Project Planner Essentials: Top 11 Journals and Organizers

Navigating through the complexities of any project can often be a daunting task. That’s where a great project planner comes in. It’s a tool to jot down tasks and deadlines, as well as a crucial component in your project’s journey from conception to completion.

Finding the ideal project planner that complements your work style and meets your needs can transform your organizational game.

Our top tip? Opt for a planner that not only allows you to set deadlines but also track progress, encouraging regular reflection and course correction.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at the 11 best physical project planners and organizers to help streamline your project management process.

What is the Best Project Planner?

1. Your Lifestyle Business 90 Day Goal Setting Journal

the YLB 90 day journal as one of the best in the market

This planner is designed with the business owner in mind. Regardless of where you currently stand on your entrepreneurial journey, having a clear, structured plan can help to keep you focused, driven, and organized. It’s about creating a roadmap that aligns with your entrepreneurial spirit and personal goals.

Here’s what you’ll find in our 90-Day Planner:

  • The TAG System for Goal Setting: This system allows you to set goals at three different levels – from your biggest dream (the BHAG or Big Hairy Audacious Goal) down to more manageable yet challenging objectives (HAGs and AGs). The idea is to help you dream big but also keep your goals within reach.
  • Daily Action Pages: Each day brings a new opportunity to move closer to your goals. With the daily planning pages, you can prioritize tasks that align with your top three goals, develop good habits, and manage your time effectively.
  • Reflective Pages for Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly Review: These pages are a place for you to pause and take stock of your journey. By reviewing your progress regularly, you can celebrate your wins, learn from your challenges, and adjust your plans as necessary.
  • Vision and Bucket List Pages: Envisioning your ideal lifestyle and creating a bucket list are powerful exercises. They remind you of your ‘why’ and help you stay motivated and aligned with your true desires.
  • Lay-Flat Binding: The planner also includes user-friendly lay-flat binding that ensures a smooth, seamless experience. Writing in the planner becomes a joy, not a chore.
  • Free Printable Journal Extras: To provide you with more value, we also offer a collection of helpful freebies. These include guides for goal setting and identifying your values, a planner for your perfect day, a budget planner, a habit tracker, and a printable 13-week action planner.

So, if you’re an entrepreneur or aspire to become one, this 90-Day Goal Setting Planner is a tool worth considering. It helps bring structure to your ambition and puts you firmly in the driver’s seat of your own life and business. It’s not just about reaching your goals; it’s about enjoying the journey along the way.

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10 More Project Planner Options

2. Project Planner by POKETO

Poketo Project journal Clay
  • Revamped Powerful Project Planner: The acclaimed Project Planner returns, now bolder with new colors and enhanced features aimed at mapping, organizing, and timely project completion. It accommodates over 100 projects, each meticulously subdivided into succinct task lists and monthly timelines.
  • Combination of Calendar and Journal Space: The planner incorporates open-dated yearly, monthly, and weekly sections that foster goal-setting and accomplishment. A newly added process notes section provides ample room for recording ideas, meeting points, to-dos, and more.
  • Flexible Open Date Pages: This planner upholds the signature offering since 2006 – open-dated planners. This design stems from the belief that planning should start anytime and skipping a week should not result in wasted space.
  • Environmentally-Friendly Paper: The planner employs FSC Chain of Custody Certified paper, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood pulp. It features a Smyth Sewn binding that lays flat when open and a sturdy, fabric-like cover for durability. The planner contains 160 pages and measures 11.9″ x 8.4″ (21.3 cm x 30.2 cm).
  • Everyday Artistry from Poketo: Born from the desire to integrate art and design into everyday life, Poketo presents design-conscious goods as part of its lifestyle brand, fostering a creative lifestyle.
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3. PRO Notebook by Moleskine

