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Advice / Succeeding at Work / Break Room

6 DIY Planners You Can Make This Year to Be More Organized

planner on desk
Debby Lewis-Harrison/Getty Images

You set deadlines for a reason: Beacuse you want to be ultra-productive and meet your goals. But if you’ve been missing them lately, it may be time to change how you keep track of your schedule.

You can avoid that panicky, behind feeling completely by using a basic tool: a DIY planner. If you’re someone who just can’t get used to the idea of using a to do list app, you’ll love the DIY options I have below to customize your schedule and keep track of all of your appointments, meetings, tasks, and goals.


1. A Mini-Binder

Courtesy of Time with Thea

If you want an option that lets you add (and remove) sections, this project’s probably for you. It features a calendar in the front and a section of plastic pouches at the back that’ll give you a place to store notes, checks, or receipts that need to be expensed.


2. Wall-Wide Calendar

Supersize your schedule so that there’s no possible way to miss important dates. A wall-wide calendar will give you plenty of space to easily lay out the timeline for a big project. Plus, it’s an easy way to share your plans with co-workers or family members without nagging them. After all, this makes it much harder to miss important updates.


3. Upgraded Store-Bought Planner

Courtesy of The Handmade Home

It’s tough to find an organizer that perfectly fits your organization style, but sometimes it only takes a few updates to a store-bought planner to make it work. Use fun office supplies like washi tape and sticky labels to create and customize the sections and categories that you want to pay the most attention to this year.


4. Combined Calendar and Command Center

Be even more on top of your to-do list with a command center for your office or home. Include a calendar, a few folders for incoming memos or messages, and a cork or dry erase board for additional lists and notes.


5. Desk Calendar

Courtesy of Annabode + Co.

For a simple and chic way to keep track of the date, add a custom card counter to your desktop. All it takes is a wooden box, 3 c-hooks, and a few DIY decorated tags. This adds convenience and a personal touch to your desk—for anyone keeping track, that’s two birds with one stone!


6. Desktop Dry Erase Board

Keep important dates or notes within eyesight by putting them right next to your computer. No, you can’t include specific notes or goal breakdowns here—but you most certainly can highlight important dates that’ll catch your eye and remind you that it’s a big day.



Whatever way you choose to keep track of your days, you can get started today making this year your most organized yet. The only question you have to ask yourself now is how you plan(ner) to do that.