Using the Simplified Planner for more than nine years has been a total game changer! From meal planning to keeping up with my schedule, it keeps everything in one place. I'm completely hooked on it! Let me show you why.
I'm a pen-and-paper person through and through. I've been using some kind of paper planner for more than two decades.
In 2015 I set out to find a paper planner that suited my busy life. I tried all the popular brands, but the ONE that stuck, and that I've used every year for the past nine years, is the Simplified Daily Planner from Emily Ley.
What I like most is how simple it is (hence the name), which makes it perfect for using however suits you best. There aren't a bunch of boxes to fill in or spots to check off. The beauty of that is you can add to it whenever you find those things useful.
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They release new covers every year right before the academic planners launch in early spring. The calendar-year planners go on sale in September each year.
Updated for 2025: I'm using the Savannah Blooms weekly planner this year, and I can't wait to see the new covers they release for 2026! They're always so pretty! I switched from a daily planner to a weekly one for the first time EVER this year, for two reasons. Reason #1 is that the weekly planners are now spiral bound, and I love that feature. AND I wanted to see what it's like to view my whole week at once. We'll see if I like it this year. If not, I may switch back to the daily planner halfway through. I'll keep you posted!
Daily Edition Simplified Planner Details
Simplified Planner Specifications
- Calendar Year: January – December
- Academic Year: August – July
- Cover: 7″ x 9.25″ (1.25″ thick); weighs 2.5 lbs.
- Pages: 6″ x 8.75″
- Thick, 80 lb., pure white paper (high-quality paper!)
- Space for schedule, to-dos, notes and meals
- One day per page + shared weekend pages
- Full month views
- 6 notes pages in the front
- Hourly schedule from 6 am to 9 pm
- 4 pages of Simplified Prep-Work
- Monthly Simplicity Tips
- Simple color throughout
- Includes a full-color insert with the image and story behind the pattern
- Superior ink-bleed resistance
Packaging, Cover and Binding
- Sturdy gold wire-o binding
- The hardcover, simple design features gold foil accents
- Protective gold corners
- Navy interior
- Pocket inside the front cover
- Colorful, sturdy mylar tabs
- Comes with a brand-new, informative insert booklet
- Navy and gold keepsake box
One thing I LOVE about this planner is the generous white space for jotting down whatever I need to track that day. They've even added extra note pages for more doodling or scribbling.
Extra Details
Each daily planner comes with a sticker sheet of colorful flags and fun stickers in a slim front pocket. You could tuck in a mini notebook, a few more sticker pages and some receipts, but not much more.
Prep Work & Simplicity Challenge
At the front of the planner is an introduction section that walks you through a prep-work journey for the year, plus other essentials. These pages include:
- The Process of Simplifying
- How to Use Your Simplified Planner
- Year-at-a-Glance
- Holidays
- Preparing for a New Year (Ideas for New Routines)
- The Simplicity Challenge Checklist
- My Yearly Bucket List
- & Notes Pages
Simplified Planner: Monthly Spread
The full two-page monthly spread is on the monthly laminated tabs. There's a small notes section on the left for reminders or other notes. I love the simplicity tips at the top of the monthly spread, too!
On the first day of each month (or just before), I sit down and fill in all my events and dates for that month.
This helps me see which weeks will be busy and which will be a little slower. I get a sense of gifts I need to buy ahead of time or events I might need an outfit for. (Let's be real, I go to very few fancy things, but if I do, I'll be ready!)
I make notes on busy weeks when we might want to order a Hello Fresh box or have a slow-cooker meal, and on slower weeks when we have time to make more elaborate meals.
I use my planner alongside the Power Sheets goal-setting system. This is my seventh year using them, and they're an AWESOME tool for taking a big goal, breaking it into chunks and helping you knock them out one step at a time. I can't recommend them enough.
(I honestly thought Power Sheets would be overkill, with too much planning and no way I'd track my goals all year. I've been pleasantly surprised that I was way wrong. They are AMAZING and keep me on track.)
Simplified Planner: Daily Pages
Weekday Pages
The daily pages have two columns and one section at the bottom for notes. (These photos are from an older version, and the bottom section is no longer split in two. It's now one unruled daily block.)
The left column is the hourly schedule from 6 am to 9 pm. The right column is a simple to-do list. This is where the simplicity comes in, and I love it!
I love the blank note space at the bottom. I use it to note what we're having for dinner, plus any other notes I need to jot down that day.
Weekend Pages
The weekend pages share one page with room for flexibility. In a big change for 2024, Saturday and Sunday both now have side-by-side columns with the same amount of space for each day. There are no more suggested ideas for Sundays, just blank time slots, a to-do section and notes.
