The Best Calendars and Day Planners for Your Personality

Fall heralds crunchy leaves, cozy sweaters, and spicy pumpkin everything. Early winter means the new year is just around the corner. Before long, you’ll want to start planning with a 2024 planner. It’s a good time to assess your needs to find the best planners to accomplish your goals.

But with so many options, how do you choose the one that will reflect your vision and vibe for the new year? Here are suggestions for the best productivity planners based on your personality and working style.

For the Multitasker

You have a million irons in the fire — but you get everything done without fail. In fact, you’re the walking incarnation of the statement, “If you want something to get done, give it to a busy person.” You’re that busy person who will get it done, and the reason you can accomplish it all is because of your impeccable planning.

The best bet for a multitasker is an AT-A-GLANCE planner since you have so many details to write on each page. Consider looking for a daily planner that offers space for quarter-hourly appointments so you can keep things moving from moment to moment. This feature is good for those who like to plan and have their daily goals written down in advance so they know they can accomplish everything they need to.

It especially resonates with people who prefer a schedule rather than a to-do list because you can put a time frame to each task, helping ensure you stay on track. Try to look for one with several columns so you can manage the schedules of others, too.

For the Creative

You want a planner that’s as fashion-forward as you are. Try Blue Sky planners or Day Designer planners which come in a wide variety of chic colors and designs, so your business planner can capture the trends and creativity you cultivate daily. Other fashionable brands include Happy Planner and the Emily Ley planners.

Discbound planners are another good choice, as they come in a wide variety of colors and styles to reflect your lifestyle. Favorite brands include TUL, exclusively for Office Depot.

The TUL Limited Edition Collection also offers complimentary note-taking and planning products — a truly affordable luxury that you’ll be proud to display at your next meeting as you show off your commitment to planning.

For the Team Player

It’s important to record your project deadlines, but you need more options than the typical business planner offers when working with various teams. If you’re in charge of the long-term planning of a complex project, such as a product launch or multi-faceted marketing campaign, it helps to have a visual perspective of the entire year.

How do you stay organized? Dry-erase calendars or whiteboard calendars are a good option as you look ahead to your 2024 planner needs. You can mount one or more on the wall in your office or conference room so the group can sketch out the details of their upcoming programs, making changes on the fly as new information becomes available.

Once you have that broad representation for the whole team to keep in mind, you can transfer the dates relevant to your own project responsibilities to your monthly planner to make sure you deliver on time.

For the Procrastinator

Is your motto, “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” Yes, it always seems to get done, but it can spell career trouble if you miss deadlines because you fail to plan. One good way to make sure that nothing ever gets forgotten (even if it’s temporarily ignored!) is to use desk calendars that keep vital due dates in front of you at all times.

You may want to choose an AT-A-GLANCE planner or another portable business planner to supplement your desk calendar and allow you to include more details. Having key dates written where you can’t miss them will help make sure you never miss a deadline — even if it gets done just in the nick of time.

For the World Traveler

Portability and good looks are equally important and should be part of your work planner when on the go. That’s because you want to make an impeccable impression and look put together when you’re on the road meeting new clients or colleagues. But you’re likely also juggling myriad details, so you want to make sure your 2024 planner is easily accessible from a tote or briefcase.

To help keep your jet-set lifestyle organized, look for a business planner that lets you keep important details at the ready with pockets or other organizational features. This allows you to keep your itinerary, boarding pass, meeting agendas, and other important documents handy so you can access them easily and quickly.

For the Decision-Maker

The team is counting on you to keep them on task, so you want to make sure you’re constantly equipped to share updates and timelines for a wide variety of projects. The chances are good that you’re frequently called into meetings and asked to present on the fly, so the best productivity planner for you is likely the tried-and-true Day-Timer.

These stalwarts have stood the test of time because they contain everything you need — plenty of planning space each day with a week-at-a-glance feature complemented by a monthly planner that gives you a bigger picture as you lead meetings and move agenda items along.

These appointment books have similar useful “innards” but come in a wide variety of styles to convey the look you choose — whether that’s a more buttoned-up persona with a leather-bound binder or one that expresses your personality with a beach or floral scene. It’s up to you — after all, you’re the decision-maker!

As the new year draws close, now is the time for you to move one step ahead on your resolution to be more organized by choosing the perfect 2024 planner with time to spare. Beat the rush to find a comprehensive selection of planners, calendars, and storage solutions to help you run your business and life in preparation for the new year ahead.

About the Author

Cathie Ericson is a freelance writer who specializes in small business, finance, and real estate.

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is,” and neither the author nor Office Depot warrants the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.