5 Planners That Will Make 2017 Your Most Productive Year Yet

As we approach the new year, many entrepreneurs are reflecting on the last 12 months and looking for ways to more efficiently reach their goals in 2017. There are plenty of apps that will help you increase your productivity, but there’s just something about good old-fashioned pen and paper that makes your tasks, goals, and progress more tangible.

You can manage and prioritize daily activities with a simple to-do list, but a structured planner can be a great way to ensure you don’t lose track of your longer-term goals and stay focused throughout the year.

But choosing the right planner can be a chore, and the wrong choice can leave you feeling like that whole “planner thing” isn’t for you. Instead of picking up the first 2017 ledger you come across, check out some of the planners below, paired with a description of what type of entrepreneur they work best for, and figure out which one will help you organize yourself for maximum achievement in the coming year.

1. The Freedom Journal

Pick this planner if: You want to hyper-focus on a single goal.

John Lee Dumas, host of the Entrepreneur on Fire podcast, created this goal-setting planner to help you “set and accomplish your No. 1 goal in 100 days,” regardless of when you get started. The undated journal includes morning and evening tracking sections and sets up 10-day sprints, so you can make fast progress on sub-tasks of your main goal for 10 days in a row. It even comes with a companion app, so you can track your progress on the go!

2. Panda Planner

Pick this planner if: You’re a chronic procrastinator.

This minimal planner is all about accountability, guiding you through setting monthly, weekly, and daily priorities and goals. Each day’s page includes space for tasks, priorities, and morning and evening check-ins, so you’ll clearly see what you should be focusing your attention on, and where there might be gaps.

3. Action 2017 Planner

Pick this planner if: You need page space to manage daily tasks and appointments.

This full-year planner comes with goal-setting pages, as well as monthly and time-stamped daily pages for planning your activities as well as your goal progress. It also comes in seven different colors, so you can pick the one that matches your style (or your company’s color-scheme).

4. The Desire Map Planner

Pick this planner if: You feel burnt out and want to focus on inner development.

This planner, created by Danielle Laporte, helps you slow down and listen to your body, mind, and soul to ensure you’re focusing on the things that feed your soul. Prompts help your focus on change, reflection, growth, and more, and a weekly “Stop Doing” list helps you kick the habits that aren’t helping you move forward. You can choose from several cover designs, and there’s even a weekly edition of the Desire Map Planner if you prefer occasional sprints.

5. 52 Lists For Happiness

Pick this planner if: You want to make 2017 your happiest year yet.

Like its precursor, The 52 Lists Project, this journal from Moorea Seal features a weekly prompt in the form of a list, helping you to focus on the things that make you happy and bring joy to your life. For busy entrepreneurs, this is a great way to make sure you’re taking care of the most valuable asset your business has: you.