If you’re like me then you probably want your ducks in a row. At all times.
And the easiest way to make that happen is by being diligent and planning.
As the age-old saying goes “failing to plan is planning to fail”.
So in this article, I’m going to share the best planners for men who want to improve their lives and stay on top of their goals.
First, why do men need planners?
A planner can be an incredibly useful tool for anyone looking to organize their life and stay on top of their responsibilities. For men, in particular, having a planner can be beneficial in several ways:
Time management: A planner helps men manage their time more effectively by allowing them to schedule their day, week, or month and prioritize their tasks accordingly.
Goal setting: Planners can be used to set and track progress toward personal and professional goals. Remember, what gets measured gets managed.
Stress reduction: By providing a central location for important information and deadlines, a planner can help reduce stress and anxiety. This is closely related to journaling, which of course, I highly suggest.
Accountability: Writing down your plans in a structured way can help men stay accountable and track their progress over time.
The 9 best planners for men in 2023
1. LEUCHTTURM 1917 Bullet Journal Notebook
This particular journal is quite special. It’s a collaboration between LEUCHTTURM 1917 and Bullet Journal. It features a smart grid (or dot grid) that allows ultimate flexibility so you can structure your journal the way you want. It’s an A5-sized journal with 204 pages of 120gsm paper, making it extremely nice to write in. Something I liked about this journal is the stickers. I could easily use them as visual reminders. So if you’re the type of guy who likes a high-quality journal but prefers the freedom to write in your style then this is for you.
2. Hobonichi Techo Planner Book
The Habonichi Techo Planner is different, sophisticated, and aesthetic. This particular planner is one of few that features a stitch-bound spine which allows it to lay completely flat when you’re writing. The Habonichi Techo Planner is both aesthetic and functional. It even has a daily planner with quotes, symbols, and bonus Japanese reading material. This is a great journal for men that can appreciate Japanese culture but still want a high-quality planner with structure.
3. The Clear Habit Journal
James Clear is the best-selling author behind Atomic Habits. A profound book that has personally helped me get my life on track. The Clear Habit Journal is a manifestation of his philosophy, and science behind creating great habits. Whilst it’s labeled a Journal, it can function just as well as a planner. The Clear Habit Journal features a hardcover, built-in index, elastic closure band, page numbers, and a 168-dot grid. Men who are searching for a planner to keep track of their habits would benefit from using the Clear Habit Journal.
4. Clever Fox Planner Pro Schedule
When it comes to planners, this lives up to the “pro” title. It comes packed with features including an inner pocket, lay-flat binding, over 600 stickers (yes…600!), a weekly layout, a quick start guide, premium paper, and a vegan leather cover. If you’re looking for a guided planner that takes the guesswork out of structuring the page then this is the planner for you. With more features than its competitors and over 10 different colors to choose from, it's no surprise there are 2,000+ ratings.
5. Intelligent Change Productivity Planner
The Intelligent Change Productivity Planner is a guided journal that helps men focus and organize their daily and weekly tasks. The weekly planning templates encourage you to split up your five most important tasks followed by your secondary tasks and then any additional tasks you might want to tick off. It reminds me of Jock Willinks “prioritize and execute” approach to getting things done. The daily planning template is similar but includes a quote, time-tracking boxes, and a section for your notes.
6. Productivity Store Premium Planner Pro
In my opinion, this stacks up as one of the best all-in-one planners. Not because of the features, but because of the way it’s designed. You could use the planner to organize your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. However, you can also use it to manage your to-do list, write the things you’re grateful for, track your habits, reflect on your areas of improvement, and score your productivity. All within the prompts provided by the journal, there’s no guesswork. If you want a high-quality compact journal that is guaranteed to help you achieve your goals then I’d choose this.
7. SP Journal Productivity Planner for Entrepreneurs
This one is for all the entrepreneurial men out there trying to scale their businesses. The SP Journal Planner is structured with a simple layout and hourly scheduling. Every seven days there’s a weekly review that covers your biggest wins, progress, fulfillment focus, and inspirational quotes. As an entrepreneur, I find this incredibly valuable, and in some ways a necessity. If this wasn’t enough, there’s a habit tracker at the bottom of the page which can be customized to your specific goals.
8. Forevermore Portfolios Padfolio Binder
Unlike the other planners in this article, this isn’t just a simple notebook, instead, it features a padfolio binder and 3-ring notepad. It’s the ultimate planner for busy men. You can store your phone, business cards, stationary, letters, and of course the notepad itself. The reason I’ve included this in the list is that the padfolio zips up so everything is kept secure. This makes it extremely easy to carry around with you at all times.
9. BooQool Academic Planner
The BooQool Academic Planner is a basic twin wire-bound planner. It’s not the most sophisticated or fancy but it has everything a planner needs. If you’re a man with simple taste and you want something that gets the job done for the cheapest price possible then this is for you. It’s a much cheaper option than most of the planners on this list but it still boasts over 14,000 reviews on Amazon.
Frequently asked questions
Do guys use planners?
The short answer is yes. Guys use planners all the time. Especially ones that take their goals seriously.
How do I find a planner that works for me?
Step 1: Determine your use case. Do you want to plan daily tasks or set long-term goals? This will determine whether a daily planner is best for instance.
Step 2: Determine if you want a structured method (prompts and dates) or an unstructured method (empty pages).
Step 3: Find a journal that you think is aesthetically pleasing and in your price range.
Step 4: Buy a planner.
Step 5: Test to see if it’s for you, if not try something else.
How is a planner different from a journal?
This is a great question. A journal is a place to write down your thoughts, it’s less structured and more of a mindfulness exercise. Planners are different since they’re more structured and are generally related to tasks and goals.
In short, a journal is for your thoughts and feelings, a planner is for your tasks and goals. This isn’t to say they can’t be mixed and matched, they can, but this is the main difference.