Moleskine PRO Notebook
  • The Moleskine Professional Notebook Experience: Ideal for working professionals, artists, and college students, Moleskine Pro notebooks serve as the perfect daily journal or planner. They offer ample space for project planning, note-taking, contacts, and stickers, ensuring all tasks are organized efficiently.
  • Resilient Cover with Practical Elastic Closure: Moleskine notebooks secure your writing projects and notes with a handy elastic closure band and interior storage folders. The classic, leather-like Moleskine cover and thick, ivory paper pages are ideally suited for writing with fountain pens.
  • Gift-Worthy Notebooks: Moleskine planners, journals, and notebooks, available in hardcover or softcover and an array of colors like black, red, blue, green, and brown, make perfect gifts. Their binding and covers, designed with durability in mind, are ideal for daily journaling, writing, and sketching.
  • Premium Quality Pages: With Moleskine’s thick, ivory paper pages, whether in a hardcover or softcover notebook, cahier, volant journal, or planner, you’re guaranteed a perfect texture for writing. These pages accommodate ballpoint pens, fountain pens, and pencils with ease.
  • Unwavering Moleskine Quality Commitment: Moleskine’s dedication extends to culture, travel, memory, imagination, and personal identity—both physical and digital. This commitment permeates all Moleskine products, from notebooks and bags to apps and smart pens.
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4. Hatch Project Planner Notebook by Two Tumbleweeds

Hatch Project Notebook
  • Bring Your Ideas to Life: This unique planner, featuring 160 pages divided into three sections, serves as a tool to structure, organize, and implement your ideas. Each section is designed to deconstruct your grand visions into attainable parts and action items, keeping you motivated and on track in the journey of actualizing your ideas.
  • Step 1 – Conception: Facilitates the generation and organization of ideas into a novel table of contents, forming your master list of visions to be realized. This notebook offers 4 pages to categorize and list your ideas, along with 16 blank dot-grid pages for brainstorming and fleshing out thoughts.
  • Step 2 – Incubation: This segment assists in evaluating the feasibility and personal excitement level of your ideas. It incorporates 14 spreads with probing questions to help prioritize the ones to pursue first.
  • Step 3 – Hatching: The final stage where your ideas develop into fully-fledged concepts with clear action items and execution strategies. This section contains 5 project sub-sections to design, develop, and plan your ideas, including a page for specifications and an action plan. Additional blank pages are available for sketches and extra notes.
  • The Perfect Gift for the Organized Mind: This elegantly hardbound notebook serves as a fantastic gift for entrepreneurs, creators, colleagues, or even bosses. Writing down ideas on paper imparts them with a value that digital mediums cannot provide. This journal, therefore, is the perfect present for those seeking to organize their thoughts and turn their ideas into reality.
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5. Gold Fibre Classic Project Planner by Ampad

Ampad Gold Fibre Classic Project journal
  • Esteemed Brand: The item is from Ampad, a reputable brand recognized for quality products.
  • Year of Production: This particular model was produced in the year 2013, showcasing its lasting durability and design.
  • Intended Audience: The product is designed with adults in mind, catering to their specific needs.
  • Material Composition: Made from high-quality paper, it ensures durability and a pleasant user experience.
  • Lightweight Design: The item weighs a mere 0.01 ounces, making it incredibly lightweight and portable.
  • Product Category: This offering falls under the category of office products, a testament to its utility in professional environments.
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6. Home*maker Remodel Project Planner by Morrow

homemaker remodel project planner cover design of a kitchen wall shelf with mugs and a partial image of a kitchen sink
  • Specialized Remodel Project Planner: This 80-page planner, specifically curated for DIY projects, provides ample space for organizing up to 10 projects. It’s an excellent tool for consolidating all your project details in one place, replacing the need for scattered notes and lists.
  • Comprehensive Project To-Do List: It features a dedicated page for listing all tasks and steps necessary to bring your project to completion.
  • Ample Sketching Space: Two full pages of graph paper facilitate the sketching of floorplans, elevations, and other design ideas.
  • Budget Organizer for Your Project: This planner includes a budget organizer section to record all necessary purchases, their sources, and costs, helping to keep your project finances in check.
  • Finish Catalog: A page dedicated to cataloging your chosen paint colors, tiles, flooring, and other finishes lets you refer back whenever needed, such as when buying more paint or replacing an item.
  • Contractor Info and Quotes Tracker: For those tasks you’d rather leave to professionals, like extensive plumbing or electrical work, a page is allocated for tracking contractor quotes and contact information.
  • Final Punch List and Note-Taking: An additional page allows for the consolidation of your final punch list and any other notes you need to jot down during your project.
  • Brainstorming and Creative Space: A full page is devoted to brainstorming, note-taking, idea generation, and sparking creativity.
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7. Smart Lion Money Master Budget Planner by Freedom Mastery

