Best 2-Year Planner for Busy Schedules: A Comprehensive Guide
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Ever struggle to keep track of your schedule over the long haul? A 2-year planner might be just what you need to organize your life. In this planner review, I'll share how these tools can help manage commitments effectively while reducing stress. Let's explore why a 2 year planner could be the perfect fit for your busy lifestyle.
What is a 2 year planner?
A 2-year planner is a type of organizer or calendar that spans a two-year period. It typically includes monthly and weekly calendar pages for each year, along with space for notes, to-do lists, and other planning tools. It's useful for long-term planning, tracking goals, and staying organized over an extended period. People often use 2-year planners to plan projects, events, and appointments, or to manage tasks and schedules for work or personal life.
Benefits of Using a 2-Year Planner
A 2-year planner offers several benefits:
Long-Term Planning:
It allows for detailed planning and tracking of goals, projects, and events over a longer period, which can be helpful for managing complex or long-term tasks.
Consistency:
With a 2-year planner, you can maintain consistency in your planning and tracking, avoiding the need to switch planners each year.
Better Overview:
You can see both the current and upcoming year at a glance, making it easier to plan events that span multiple years and track progress over an extended period.
Financial and Academic Planning:
It's useful for budgeting and tracking financial goals or academic schedules that stretch over two years.
Less Frequent Reordering:
You only need to purchase a new planner every two years, which can be more cost-effective and convenient.
Strategic Goal Setting:
It supports long-term goal setting and progress monitoring, helping you break down larger objectives into manageable milestones over two years.
Fewer Interruptions:
You avoid the disruption of changing planners annually, maintaining a more cohesive record of your plans and activities.
Increased Productivity:
By having a longer planning horizon, you can better align your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks with your long-term goals.
Do you remember to schedule in some self-care?
Everyone has their own prefrances or needs when it comes to a planner. For example, I need one with large squares to write in because I write big. I also prefer to have large daily calendar as well, as I use my planner for social media for my businesses. Here are some other things to consider when looking for a 2 year planner.
Layout and Design:
- Monthly and Weekly Views: Ensure it includes both monthly and weekly layouts for detailed planning.
- Yearly Overview: A section that offers a broad view of the entire two years, useful for long-term planning.
- Ample Writing Space: Look for large, well-spaced daily and weekly sections to jot down tasks and notes.
Durability:
- Sturdy Cover: A hard or durable cover to protect the planner throughout two years of use.
- Quality Binding: Spiral or sewn binding that can withstand frequent use without falling apart.
Additional Organizational Tools:
- Tabs: Monthly tabs for easy navigation between months and sections.
- Goal-Setting Pages: Sections dedicated to setting and tracking long-term goals.
- To-Do Lists: Built-in to-do lists or sections for task management.
- Note Pages: Extra pages for notes, brainstorming, or journaling.
Specialized Sections:
- Budgeting Pages: Financial planning sections to track expenses, savings, and budgets over two years.
- Project Planning: Space to break down and manage large projects with deadlines and milestones.
- Important Dates: A section to record birthdays, anniversaries, and other significant events.
Portability:
- Size: A balance between portability and having enough space to write. A5 or similar sizes are popular.
- Weight: Lightweight enough to carry around if needed, but sturdy enough to last two years.
Customization:
- Undated vs. Dated: Choose between undated planners, which offer flexibility, and dated planners, which provide structure.
- Personalization: Some planners offer customization options, such as adding your name or choosing the cover design.
Extras:
- Stickers and Accessories: Some planners come with stickers, bookmarks, or other accessories to enhance organization.
- Elastic Band or Closure: Keeps the planner securely closed when not in use.
- Pen Holder: A built-in loop or holder for keeping a pen handy.
By considering these features, you can select a 2-year planner that aligns with your personal planning style and needs.
My favorite 2-year planner review:
I have tried many different planners over the years. I have even tried to create my own planner and print it out based on what my needs were. My all time favorite planner however is the Montcool Academic planner. This is the second one I have had and I am questioning myself on why I've tried others.
My favorite features:
Some of my favorite features of this planner are the thick coil spiral binding. This planner can easily lay flat on a desk to write in. I do not work at a desk, I work on the couch or recliner. I can fold it onto itself so that only the page I need is open. This makes it easier to write in and see my social media schedule.
The Montcool planner also comes with a few extra accessories that make staying organized even easier. There is a bookmark that attaches to the binding that is in the same design as the cover. There is also a ruler that attaches to the binding that has 2 different types of sticky notes. If that wasn't enough there are also 2 sheets of fun stickers to plan out your calendar days to remember appointments, when bills are due or when you get paid.
Another thing that I love is the large writing areas. On the monthly pages, I sort of use it as a diary. If something important happened I add it there. Since I am the caretaker for my 2 youngest grandchildren, I keep track of my daughter's schedule this way as it changes week to week. Also, I can keep track of all the numerous doctor's appointments I have to help management my chronic illnesses.
Lastly, what I love about this planner is dividers for the months of the year. They are thick pages and every other month also has a positive affirmation on it. I am a big believer in affirmations and I love that I there are some right in my planner. Are you a fan of affirmations? Don't forget to check out my printable shop and see check out the printable self-care affirmations.
Lastly, what has me purchasing this planner over and over is the quality of the paper. I love to use fun colorful pens and markers in my planner. It is easy to color code things this way and colors are just plain fun! Felt tip markers tend to bleed through most paper, and I have zero issues of that now. My favorite felt tip marker I'm currently using are Scribble Stuff felt tip markers. I purchased mine at Wal-Mart and they work beautifully. No bleeding through to the other side of the paper, no skipping, and fun vibrant colors.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a 2-year planner is a powerful tool for long-term organization and goal-setting, offering the ability to manage your life with clarity and consistency. By choosing the right features, avoiding common mistakes, and using the planner effectively, you can maximize its benefits and ensure that your personal and professional goals are on track. Whether for work, school, or personal life, a well-chosen 2-year planner can help you stay focused, reduce stress, and achieve your aspirations over the next two years.
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