recommended 6-month planner boasts that it’s your “productivity partner.” It’s a favorite of Landolfi, since it can help you cut down on time-wasters and plan those precious hours wisely.

Poketo Quarterly Goal Planner

Price: $$

This set of quarterly goal planners helps you set a concrete monthly, weekly, and daily plan to meet one big goal each quarter. Plus, it’s got tons of prompts to help you understand what works for you and what doesn’t.

The Human Being Journal

Price: $

Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 12-month Human Being Journal focuses on two domains — what you do and who you are — and connects the two to help you find balance.

The Daily Page Planner

Price: $$$

As its name suggests, this 6-month planner gives you a full page each day, along with a spacious month-at-a-glance spread. You can use it to track goals, tasks, events, habits, meals, and even hydration.