Simplified Planner Review: Why I LOVE the Simplified Planner

I’m all up in my feels because I’m getting ready to purchase my TWELFTH consecutive Simplified Planner this year!! (😱 but also 😍!!)

It’s a rather MOMENTOUS occasion for me because, for a while there, “trying planners” was kind of a hobby of mine.

I just couldn’t seem to find one that could do EVERYTHING I wanted. They were either too big or too small, too cutesy or too business-y, too many lines to fill out or boxes to check, not enough writing space or too much extraneous space… the list goes on and on.

Needless to say, finding a planner that worked for me and my business/lifestyle was no easy feat. I’m not kidding when I say that I am the pickiest planner girl you will probably ever meet.

✨ I felt like the Goldilocks of Planners looking for the one that was juuuusssst right. ✨

But the Simplified Planner is everything I could ever want in a planner and so much more!!

(This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase using these links.)

WHY THE SIMPLIFIED PLANNER IS THE ONLY PLANNER I USE & RECOMMEND

I’ve followed Emily Ley for years (ever since meeting her at a conference back in 2010) and was actually an early user of the Simplified Planner (back when it was a notebook with a monogram on the cover that she sold on Etsy).

I LOVED watching it evolve while I was in my ✨ Goldilocks of Planners Era ✨, and finally decided to go back to it when I chose SIMPLIFY as my word of the year for 2016.

The Simplified Planner CHANGED my life and business that year and continues to be an ESSENTIAL part of my everyday. And today, I’m sharing why I LOVE it and can’t imagine my life or business without it!!

1 | IT’S A FRESH START EVERY DAY

Emily Ley designed the Simplified Planner minimally on purpose so that women in all seasons of life could easily incorporate the planner into their business and/or personal life.

The best part? The open pages serve as a fresh start every day. It’s like she was thinking of my favorite Brené Brown quote when she designed it:

“No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.”

One of the reasons I personally love the DAILY edition is because each day of the week gets its own page (except for Saturday and Sunday—they share a page).

Looking at the entire week full of tasks and appointments can get very overwhelming, so being able to fold the planner over and look at just ONE DAY at a time is very centering and helps me focus. (It also means the tasks that didn’t get done the day before aren’t staring me in the face all accusing anymore 👀 #nojudgementzone)

Related Post: How to Use ONE Planner for Life and Business

2 | IT’S MY #1 PRODUCTIVITY TOOL

It’s actually the FIRST thing I reach for in the morning and the LAST thing I touch at night.

When I sit down at my desk in the morning, before I even wake up my computer, I pull out my Simplified Planner. All through the day, it sits open right beside me so I can clearly see my schedule and check off to-dos as I do them. At the end of each workday, I write out my schedule and to-do list for the next day so I can hit the ground running!!

Related Post: How to Set Up Your Simplified Planner So You Actually Use It

3 | IT’S VERY WELL-MADE (LIGHTWEIGHT + DURABLE)

People always ask me if the Simplified Planner is worth the price. So, let’s do the math!!

• The Daily Simplified Planner (my personal planner of choice) is $64. If I use my planner every single day of the year (which I do), that means my planner costs me $0.17 a day to use!!
• Conversely, the Weekly Simplified Planner is $54. So if you use that for 365 days, the planner only costs you $0.14 a day to use!! Not too shabby, right?!

Bottom line? With its sturdy hard cover, gold wire-o binding, and thick, luxurious paper, the Simplified Planner is built to last through whatever your year may bring!!

For those wondering, my Simplified Planner mostly lives on my desk. But if I ever feel like changing things up and going to work at Starbucks, I don’t feel bad about throwing it in my bag along with a bunch of other stuff. It’s *never* come out looking wrecked, and I don’t feel like I’m lugging around a brick. Same for when I travel. It’s gone in both my checked suitcase and carry-on, and I’ve never once had an issue.

Related Post: How to Make the Most of Your Simplified Planner

4 | IT’S AS FUNCTIONAL AS IT IS PRETTY

The Simplified Planner has always been gorgeous, but Emily Ley and her team at Simplified LOVE to outdo themselves with the cover designs!!

With each year that passes, it gets harder and harder to choose just one. I often find myself saying, “I don’t need more than one planner!! I don’t need more than one planner!! I don’t need more than one planner!!” 😂

But she’s not just a pretty face. My FAVORITE part of the Simplified Planner is the way the daily page is set up. There’s a space for to-dos running right alongside an hourly schedule that’s PERFECT for time blocking (my favorite) and keeping track of meetings and appointments. Below that, there’s a big ol’ space for notes!! I love that I can use this space for whatever I want (note-taking, meal planning, or even brainstorming).

My second favorite thing is that each daily page has just THREE sections and nothing else. No extra boxes to check or random trackers that might not even apply to you (but still somehow make you feel guilty anyway).

✨ You get to make the planner work FOR YOU—not the other way around!! ✨

Related Post: My Favorite Planner Accessories (And How I Use Them)

5 | IT’S CHANGED THE WAY I PLAN MY DAY

The Simplified Planner STOPPED me from making (daily) to-do lists that just weren’t accomplishable. No longer do I make to-do lists that are pages and pages long.

(I was once FAMOUS for these and would kick myself DAILY for not getting everything done!!)

But to-do lists are NOT wish lists!! The Simplified Planner helped me realize this and quite literally changed the way I manage my time and plan my days.

Now, I use the hourly schedule to time block everything (top 3 tasks, miscellaneous to-dos, meals, routines, meetings, and appointments) into my day.

I love that I can EASILY see what I’ve scheduled and when, so I don’t overcommit, over-schedule, or overwhelm my day (or myself).

Related Post: How to Use a Digital Calendar and Simplified Planner Together

Long story short? I’m OBSESSED with my Simplified Planner and highly recommend it for female entrepreneurs and creative small business owners!!

Everything that made me fall in love with this planner back in 2016 is STILL what keeps me coming back 12 years and counting!! 😍

If you’ve been on the fence about getting one, I hope this review was helpful for you!! If you have any questions at all about the planner, feel free to drop them below and I’ll answer them!!

Not sure if the Simplified Planner is right for you? Check out this detailed FAQ!!

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Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post could be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through my link at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I personally use, love, and feel make a difference in my business and could do the same for you.