How I Use the Daily Pages
I keep track of my daily pages in two ways.
As I go through my monthly calendar, I write events on the right days and note when I need to order something or do something specific.
Second, every night before bed I write down my schedule and my top to-dos for the next day.
This keeps my anxiety at bay and helps me sleep better, knowing everything is written down. It also helps me get focused quickly in the morning when I sit down to work. I can clearly see what needs doing first, second and third.
One thing I learned when I used a different planner is that you should only prioritize your top three to-dos each day. Three is doable and something you can finish in a single day.
Prioritize any more than three and it becomes overwhelming. When you finish those three things, you feel good at the end of the day, knowing you did what you needed to. Try it!
If I'm feeling fancy I'll place a sticker next to my top three, but if I'm lazy or busy I'll just draw a star beside them or number them with my pen.
I find I am exponentially more productive when I have my top three ready to go in the morning when I sit down to work.
Favorite Pens!
By the way, these navy rolling-ball pens are HANDS DOWN my favorite, so I buy them in bulk and toss every other pen I own.
What I DON'T Do with My Simplified Planner
- Write down every little detail. I know my morning routine, so I don't write it out every day. Instead I use a blocking technique: I block out a section for "work" and list the main tasks in the to-do list. More detailed lists live in Asana for my team, in the back end of WordPress, or in the notes app on my phone.
- Color code. I don't use a special system with different colored stickers or pens for each person, and so on. If you love that, go for it! But for me it takes away from the "simplified" part. I do love their sticker books, though they're mostly for fun and simple decorating.
- Keep it neat. I literally write over every space in my planner. I use empty old pages to jot notes from a conference call and quotes in the margins. Whatever I want! If I mess something up, I scribble it out.
More Purchasing Options
I know the price of the original Simplified Planner might be out of your budget. I'm happy to say there are other, less expensive ways to get your planner fix.
Target sells an Emily Ley weekly/monthly planner at a much more budget-friendly price.
Office Depot also carries some fun Simplified Planner binders, calendars and accessories.
But I prefer the flagship DAILY planner. You can't get it in any store, only at EmilyLey.com. I use the heck out of the daily pages and love the higher-quality paper and binding. (2025 Note: I'm switching to the weekly spiral-bound planner this year to see how I like it, and I'll report back next year!)
Shop Simplified Planner Accessories on Etsy
Etsy is packed with extra accessories beyond what Emily Ley offers. I keep my planner very basic, but I'll show you a fabulous hack I made at the end of this post.
SHOP EXTRAS
My Daily Planner Checklist Hack
I try to be as efficient as I can during my limited work hours at home. Recently I found myself writing the same daily and weekly tasks down every day and week. It felt redundant, and I'd forget or miss things because I didn't have a good system in place.
So I set out to find (or create) a laminated daily to-do list I could check off each day and wipe clean every night. Bonus: it would fit into my Simplified Planner.
It didn't exist, so I made my own!
What you will need:
- Daily task sheets (or any paper will do)
- Coil snap-ins (that fit the Simplified Planner. I'm not sure these will work, but I'll give them a try!)
- Self-laminating sheets
- Wet erase marker (these are the best because they won't smear)
Here's how I did it:
- Write your daily MUST-dos on your to-do list.
- Follow the instructions on your laminating sheet, place the to-do list inside and press the edges down. Seriously, follow the exact instructions for the sheet.
- Trim around the to-do list, leaving about half an inch of border for the lamination to stick.
- Attach the laminated to-do list to the coil snap-in.
- Place the to-do list in your Simplified Planner! It doubles as a bookmark too!
- Use your wet erase marker to check things off and write new tasks at the bottom.
- Use a damp paper towel to wipe the list clean each day and start fresh!
Final Thoughts on the Emily Ley Simplified Planner
I hope this review and how I use my planner help you decide what you need. I've loved the Simplified Planner for more than seven years now, and I don't see myself changing… ever!
I often look at other planners to see whether they're better, but they all feel so overwhelming. The last thing I need is more overwhelm. I want something that fits my schedule and stays as simple as possible.
I'm also obsessed with the covers of the Simplified Planners. They're stunning works of art, and I'm so excited to use my Blush Magnolia this year.
One more thing. I know these planners aren't cheap, and I get it. You can run to the store and grab something for much less than an Emily Ley planner. I hope this review helps you find the right planner for you!
But let me just tell you that …
- This planner will last all year without falling apart.
- The quality is unmatched (smoothest paper ever!).
- You are joining a community of simplified sisters (not just buying a product)!
- You will get practical tools for living a simplified life!
Let me know which cover is your favorite (are you a classic Happy Stripe girl or a fancy floral kind of girl??) and your favorite feature of The Simplified Planner in the comments below!
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