Smart Lion Financial journal & Monthly Budget and Bill Organizer
  • Premium Financial Planner: The deluxe, undated budget and wealth planner guides users towards mastering financial success, showing how to reprogram their mind for better financial management. It aids in debt repayment, tracking expenses, increasing savings, and establishing an emergency fund.
  • Comprehensive Finance Management Tool: Designed to instill empowering financial habits while discarding destructive ones, this planner increases productivity by teaching the user to foster new supportive habits. Included are 12 monthly financial calendars, budgeting tools, goal tracking, balance sheets, expense trackers, financial reflection and review pages, habit trackers, saving and debt trackers, monthly bill trackers, sinking fund sheets, holiday budget trackers, and a yearly summary.
  • Goal-Oriented Money Planner: Incorporating the law of attraction, this planner encourages users to set ambitious goals, manage their time effectively, and foster happiness. It models the methods used by successful individuals worldwide to set and achieve their goals.
  • Family Financial Planner for Harmony and Clarity: Designed to reduce stress, overcome procrastination, and restore balance, this planner employs an exclusive 8-step system that fosters harmony, clarity, and peace while striving to meet financial goals. An excellent gift option, it’s suitable for birthdays, anniversaries, or just to share with friends.
  • Quality Expense Tracker Notebook: With its luxurious design, this top-quality notebook suits both men and women, entrepreneurs, professionals, college students, and all who are committed to turning dreams into reality. It comes with a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, underscoring its high quality and your satisfaction.
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8. Gold Fibre Wirebound Project Planner by TableTop King

TableTop King Gold Fibre Wirebound Project journal
  • Notable Brand: The product hails from the established brand TableTop King, renowned for their quality offerings.
  • Paper-Based Cover: The cover of the notebook is crafted from durable paper, ensuring long-lasting use.
  • Notebook Format: The notebook format offers ample space for a variety of writing and sketching needs.
  • Targeted at Adults: Designed with the needs of adult users in mind, the notebook caters to a broad range of writing, journaling, and planning tasks.
  • Paper Material: Made entirely of paper, the notebook carries a traditional feel and robust construction.
  • Lightweight Design: Weighing just 0.01 ounces, the notebook ensures ease of carry and convenience, making it an excellent choice for those on the go.
  • Unknown Binding: The notebook features a unique unknown binding, adding an element of intrigue and uniqueness to its design.
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9. 12 Week Year Planner by Brian Moran

12 week year planner by Brian Moran
  • Unmatched Goal Achievement System – The 12 Week Year: Regarded as the most effective goal achievement system ever devised, the 12 Week Year fosters clarity, prioritizes what truly matters, and imbues a sense of urgency to act. Now, this powerful system can be leveraged through the innovative 12 Week Year Planner.
  • Revolutionary Approach to Planning: Traditional 90-day and annual planning methods, often found lacking in today’s fast-paced environment, are replaced with the fresh, efficient approach of the 12 Week Year. This system addresses and eliminates the drawbacks of conventional planning methodologies.
  • Serious About Goals? Here’s the Solution: If you’re committed to achieving your goals, the 12 Week Year Planner is the tool you need.
  • Drawing on High Performer’s Strategies: This planner is based on an exhaustive study of high performers and how they boost productivity, set goals, prioritize tasks, and foster a positive mindset and habits needed to succeed. Utilize the 12 Week Year Planner to tap into your highest performance potential.
  • Turn Big Goals into Manageable Tasks: Success hinges on setting ambitious goals, breaking them down into smaller, more manageable objectives, and working diligently to accomplish them. The 12 Week Year Planner serves as an excellent initial step in this goal-setting and achievement journey.
  • Daily Focus for Enhanced Productivity: Make use of the 12 Week Year Planner every day (yes, every single day). You’ll start concentrating on what’s important, achieving more, and feeling more satisfied doing so.
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10. PROJECT PLANNER by Amanda Marie

PROJECT journal by Amanda Marie
  • Project Organization: This inventive project planner facilitates effective organization of projects, offering a singular platform for all your ideas and thoughts.
  • Comprehensive Page Inclusions: The planner features dedicated spaces for the Project Title and Date/Deadline, helping users stay focused and on track with their objectives.
  • Brainstorming Space: Users are provided with ample space for brainstorming, ensuring all creative ideas and insights can be captured in one place.
  • Props/Materials Section: By maintaining a list of items in the Props/Materials section, users can more effectively manage their project budget.
  • Contacts/Locations: A section dedicated to Contacts/Locations keeps track of all necessary individuals and locations for each specific project, ensuring easy accessibility to vital information.
  • Unique Cover Art: The cover art, created by Makeup FX Artist Marie, adds a distinct, artistic touch to the planner.
  • Wide Usability: This planner proves to be a valuable tool not only for creatives and small business owners, but also for anyone in need of a structured approach to project management.
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11. Project Planner by Evans Nusu

