The 5 Best Planners for Moms → A More Beautiful Life Collective

5 Shares

In this post, we are talking about the 5 best planners for moms or anyone else who wants to reach their goals. As we head into the New Year, we get a fresh start. One of the best ways to reach our goals is to spend some time preparing. And the best way to prepare? With a planner! Read on to learn what makes the best planners for moms, and get some great recommendations.

S2E23 – How to Delight in God: Your Bible Study at Home Guide – A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast

In this episode, we are talking about the basics of how to start a quiet time routine at home. Your Bible Study at Home can be a vibrant life-giving time. By including worship, prayer, and Bible reading, this can become your favorite time of day. You'll learn how to do this and more in this episode. Read more at the blog post: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/how-to-delight-in-god-your-bible-study-at-home-guide/ Get our Bible Study at Home Guide here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.kit.com/99505f5a83 Get our FREE Color the Bible tracker here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/free-color-the-bible-reading-tracker/ Visit our Shop to get a copy of any of the resources mentioned in this episode: I’m your host, Cayce Fletcher, and you can learn a little bit more about me here. While you’re here, would you consider leaving a comment, rating, or review? You can find our podcast, A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. Subscribe to the blog for access to our latest content and some freebies. Want to support A More Beautiful Life Collective in the creation of podcasts, posts, and other resources? You can make a one-time, monthly, or yearly donation here. I love creating and sharing resources with you. You can find all of our resources at A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop. Keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.

Hey everyone, and welcome to Season 2 Episode 20 of A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast. Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is enjoying this time with your family. As we get ready to head into a new year, we are also heading into goal-setting and planning time.

One of the best ways to get excited about what you can accomplish in the next year is by planning it out! Today, we are going to be talking about the best planners for moms or anyone else who wants to reach their goals in the New Year. We are going to talk about why you should use a planner and what you should look for in a planner. Then, I’ll give you a few recommendations for different types of planners to use.

If you would like two different types of planners that will help you to set and reach your goals, check out the shop. There you’ll find the Purpose Planner and the Index Card Planner System – two great options for planning and making progress on your goals.

Visit A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop for bible studies, planners, and other resources.

Visit Shop

Also, we have recently added an option to donate to the blog and podcast. If you’ve been a long-time listener and enjoy the show, would you consider a one-time or recurring donation? This helps to pay for some of the cost of the show. You can also support the show for free by subscribing to the podcast and blog and sharing your favorite episodes with a friend.

Now onto the show. Let’s talk about what makes the best planners for moms.

***If you have enjoyed visiting A More Beautiful Life Collective, please like, comment, share, and subscribe. Let’s make the world more beautiful together. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this link, I earn a small commission at no cost to you. It’s a win-win!***

Why you should use a planner?

I have a love-hate relationship with planners. I love it when the New Year rolls around (whether that’s in January or August), and I get to fill in all my goals and events for the next 12 months. There’s something special about opening up that fresh planner and marking the pages. You feel like your year is off to the right start, and that this will be the year when you make all your goals come true.

At the same time, I hate when you start writing in that fresh planner and you inevitably mess something up. What was supposed to be a new and fresh start seems tainted. And, I also hate when life gets busy and several weeks go without opening up your planner. That feeling of failure as you mark through the incomplete pages sticks with you.

The benefits of using a planner are immense:

Planners help us to accomplish our goals.
Planners act as a second brain, keeping track of to-do lists and events
Planners can help us with important household management tasks, like meal planning, budgeting, and cleaning
Planners can act as a gratitude log, prayer journal, and memory book all in one
Planners can improve our focus and productivity while reducing our stress

Even more than this, planners also provide us with a way to be intentional about our lives. The best planners for moms are planners that we use to bring purpose, joy, and love to our lives. If we want to live excellently for the glory of God, we need to make a plan to work for him. Effective homes, ministries, and family lives don’t just happen by accident. They are born from a commitment to work towards a vision and ideal set forth by God and lived out by us, his children.

When we commit to planning, we are committing ourselves to working hand in hand with God in ministry. We don’t come like the foolish people mentioned in James 4:13-17 who ‘boast in what they do’ trying to place themselves above God. Instead, we use the time planning as a time of prayer, asking God to dictate our days as we seek the kingdom first. The best planners for moms allow us to do this.

The Best Planners for Moms should have…

Planners are something special and unique. They can help us so much in getting our lives in order and accomplishing our goals. But, they are so hard to stay consistent with. This is because planning is a habit in itself. It’s something that we have to work at cultivating in our lives.

Buying a new planner doesn’t necessarily mean that we will use the planner. Instead, we have to think about our own life circumstances and pick a planner that is flexible and able to adapt to the schedule of our lives.

Crucially, our planners should lead to a life change. The best planners for moms are the ones that we actually use. If we are consistent with our planners, we should notice that we are making progress on our goals, creating habits, and following through on commitments. In this way, our planners are participating in our sanctification. But, for this to happen, we have to reduce the friction as much as possible between our busy lives and our planners. We need to pick a planner that we will actually use.

What makes the best planners for moms?

