I remember the first time I got a planner as big as a normal piece of paper instead of one the size of my hand. My friends thought it was a notebook, and when they asked why it was so large, I would simply say, “It’s the center of my life. It deserves the space.” That was life changing. A good planner is important to me because it helps me keep myself sane. Naturally, I’ve had a long journey of trying different types, and I have found the one that I think is the best: the Moleskine XL 18-Month Weekly Hard Cover Notebook Planner.
There are those chaotic people who keep track of assignments on their phones, there are those who religiously craft a bullet journal, and there are those of us who are somewhere in between. Personally, I keep my planner very organized, but I don’t break out my colored pens and make it into a work of art. This planner lends itself to either approach. This is because each spread has a weekly breakdown on the left page and a blank, lined page on the right. I like to keep track of daily tasks and assignments on the left, while I use the blank page to note deadlines, events, social plans, and random lists. That blank page holds a lot of potential to be as chaotic or as decorated as you like, which I really appreciate. It’s a hard cover and durable, which is good because I use it heavily. As I mentioned, I always buy the 7.5” x 9.75” one because the pages are so spacious that they don’t feel crammed, even when I have a ton of tasks.
The last (and, to me, the most important aspect of this planner) is its aesthetic. I love the typefaces used, the ivory-colored paper, and especially the gray-purple bookmark. This thing is what I turn to for gathering my thoughts when I feel overwhelmed. When everything feels out of control, it’s nice to write everything down and, at the least, know what you’re dealing with. This planner is my favorite way to do that!