See the best planners for 2024 and learn how to use them – 12/20/2023 – Balance

With the turn of the year, the search for planners and diaries gains strength — both among those who are obsessed with organization and among those who want to try to have a more orderly year.

But choosing the ideal model may not be obvious, as the range of products and objectives for each one is immense. Planners aimed at reading habits, for example, may not be ideal for those who want to organize their financial life.

The planner, it is worth mentioning, is different from the traditional agenda, says organization specialist and influencer Yasmim Barroso. “The planner is a planning tool, while the agenda is very focused on schedules and appointments and serves to help you not forget one thing or another.”

According to Barroso, the intention of the planner is to give a macro vision, such as one-year objectives or one-month goals. “The idea is to visualize the macro and divide it into parts to be done throughout the day.”

The idea may sound scary, but, according to the influencer, the planner should not give more tasks than the user wants. “Choose a planner that excites you. It doesn’t work if it becomes a great illustration of the chaos in your life. If it becomes a source of anxiety, you’re on the wrong path.” She also remembers that a planner that reaches the end of the year completed does not necessarily mean that it was successful in its objectives.

With this in mind, the Sheet selected 15 planners —not diaries— from the most established brands, easy to find in any stationery store, and smaller, more artisanal and luxury brands.

The planners were evaluated based on four criteria: physical aspects
(weight, dimensions, paper quality, colors, design, accessories), organization (annual, monthly and weekly planning), control of habits (mood, health, finances) and goals (desires, plans and balances). The evaluators were four journalists from the Sheet —Bárbara Blum and Vitória Macedo, Todas reporters, Sílvia Haidar, deputy editor of Health and Ana Bottallo, Health reporter— and each one evaluated one of the criteria, in order to avoid the creation of biases.

The test is part of the reviews section Sheet Proof, which offers the reader a purchase and usage guide. Moisturizers, sunscreens and olive oil have already been some of the products tested. The result is not a ranking, but a list of recommended products at the end of each test.

Physical aspects

Cícero’s models in partnership with Pólen (R$99.99) or Melissa (R$107.99) are smaller and easier to transport. Both have a printed brochure finish —Melissa’s, in a leopard print—, which helps them not get tangled in the bag. Tilibra also offers a good, leaner option in paperback, with a pink cover (R$ 57.65) and very light. It loses out because it doesn’t have a stuff envelope, which the two other models have.

The larger ones, on the other hand, are large, but not heavy, despite the hard cover. They are the one from Moleskine (R$ 285.60), made of recyclable material even in the spirals, and two spiral models from Tilibra — one that is in the Smart Notebook style (R$ 173.90) with plastic discs in the binding and the other with simple metal spiral (R$ 83.63).

Halfway in size are models close to the size of a book, such as Schizzi Books (R$ 163), which wins points for its rounded edges and pen holder. Cream paper is more comfortable on the eyes, but lacks transparency. Cícero offers a model in this line (R$ 99.99), with paperback binding, printed cover, and straight to the point, without stickers and frills. The planner from the Gato Sem Rabo bookstore (R$ 189), well aimed at reading, inaugurates the softcover list and also fits into the intermediate size list. The design and colors are different and it also avoids the extra frills.

Those looking for more accessories, such as stickers, markers and personalization options, will like A.Craft planners — which have a model that allows the combination of several different notebooks divided into quarters, in a synthetic leather binding, and another in a spiral double, with two sticker cards (R$ 240.30).

It has a more youthful air, a line that planners from Umatipo (R$ 176.90) and Qolor (R$ 179.90) also follow, both with double spirals, hard covers and various accessories. Umatipo’s stands out for its colorful pages.

Those who want extravagance and luxury can look for the MH Studios planner (R$490). With the highest price in the selection, it comes in leather binding and golden sides on the pages, in addition to having a reading giraffe embroidered on the cover. It has the size —and appearance— of a book, but lacks transparency on the pages.

Organization

The planner differs from the diary due to the ability to visualize everything it offers, whether it is placing the week spread out on one or two pages or leaving a monthly calendar available to be filled out, in addition to paying attention to the year’s goals, objectives and habits.

The existence of the monthly calendar at the beginning of each month was almost unanimous — with the exception of the Gato Sem Rabo planner — and the difference is whether they are dated or not. As the idea of ​​a planner is to be less rigid than an agenda, in theory, it can start in any month of the year and does not need to go from January to December.

The planners from A. Craft (spiral), Moleskine, Umatipo and Cicero in partnership with Melissa are the ones with a calendar without a date — it’s up to the user to fill it out. “It works best for those who are methodical”, says Ana Botallo.

Another important difference is between organizing the week with the days horizontally across the page or vertically. Of the 14 planners evaluated —by chance— seven have the week horizontally (A.Craft spiralado, Cícero, Cícero Melissa, Cícero Pólen, Gato Sem Rabo, Moleskine and Tilibra pink) and seven vertically (A.Craft, MH Studios, Schizzi Books, Tilibra orange, Tilibra plastic discs, Qolor, Umatipo).