A planner should match the format of our lives. If you are working in a school setting, an academic planner is probably the best bet. If you are self-employed, you may need a schedule that allows you to time-block your schedule for the varying tasks you face. A stay-at-home mom may need a planner that’s much more flexible and cyclical to match the demands of a life at home.
Planners should match your needs both in layout and aesthetics. For some of us, beauty is crucial to our lives. Others couldn’t care less. Regardless, you should get a planner that you enjoy looking at and that makes sense for your life. Think about size, binding, and paper quality when finding a planner.
A planner shouldn’t require a ton of prep. For some, a bullet journal is the best way to make sense of a wide and varied schedule. But, for most, the amount of prep required each week could cause a barrier to actually using the planner. You need a planner that is simple to jump back into each day with minimal work required on your part.
A planner shouldn’t have a bunch of unused pages. Often, planners are created by a person or a team of people for what they need. If you find that the majority of your planner is unused, you probably need to switch to something that matches your circumstances.
A planner shouldn’t be too expensive. Planners continue to go up in price. Often, you are paying for bells and whistles that you may or may not use. Be thoughtful about your budget. Often, you can find undated planners at a much cheaper price which may be worth it for you despite the increase in prep.

Planners come in all different kinds. Some of what makes the best planners for moms depends more on your preferences rather than a clear ‘right or wrong’ answer. Here are a couple of decisions you need to make when looking for a planner:

Undated vs Dated

The first thing that you have to decide is if you would like to reuse this planner again and again. An undated planner gives you the option of using the same format year after year while a dated planner normally has to be (1) bought year after year and (2) comes with slight tweaks with each variation. Undated planners require much more upfront work since you have to date each month and week that you use the planner. They are not ‘open and go’ in comparison to dated planners. Undated planners, especially the digital versions, are generally cheaper than the dated options.

Digital vs Physical

You then have to decide if you would like a digital copy of a planner or a physical copy. Digital copies can be bought for both dated and undated planners. Undated, digital planners often are the cheapest option in the long haul because you can reprint them year after year. Digital planners also provide much more flexibility and customization since you can pick and choose which pages you would like to include. You can even reprint pages if you need more space (or mess a page up) and add your own special pages. Digital copies can also be used with an iPad or phone. Physical planners are much more low-prep, require less printing costs (but are generally a higher upfront cost), and can be more aesthetically pleasing. There are also digital options in the form of calendars or shared planning apps.

5 of the Best Planners for Moms (and anyone else who wants to reach their goals)

Best Traditional Planner: The Home Planner by the Passionate Penny Pincher

If you are looking for a traditional planner with a physical copy that provides space for weekly and monthly planning, the Home Planner by Passionate Penny Pincher is just the thing for you. This planner offers lots of checklists for getting your house in order and establishing consistent habits and routines. It also includes a bible reading plan, spaces for meal planning, and budget checklists. It really is a one-stop shop for all your planning needs. Working moms may also like the Work Planner by Passionate Penny Pincher.

Runner Up for Traditional Planners: Bloom Planners

A cheaper, physical alternative is the Bloom Planner. These planners are also beautifully designed. They have places to write down and review goals for the month and year. They also have habit-tracking capabilities. They may not provide as many home management checklists, but they are a great planner.

Best Digital Planner: The Purpose Planner by A More Beautiful Life Collective

You can find an undated, digital planner that is perfect for making and achieving goals in the AMBL Shop! The Purpose Planner has checklists for home management tasks as well as trackers for exercise, bible reading, budgeting, and more. This planner is one you can use again and again. Simply, print out the pages you need. It will help you tame the chaos of life and live with intentionality and purpose.

Get the Purpose Planner

Best Homeschool Planner: A Simple Plan Homeschool Planner

Are you a homeschool mom? A dedicated homeschool planner can be a lifesaver for tackling those busy and blessed days. A Simple Plan provides ample space for a household with multiple children along with lots of room for record keeping. Each month also begins with a goals page where you can write down all the things you want to accomplish in that month. Each year, A Simple Plan also releases a dated academic calendar version of the undated planner linked above.

Most Creative Planner: Bullet Journal (in a Leuchturm Journal)

I’ve used lots of different kinds of planners in my life depending on my life circumstances. When I was in college, the perfect planner was actually a bullet journal. Bullet journals are basically blank journals that you can design however you want. You are basically making your planner from scratch. I set up my bullet journal with monthly calendars and then a weekly page that included all of my assignments for my various classes. My journal also had a reading log and lots of other miscellaneous notes and things that I collected throughout the year. A Bullet Journal does require quite a bit of work to set up, but it can be therapeutic if you have the time to put it together.

Most Flexible Planner: The Index Card Planner by A More Beautiful Life Collective

Currently, I use this Index Card Planner that you can find in the AMBL Shop. Life as a Stay-at-home Mom can be more cyclical than linear. Many days we are following the same routines and tasks as the day (or week) before. Most traditional planners just don’t match up with this kind of life. The index card planner is perfect for setting up and following through with your routines. Other than cutting out the cards, there is little upfront prep work for a planner that can be used again and again. It is also extremely customizable as you pick and choose which cards and tasks you need to include. Want to add different tasks? Just print them on blank cards or write them on index cards. You can read a full explanation of the planner here.

Get the Index Card Planner Kickstart Bundle

What’s your favorite planner? Comment the Best Planners for Moms below.

I hope this gives you some guidance for the best planner for the upcoming year. Ultimately, a planner should inspire life change. You should feel motivated to create new habits and accomplish your goals when you open your planner each morning.

Through planning, you are taking a big step toward accomplishing what God has called you to do. These different planners will help you to get on the right track as you move confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Don’t forget to check out the planning resources in the shop. You can also subscribe to the blog and podcast, and leave a rating and review. If you like what you hear, consider donating to support the show. You can also support the show for free by sharing your favorite episode with a friend.

Until next time, keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.

Visit A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop for bible studies, planners, and other resources.

Visit Shop

Pin5

5 Shares