How to Pick an ADHD-Friendly Planner

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ADHD planners may seem like an oxymoron, but externalizing planning by using visual tools like planners, wall calendars, and whiteboards can be a time management game-changer.

You may be one of those people who love writing lists and organizing your schedule, or you may be like me and have an inexplicable disdain for planning tools but buy loads of planners and pens anyway because they're cute and you think things will be different this time and then you write in it twice and lose it before you can even cross things off your too-ambitious to-do list.

If that self-defeating pattern sounds familiar, here are some tips:

1. Keep your systems and routines super simple.

If it takes me more than a couple of steps to get into my planner, I simply won't use it. This is true for most of my daily routines. Systems that require minimal steps more easily become routine. To learn more about how to create simple, powerful routines, check out Atomic Habits by James Clear.

2. Set boundaries for your system supplies.

Do not let anyone touch your planner, pens, whiteboard marker, etc. (Easier said than done, I know, if you have little monsters like I do.). Sometimes I buy them their own cheap versions of my stuff so they'll be less tempted to desecrate mine. Other times I have to hide my fancy pens with the matches or I'll find springs, caps, and inkwells scattered across the house like some kind of crime scene.

3. Find a planner that is easy to jump into.

If your planner takes too much time to fill out, is hard to find or access, or is poorly structured, it will fail. For electronic planners, this may mean utilizing hands-free options, automated systems, and syncing across devices. For paper planners, this may mean undated calendars that can be picked up even after you've missed a few days (or years), or step-by-step layouts that take under 15 minutes to fill out.

4. Make your systems yours.

Just because you have ADHD doesn't mean you don't have a unique personality. Try and determine what works best for and appeals to you.

Paper or Electronic Planner?

Electronic planners provide the convenience and reliability of automated reminders. You can customize and access them from any device. That alone offers a clear advantage over paper planners, but are they the best option hands-down?

Where paper planners win is in the sensory experience. Writing down events pen to paper can aid in memory and provide positive tactile and visual sensory input. Utilizing a hanging wall calendar or whiteboard aids with time visualization, which makes it easy to see the number of days before an event or the number of events stacked into a week. Notebook planners allow for doodling, comprehensive note-taking, and customization. Some people even opt for entire binders to organize their households.

You may have to experiment to find what works best for you, but hopefully this guide will help. I generally prefer electronic planners, but I also can't always keep track of my phone. That's where I've appreciated my apple watch, which not only sends my calendar events to my wrist, but also pages my phone at the touch of a button. I do, though, also appreciate the easy-access visual a wall calendar and whiteboard provide. I usually use my phone or Alexa to add events and set reminders in my calendar app, write my to-do lists, events of the week, goals, and menus on a big whiteboard in my kitchen, and try to write events on my wall calendar for the whole family to see (when I remember to). And when it comes to jotting down notes, I usually reach for a notepad and pen or the notebook app on my ipad. Clearly, it takes a whole army to keep me organized.

What Makes a Planner ADHD-Friendly?

I have enough barely-filled planner pages in my nightstand to know that not all planners work with ADHD brains. Experimenting with several planners, while helpful, can be pricey, time-consuming, and discouraging, so here's a shortcut list of ADHD-friendly qualities I have found in both electronic and paper planners:

ADHD-Friendly Electronic Planner Qualities:

-Voice-enabled so I can add events hands-free

-Allows for multiple reminders (1 day before, 30 min. before)

-Accessible from multiple sources (computer, phone, tablet, smartwatch)

-Updates without too many clicks

-Allows for automated features (Easy add to calendar, gps-related notifications)

-Visually simple with low customization requirements

ADHD-Friendly Paper Planner Qualities:

-Undated calendars (Pick up anytime without feeling bad for forgetting about it)

-Highly structured in meaningful ways (Like a time management workbook)

-Room for dumping non-organized thoughts and ideas

-Life planning all-in-one (budgeting, calendar, meal plans, etc.)

-Includes healthy habit reminders (drink water, eat healthy, etc.)

-Positive sensory input (aesthetically pleasing, feels nice, stickers)

-Encouragement (uplifting (not cheesy) quotes, positivity)

-Bright Colors (Harder to lose, easier to find)

Electronic Planner Options:

My Fave...

Google Calendar App: This app is the creepiest/best ADHD companion. It's like having a little stalker secretary in your pocket. With it, you can write notes, share your schedule or event info. with others, and create diverse event or task reminders for yourself. The reminders are something else, let me tell you. You can set time reminders (like 10 minutes or a day before the event) or even location reminders based on your gps (like remind me to buy batteries when I get to Walmart). If you have both Gmail and Google calendar, it will, in just the creepiest way, scan your emails for communications about events you might have coming up like flight plans and zoom meetings and then ask if you would like to add it to your calendar. The fact that I joyfully hand over all my information to Google for convenience's sake without a second thought may be a subject for my therapist or a dystopian novel, but I am telling you, the convenience is out of this world.

Other Good Options...

iCal: This calendar app from Apple is similar to the Google calendar app without the email stalking. It has most of the same features like reminders and events and syncs seamlessly with apple watch.

Smart Home Devices like Echo Dot (Alexa) and Google Nest: I have a complicated relationship with my Alexa. You can read about it here, but I have to admit she does prove loyal when it comes to keeping my schedule on track. With smart devices, you can ask them to remind you of events at a certain time, set alarms so you don't leave your kid at gymnastics (again), and set timers to keep your pizza from burning. It's totally hands-free and the device stays in one place, so you never lose it. You can even sync your preferred calendar app (Google, Apple, or Microsoft) to the device so it can remind you of upcoming events. Alexa also tells you when your Amazon packages will arrive.