Project journal by Evans Nusu
  • Introducing the Project Management Planner Book Journal: This is your indispensable tool for effectively managing a diverse array of projects, regardless of their complexity.
  • Comprehensive Project Framework: The journal serves as a comprehensive guide to project management, offering a robust structure for planning, organizing, and keeping track of project tasks, timelines, resources, and budgets.
  • Customizable Features for Better Management: Equipped with customizable templates, checklists, and guides, the journal becomes a vital aid in maintaining a firm grip on project progress, helping ensure successful outcomes.
  • Ideal Companion for All Project Managers: Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned project management professional or a novice in the field, this journal stands as the perfect partner to ensure your projects meet deadlines, stay within budget, and adhere to the highest quality standards.
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Project Planner Essentials – Summary

A top-notch project planner can significantly streamline your project management process, making the journey from the initial concept to the final product more efficient and manageable.

It is important to choose a planner that aligns with your work style, provides ample space for both structured planning and free-form notes, and promotes a balance between goal setting, tracking progress, and regular reflection.

Interested in a structured yet flexible planner focused on quarterly goal-setting and achievement? We recommend checking out the YLB 90 Day Journal. Its design is centered around achieving goals within a 90-day framework, promoting a clear vision, and offering consistent tracking, making it an exceptional tool for personal and professional development.

Remember, the ultimate goal of using a project planner is to enhance your productivity while ensuring a smoother and more organized project management process.

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Project Planner Essentials – FAQs

What is the role of a project planner?

A project planner, in the form of a journal or organizer, helps in planning, organizing, and managing tasks and goals for any project. It aids in keeping track of progress, deadlines, and milestones. The planner also provides a space for reflecting on strategies and steps, making it easier to course-correct if needed.

What is the meaning of a project planner?

A project planner journal is a tool designed to streamline the process of planning and executing a project. It’s usually composed of calendars, to-do lists, note sections, and goal-setting areas to allow for comprehensive project management. The planner helps manage your time effectively, keep track of tasks, set and monitor goals, and jot down thoughts or ideas relevant to the project.

How do you set up a project planner?

Setting up a project planner starts with understanding the scope of your project. Begin by noting down the project’s key objectives and deadlines. Then, break down the project into smaller, manageable tasks. Allocate these tasks to specific dates or weeks in your planner. Make sure to include sections for notes, reflections, and tracking progress. Remember, the planner should be adaptable to accommodate changes and updates throughout the project’s duration.

Which project planner is best for daily tasks?

Different project planners cater to different needs. For daily task tracking, planners with detailed daily sections can be excellent choices.

Are digital project planners better than physical ones?

The choice between digital and physical project planners boils down to personal preference. Some people prefer the tangible nature of a physical planner and find the act of writing therapeutic, while others appreciate the convenience, portability, and additional features of digital planners.

How can a project planner improve productivity?

A project planner improves productivity by providing structure to your day and projects. It helps manage time effectively, prioritizes tasks, sets and tracks goals, and captures ideas, all contributing to increased productivity and efficiency.

Can I use a project planner for personal projects or goals?

Absolutely! Project planners are not just for professional projects. They can be incredibly effective for planning and tracking personal projects or goals, whether it’s home renovation, planning a big event, or personal growth objectives.

Do project planners have a space for notes and reflections?

Yes, most project planners have sections dedicated to notes and reflections. This space is invaluable for jotting down ideas, insights, or challenges encountered during the project and for reflecting on progress and strategies.

How often should I update my project planner?

It’s a good practice to update your project planner daily. This helps keep your tasks, deadlines, and goals up-to-date. Regular updates also allow you to track progress and adjust plans accordingly.

Is a project planner worth the investment?

Investing in a project planner can lead to significant improvements in project management, time management, and productivity. It helps keep projects on track and can make the process more organized and less stressful. So, for many, a project planner is indeed worth the investment.