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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Choosing Your Planner, Part 2: Size Matters

Now that you've had a chance to think about whether you need a monthly, weekly or daily planner, the next step is to decide what size planner you need.  It's not as easy as it sounds.

What size planner you choose is a balance between portability and page space.

If your planner will stay at home or work all the time, it can be as big as you want.

But if you will carry your book everywhere with you, make sure it's a size you can stand to carry in your bag or hands all the time. Everyone has their own size threshold. Do you need a book you can slip into your pocket? Do you carry a big bag and don't mind a large book?

When looking for a planner to take with you everywhere, it's tempting to get the smallest planner possible. But you must make sure the spaces are large enough to write in everything you need.  I've had many a Planner Fail due to too-small day spaces.

Something else to consider is the size of your handwriting. If you have tiny, neat handwriting you'll be able to get away with a smaller page size (and therefore smaller book) than someone like me who has large handwriting.

Book size may affect what format of planner you choose. If you need to write lots of details every day and you want to take your book everywhere with you, you may prefer a pocket size day per page planner instead of a desk size weekly planner.

Another size issue has to do with whether you choose a bound book or a ring binder to use as your planner. Ring binders are bulkier and heavier than a bound book of equivalent page size, yet they have some advantages over bound books. Click here for my Ring Binder vs. Bound Book post to help you decide.

What size planner do you use? Do you carry it with you, or leave it at home or work most of the time?

4 comments:

  1. Ooh you've got me thinking! I'm definitely more of a personal (Filofax) sized girl, but I know my bag can get really heavy at uni! I'm going to be going back to day-to-a-page once term starts, and I'm sure the pocket sized day-to-a-page will be ok! and I have a pocket-sized Malden that's feeling very lonely and unused! But then I have my daily persona-sized Maldens, and I don't want them to become redundant! I'm definitely a one-planner girl, so I don't think I could use them for anything else... dilemmas!

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  2. I spent the day away from my home office today and I had my Malden personal in my (big) hand bag. It was getting a little draggy on my shoulder, so I just took it out and carried it in my hand. It's so gorgeous, I don't mind carrying it along for all to see!

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  3. Until I tried the Woman's Success Planner, my assessment was as big as you can get; which usually means 8.5" x 11" in the US.

    Hard to pack around, but SO much space to write and to attach ephemera.

    Still looking for month, week and day all together :)

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  4. I used to carry my small weekly Moleskine but the space is too small when I have too many things to do in a day.

    Im now looking for an untimed daily planner.

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