Plan with purpose and find the right tools to make 2026 your most intentional year yet.
Planning isn’t just about picking dates and jotting to-dos. Planning with purpose can help make the days, weeks, and months both purposeful and intentional. For busy working moms carving out time for work, family, self-care, and growth, the right planner can become your secret sauce. Planners are great tools to help you elevate your year and establish productivity routines. Below are five standout planners worth considering for 2026, each one with a different strength and fit (so you can choose what works best for you).
Top 3 Benefits of Using a Paper Planner
For me personally, the tactile experience is the biggest and most underrated benefits of paper planning. When something is tactile, it involves physical interaction and is related to this sense. This touch-based connection often makes planning feel more real, intentional, and satisfying. It slows you down just enough to be more effective with your planning sessions.
Writing things down helps you slow your thoughts and process what’s important leading to mental clarity and focus. The physical act of putting pen to paper reduces mental clutter and helps you remember tasks, goals, and priorities more clearly than digital tools alone.
Paper planners foster creativity and turns planning and planners into a beautify form of self-expression. It’s always satisfying to flip through my planner pages and see highlights, color coded pens, stickers and random doodles to capture my most important memories and to-do’s. For me, my planner reflects my personality. Everything from the layout choice to the cover. It’s a small glimpse of my professional and sometimes quirky personality. Ultimately, a paper planner becomes both a productivity tool and a creative outlet that keeps you inspired throughout the year.
The Perfect Planner Line Up
Is there such a thing as the perfect planner line up? In my decades of planning, I’d say, no. Over the years, I have used several different planner brands. Everything from ultra-premium to $3 big box retailer offerings. One planner that I have highly recommended over the years only cost me $2.88 from my local Walmart. Video – Walmart Budget Planner
With that being said, I always encourage my fellow planner moms to stay open to exploring different planner options. Our lives change from season to season, and the tools that support us should evolve too. There are years when life feels unpredictable, and simplicity becomes the only way to function. For example, during my doctoral studies, time was limited, and planning had to be practical. Most weeks, I was flying by the seat of my pants. I relied on simple to-do notebooks and affordable planners from Walgreens to keep things manageable. Now that school is behind me, I can finally breathe and plan with more intention. My focus has shifted to two big, bold goals that will require time, focus, and steady commitment. This new season calls for a planner that supports deep reflection, goal tracking, and strategy — not just daily lists.
2026 Planner Picks
Cultivate What Matters 2026 One‑Year PowerSheets® Goal Planner
This planner is more than a dated calendar—it’s a goal system. With guided worksheets, monthly check-ins, and a process designed to help you unearth what matters and build it into your daily routine. It focuses on strategic growth and alignment. Reviewers often say its depth is its strength, though it does require a commitment to use it.
Ideal for: Working moms who want to plan not just tasks, but purpose, growth and alignment.
Watch my YouTube Unboxing – HERE
📔 Get your PowerSheets: https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/PLANWITHME-COACHD
Erin Condren LifePlanner (2025‑26 Edition)
A trusted all-rounder, this planner checks many boxes: sturdy quality, great layouts, customizable covers and features that let you manage personal + professional + family life in one place. The planner community consistently reports high satisfaction with Erin Condren’s design and usability.
Ideal for: The mom who needs a reliable, versatile planner that balances aesthetics with function.
Watch my Academic Planner Review – HERE
Shop Erin Condren and Save: https://bit.ly/2M4Iz0W
Planner by Planned & Proper
A beautifully crafted, boutique option with clean layouts and the thoughtful feel of a handcrafted planner. The brand emphasizes creating clarity for busy women juggling many roles.
Ideal for: Moms who prefer elegant simplicity, smaller size, and a planner that feels personal and intentional.
Watch a planner flipthrough video – HERE
The Happy Planner
Classic, customizable and fun. With the disc-bound system (so pages can be added or swapped), colorful covers and layouts that accommodate work/life/family, this one hits for flexibility and creativity. I have used this planner brand extensively for business planning. One year, I purchased the “Mom” Layout and used it for content planning and business.
Ideal for: Moms who like to personalize, swap in inserts, decorate, and make their planner feel like their space.
An oldie but goodie Happy Planner Video – HERE
Horacio Printing 2026 Dream Planner
Last but not least, this planner is new to me and I am excited to share it with you. The Dream Planner from Horacio Printing is a premium choice—luxury paper, leather or hardcover options, detailed goal-setting sections, and extras like stickers or devotionals. It is next-level quality! I will be using this as a personal development planner more than anything else.
Ideal for: Moms who want high-end feel, who view their planner as a special investment in their life and goals.
Check out my unboxing video – HERE
To Wrap it Up
These planners are a few of many. They probably don’t even scratch the surface of planner offerings. Let me know what you are using or have enjoyed over the years in the comments below.
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