The months are separated in planners from A. Craft (spiral pattern and synthetic leather cover), Qolor, MH Studios, Cícero Pólen, Moleskine, Umatipo. Schizzi, Umatipo and Qolor offer optional marker stickers to give quick access to each month. Cícero Pólen and those from A.Craft already come with the markers. This, according to Botallo, is an important advantage.

Habit Control

The planner can help people create and maintain habits using tools. This is because it helps to observe the routine. When choosing the ideal model, it is worth taking into account what is crucial for you that year. For example, if your focus isn’t reading, it’s not worth investing in a planner that has a lot of space dedicated to that. “The first step is to understand if the planner makes sense and if it has a methodology or if it is a big notebook of activities”, says Yasmim Barroso.

Furthermore, depending on the habit control tool, filling it out can motivate. “If you have a habit tracker in your planner, it becomes an immediate reward for the habit you are creating and this facilitates the positive feedback process in the brain,” he says.

But, after all, why is it important to write down your habits? Barroso explains. “When it’s just in your head, you think it’s possible or you can’t. When you put it in the planner, you start to get a sense of what you have to do before these new habits are being created.” Habits can be physical exercise, meditation or walking the dog.

For those who already have several habits to monitor, the 2024 planner from MH Studios could be a good option. It has a monthly view with 16 fields with dots representing each day of the month. There is also space to mark four habits during the week. Cícero Melissa gives you the possibility of controlling 18 habits.

The QColor planner also has a monthly list, but with five habits and five more spaces in the weekly planning. Another one that has monthly habit control is the planner from the Moleskine store. It appears in a spiral, with space for seven habits.

Some only have habit control for the week, which can limit the vision of progress. This is the case of the Tilibra Disc, from the Uma Tipo brand and the Wire-o from A.Craf. Tilibra Executive is focused on keeping the person hydrated, with seven glasses of water each day of the week.

Reading habits are also monitored in some planners. It is the main function, for example, of the Gato Sem Rabo bookstore model. The reading planning is complete, with an annual view that allows you to place the books to be read over the months; reading map to see where the authors are from; monthly reading control in spiral format — the most interesting thing is that there is a space to enter the number of pages you want to read and the number you read, in a kind of expectation versus reality. There is also plenty of space to make notes on the week’s readings and cards to ask questions and discover readings.

Most, however, are not that specific. Uma Tipo has a list that can be filled with books, series or films watched throughout the year and the evaluation of each one. QColor also has a similar list.

Those looking to better control their finances can choose a plan that offers tables with money inflows and outflows. One of the best options evaluated is MH, which has space for what was received, varied expenses, fixed expenses, wish list and financial reserves. These divisions help with organization.

Uma Tipo also presents well-divided financial control, with spaces for entries, fixed expenses, variable expenses, with a distinction between pix/cash, debit card, and credit card. There is a final balance of the month.

Cícero Melissa’s planner also provides a balance of entries and expenses at the end of the month, as does A.Craft’s Wire-o. QColor’s has a list to record expenses and what was received, but without a balance sheet.

Those looking for something more practical and general, the Disc and Executive lines from Tilibra and planners from the Cícero brand have a list for annual planning.

The planner gives you an overview of your mood throughout the year. The one from the Moleskine store has weekly focus and mood control, with squares to be filled in up to four categories.

The Tilibra Disc shows the annual view with squares to be filled in according to a blank legend. During weekly planning, you can fill in faces that range from very happy to very sad.

A.Craft’s Wire-o has notes for the mood of the month – among other things such as food, stress and productivity.

If the plan is to take more care of your health, see a doctor and take exams, some planners can help. Tilibra Disc has space for annual check-up planning, divided into consultations, dates and exams to be carried out.

In the executive line of the same brand, in addition to the practical part of the list —with appointment and exam dates—, there is also an area to talk about how the person takes care of their body and details of the areas of health that need to improve. It is the most complete.

Uma Tipo also has a list to control consultations and exams, with divisions for specialty, date, time, location, result and return. Additionally, it has a menstrual control table.

Goals, desires and balance

According to Barroso, the influencer specialized in organization, one of the uses of the planner is to organize time to build goals and objectives, which can range from having a child, getting a promotion at work to buying a car. “These are characteristics that help the organization in the long term”, says Silvia Haidar.

Each model has its own approach. Planners from A.Craft (spiral), Qolor and Umatipo have more specific sections dedicated to monthly balance sheets, with spaces for, for example, mistakes and learning or achievements, in the case of A.Craft. The others offer free spaces for taking notes at the end of the months and the year, which can be used for a balance sheet.

In terms of goals, only Schizzi Books and Gato Sem Rabo do not have a space dedicated to this, while the others are divided between annual and monthly goals.

Some models also have spaces for wish lists (all from Tilibra, MH Studios and Umatipo) and favorites of the month and year (Qolor, Cícero Pólen, Tilibra striped, MH Studios, Umatipo).

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