I Tried Some ADHD Planners

So you don't have to

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

One way I do not fit the traditional ADHD profile is that I am a fairly organized person. I have been an Executive Assistant for close to 20 years now, and keeping other people organized is my literal job. I am not quite as organized in my own life, but I have a system that has worked for me so far. I think it was a way I overcompensated for knowing that a trap door can open in my brain and suck important information into a black hole, never to be seen again. Generally, though, organization can be a huge challenge for people with ADHD.

During the pandemic, I stopped wanting to rely on my phone for everything, and went back to some analog things. I started writing scenes by hand in my journal again, and decided I wanted to get a paper planner instead of using my phone. The reminders and notifications just got to be too much, and its much too easy to ignore them.

Since the beginning of researching ADHD online, the algorithms all got the memo that I was of the neurodivergent variety, and I started getting constant ads for various ADHD apps and tools, including planners. About two months ago, I decided to sample a few planners, and I’m going to review them here. I am pleased to say I found one that worked well for me, but even the ones that didn’t have plenty of great things. It all depends on how your brain works and what you are looking for.

1. The ADHD Planner

   $35 on Amazon, making this by far the most expensive one I got

   

   PRO TIP: If you don’t want to advertise your ADHD status, perhaps don’t buy a planner that says “THE ADHD PLANNER” on it in sparkly gold letters.

   This planner is highly reviewed on Amazon. I was surprised when I opened it up and found that it is more than an inch thick, and it’s 8.5 x 6.5 inches (roughly), making it the size of a decent sized book. If you work remotely, drive to work or don’t mind lugging around an extra book in your purse, this could work. For this New Yorker who is already a little lopsided from schlepping a too heavy purse on her right shoulder for more than 20 years, I found myself already not wanting to bring it with me.

   Then there’s the paperwork. Good GOD. First, you are asked to write out your intentions and goals. Okay, fair enough! That’s always a good thing to do. However, there are pages and pages of work ahead. Including breaking out all of the goals you just wrote down in a way I can only describe as “granular”. Like, I want to organize my closet or finish a commission pitch, not invent interstellar travel.

   

   By this point, I felt like I was taking the SAT.

   It was giving shades of this.

   

   In the “pro” column, I do like the way its formatted for the daily planning. I also enjoy the page for a Weekly Brain Dump. I can see myself using this as an at-home planner for bigger projects, but for the day to day, it isn’t going to work for me. It’s a shame, because it is very nice looking, and the person who designed it worked really hard on it.
   

2. Legend 6 Month Daily Planner

   $18.99 on Amazon

   

   OOOH STICKERS

   This length and width of the Legend Planner comes in slightly smaller than the ADHD Planner - about the size of an A5 piece of paper - but it is THICC. It’s about 2.5 inches in thickness, and despite its heft, it is only intended to last six months. While I found the goal lists and format a bit less daunting than The ADHD Planner, it’s still a LOT. I did find it helpful to write out some of my goals, but at the same time, for remembering appointments and trying not to slack on my daily tasks, it seems like overkill. I can definitely see how it could help someone who has issues with starting and finishing projects and needs to break it all down into component parts, but I think anyone who struggles with executive function might abandon before finishing the setup.

   

   A little less daunting than the other planner, but yikes.

   I do like the formatting, and it comes with fun stickers. I think this one is closest to a bullet journal, which is for people who…have a lot of time for calligraphy? It’s a terrific excuse to buy a bunch of markers, if that’s your hyperfixation. At this point, my handwriting is giving serial killer realness, so I can’t see myself doing any of that. I might use the stickers though. Who doesn’t love a sticker?

3. Weekly Undated Planner Book with To-Do List (love this title, you know what you are getting!)

   $7.99 on Amazon
   

   

   It ain’t fancy!

   This was the big winner for me, and at $8, it fits just about every budget. It’s a simple planner, and it is also very small and light. I can slip this into just about all of my purses, and it has a plastic cover so it doesn’t bend or get tattered. It is designed to plan for an entire year, which is convenient. The to-do lists are key, and it gives you a little box to check off when its done (which I find satisfying). It also lets you state a Weekly Focus, which is useful, even if you just write “GET THROUGH IT”.

   I am a big fan of the Habit Tracker checklist. It keeps me honest about things like exercise, skincare, and sticking to my nightly sleep routine. It also helps me remember to take my meds.

   

   My one complaint is that the weekend is smooshed into one small section, which for me is unfortunate as when that is when I am doing the most in terms of creative projects, but I supplement this with a more detailed list on my phone and write CHECK PHONE. This works maybe 75% of the time. Otherwise, I can rely on my Post-It System (its not a system, its just one million Post Its all over my desk with helpful information such as “don’t forget the thing” and “write a better scene”, ensuring that I will spend a good 15-20 minutes trying to remember what the thing or scene is).

   

   More space for weekend planning would be nice

   I will still be looking for a similar planner that maybe has more space (I could see a world where the week was stretched into two pages), but it’s not the size of the Bible, so compromises must be made. I am using it consistently, which was the goal. No matter how fancy or well-designed a planner is, it’s just taking up space if you don’t use it.
   
   If you use a planner that you love, feel free to share in the comments!