Pinterest: Don't underestimate the value of Pinterest. It's nice to have a place to digitally organize recipes, tips, books to read, fitness routines, etc. It can become a preferences portfolio for your daily life and doesn't have to take up space in your home like magazines and recipe cards do. You can organize subjects however you want. Here's a video on organizing your boards.

Cozi or Picniic: If you have a packed schedule of family events, Cozi or Picniic (apps) might work best for you. Their format allows for calendar editing from all family members so everyone can stay on the same page. My kids are still young and do not have their own devices, but if you have older kids who want to be in the know with the family schedule, these are the apps for you. You can even link Cozi to your Alexa to add events or items to your shopping list. Cozi is free but Picniic has an annual fee.

Notability: I really love the simplicity of Notability. It's basically a notebook app for your tablet. You can add tabs to the notebook to keep things organized and can also add images. It's a good option if you like fully customizable features. You can even write in your own handwriting, circle it, and it automatically changes it to typed. I like to use it on my Ipad with the Apple Pencil for jotting down ideas and doodles or for different topics I am learning about. I tried to use it as a household planner, but didn't keep up with it because I find I need less customizable features for daily planning. I still use it a lot for general note-taking, though.

OurHome: This app is free and allows parents to assign chores/to-do lists and even reward kids for completing them. It also includes grocery lists and calendar events that can be shared across multiple devices.

Phone Camera: Don't forget the value of holding a camera in your pocket. Take pictures of invitations, appointment cards, where you're parked, whatever you might forget.

Paper Planner Options:

My Fave...

Go Girl Planner: This is it. This is the one. The Go Girl planner, hits all the ADHD-friendly criteria right on the head. It has a good balance of structure and customization with undated calendars, stickers, and easy to fill out sections that include goal setting, habit tracking, and planning. You can plan your week and your month and also chart your finances. There is even a review on Amazon by an ADHDer who gives it 5 stars for its fabulous layout. And, bonus, it comes in bright colors so it's harder to lose.

Other Great Options...

Fitspiration Journals by C.R. Gibson: The Fitspiration Journal is a healthy habit type planner. When I use it regularly, I feel a positive shift in my emotional and physical health. The format is simple, but impactful. It invites you at the beginning of the day to list three things you are grateful for, a goal for the day, and one thing you appreciate about your body. It then has a section where you rate your day by writing what you did to move, what you ate, and how your mood was. It also has some lines for free writing, an inspirational quote, a fit tip, and a space to write, draw, or attach something that inspires you. It's such a good way to check in with your mind and body at the beginning and end of the day and you can do it all in a matter of minutes or take your time on it. It is not a calendar planner, but more of a wellness and goal journal.

The Happy Planner: If you like more traditional planners, The Happy Planner fits the bill while still being fairly ADHD-friendly. It has dated calendars, which might appeal to some ADHDers because you don't have to fill in any calendars. This could also be unappealing, however, if you have a bit of a consistency problem, like me. What I like most, though, is that the layout provides lots of room to write and the structure is meaningful. I also like how it has a monthly planning view and daily view so you can write your daily to-dos and still keep track of the big picture. The ring binding makes it possible to pull out and insert pages easily while still maintaining high-quality durability. The binding also allows the pages to lay flat, which is a big deal to me. It's cute with a lot of accessories available, so that's fun.

Smash Book: If you've never had a Smash Book, you should really try one at least once in your life. It may not be the best for day to day planning as it doesn't include any structure, but it is the best way to add some easy, creative, no holds barred, modern scrapbooking into your life. The premise is that you do whatever you want with it. It comes with a pen that has a glue stick on one end, so you rip out quotes that inspire you, pictures of your dream house, outfits you want to buy, whatever the heck you want, and you glue it down. You can doodle, write diary entries, make pretty pages and ugly pages, pages that make sense and ridiculous pages. It's a novelty-seeker's dream notebook.

A Binder: Some people prefer full organizational control when using a paper planner. Like I said, there is a whole planner subculture out there, which means there are also a ton of products and printables to make your organization system as customizable as you'd like. You can create a binder for the whole home that details procedures like a fire escape plan, physician phone numbers, a cleaning schedule, calendar, etc. I started to create a household binder for myself, but then I remembered Pinterest exists, and I just didn't see the value in it anymore. I think if I tried again, I might start slowly and only include things I write down often like budgeting information, to-dos, and grocery lists. See an example here.

Bullet Journals: I am adding these to the list because I once asked on an ADHD forum for planner recommendations, and a lot of people told me bullet journals. If you aren't familiar, bullet journals are just pages of dot grids, but there is a whole productivity theory attached to them. It's basically a way to create your own shorthand. Some people use them incredibly creatively with beautiful drawings and stickers while others use them exclusively for jotting notes and to-do lists quickly. I didn't have success with them because the learning curve was too high for me. If i had taken the time to learn the shorthand methods, I might have seen why people are crazy for them, but I couldn't really get excited about it. I also don't do well when things are extremely customizable because my all-or-nothing traits kick in. Some bullet journals contain structural elements, though, like calendar pages alongside the dot grid pages. Here's a video example.

Wall Calendar: A simple wall calendar might be all you need to stay on track. The whole family can see it, it doesn't move around, and it helps you "see" time. I like the big ones so I can see them from a distance, but a normal one works fine, too.

Whiteboard: I have 2 whiteboards hanging in my house. They don't look very cute, but they sure come in handy. One is hanging in my kitchen next to my wall calendar and the other is next to my front door. They both serve as "outside brains" and I write whatever I want to keep on my "braindar" without relying on my brain to hold onto it. I might jot down a to-do list, reminders, meal plans, a neat quote, a hair-brained idea, a goal, you name it. If I want to remember it, it goes on my whiteboard.