If you’re looking for a great planner, look no further than the Best Self Planner. I love this planner; read why below.
I’ve been buying planners for years, hopeful that I would find one to suit my needs. I think the very first planner I bought was, gulp, a Franklin Daily Planner. As a college student, I was hoping to move beyond to-do lists on notebook paper and level up my organizational skills. But that Franklin? He was way too much for me. He looked great, and I instantly felt organized. But it was an overwhelming planner for me and I quickly abandoned it.
Since then I’ve tried lots of different styles and brands. Some were recommended by friends; some I just happened upon on my own. I purchased some at Walmart and Target; I purchased directly from a custom planner website. Once I even spent several months using and tweaking my own homemade planner. I had a comb binder and everything! But eventually, that was also abandoned.
I just couldn’t quite put my finger on why nothing seemed to work long-term.
Then one day I was listening to a podcast where the guest spoke of his favorite planner. He said it was from Best Self Co. I made a mental note to check it out later; but honestly, I didn’t have high hopes. Still wanting that perfect planner, but losing the will to keep searching and buying, you know?
Well, I bought the planner, and I just purchased my third one. And the search, for me, is over. Wanna hear my reasons for loving the Best Self Planner? Read on.
The Cover and The Paper
I don’t know what it is about that silky fabric cover, but I just love touching it. And while it does get stray marks on it (I take it everywhere), the binding always stays intact.
I’m just finishing up my second planner and have used the orange covers both times. The one I just ordered is the black version.
And did you notice that elastic on the picture above? I love that. It keeps your planner closed when you’re not using it. Since I’m always tossing this into a tote or backpack, I love this feature. And the elastic has yet to wear out on me. Very sturdy.
The paper? I don’t know if I’m weird or what, but I just need the paper to be kind of soft. Not like it’s going to tear if you write on it. I just, I don’t know….the paper just feels good. (Sensory issues anyone?) Writing on it is a pleasure! And there are little tear off tabs on the bottom corner so you can easily tell where you currently are date-wise in the planner.
The Size
The Best Self Planner is a 7″x10″ hard cover planner. It’s about 3/4″ thick. Maybe this seems like a large planner to you, but for what it holds, it is a wonderful size. As I said above, I routinely throw it into a tote or backpack. While it is too large for my purse (I don’t like to carry a large purse) I frequently just grab it and head out the door with it in hand.
And as far as “time size” the Best Self Planner is a 6-month planner. This time size is perfect for me.
It’s Undated and Unlined
Pet peeve alert: I can’t stand when you find a planner you love and you have to waste a month or two because it “started without you.” The Best Self Planner is undated so you can start where/when you are. There are two three-month spreads and each one is situated before your weekly layouts for those three months. You get to date your own months and days. Freedom!
And speaking of freedom, who else hates writing on lines? I find them very distracting. Plus, don’t tell me where to write! Okay, just kidding. But seriously, I can’t remember a single spot in the planner where I have written on solid lines. The Best Self Planner has either dotted lines or a grid of dots. The daily pages, monthly pages, and reflection areas have dotted lines (because these are writing and listing areas). The two-page spreads after each weekly layout as well as the notes section in the back are set up with a dot grid. The color is grayed out and light enough to not be distracting but dark enough to easily see. The dot grid is great for writing, but also for drawing out plans.
This is seriously one of my favorite features.
The Price
While I have bought my planners through Amazon, my most recent purchase is directly from Best Self Co. Amazon does not always have them, and when they do they are an older version. The one I just received from the company has outdated calendars in the front. That makes the price lower.
I emailed them to ask about the outdated calendars and it looks like they mark those down to reduce that stock. Then, they release a new version with updated calendars (list price shows $19.99 on the website). Their email response was very quick and they even sent me attachments of updated calendar pages for 2021 and 2022. I printed those off and will paste those in to my new planner.
The price I have paid for all 3 planners is the same–$9.99. I did pay shipping from Best Self Co, but had I purchased the minimum in merchandise I could have gotten free shipping. Their Self Journal is extremely popular, but I haven’t tried it myself yet.
But $9.99 x 2 (for a full year)? That’s a dang good deal! I can deal with the outdated calendars for that price. Even at full price with updated calendars, I’m all in.
A Few More Tidbits
How about a bullet list of a few more things that you might want to know:
- 6-month bucket list planner
- project planning pages
- habit trackers under each month spread
- page numbers! (I have often made notes and then just put that page number in another area to refer to…super handy!)
- quarterly planning reflection
- monthly reflecting
- your own index! (I have not used this yet, but you can index your own stuff in the back…handy reference guide!)
- pocket on the inside back cover
- instruction booklet with ideas on how to best use the planner
Honestly I think that using this planner has been so effective for me personally because it affords me freedom. I can write where I want without visual chaos. The open pages between the weekly spreads allow me to come up with my own structure for tracking my daily tasks. I have tons of room to take notes or brainstorm. And the only dates are in the front of the planner (the 2-year printed calendar for reference).
If you’re looking for a planner, why not give this one a try? I love telling people about this planner and how much I adore it. I’m so happy with it and just hope that I can help someone else be more organized by sharing. Hope you found this helpful!
And if you’re looking for a recommendation for motivation, try this.
I am an affiliate for Best Self Co.
