In today’s world, where nearly every aspect of our lives has been migrated to the digital realm, it’s no surprise that more and more people are making the switch from paper planners to digital planning apps.
It just makes sense! There’s much more flexibility when it comes to digital planners, not to mention the convenience of being able to access your synced planner on any device, at any time.
That being said, there are countless digital weekly planner apps out there, so how do you find the right one? I think the important thing to note is that you need to find a planner that works for you, your needs, and your lifestyle. One planner might be perfect for someone and a nightmare for another. I’ve put together a few things that I hope will guide you in this decision.
1. assess your needs
As mentioned, your planner needs to fit your life, not the other way around. So, figure out what you need from a planner. Do you want it for work? Personal life? An all-encompassing planner that includes everything you could ever need, from meetings to meal planning and more?
There are basic planners to complex ones, ones that do a lot of the work for you, and ones that allow complete customisation. Figuring out what you need will help you to eliminate any planners that don’t fit those parameters. From task management to something that helps you manage projects and track time spent, there’s certainly a planning app that has it all.
2. think of specific requirements
You also need to think about any additional features you may want from your planning app, and whether they are must-haves or whether you are willing to compromise on them. Maybe you want reminders, or the ability to sync your app with your Google calendar. If any of these things are a necessity in your life, be sure to look for a weekly or daily planner app that has them.
3. research
Don’t just choose the first planning app that you find, but rather do your research. Read reviews, talk to friends, and try to gather a few possible options. While researching, make sure that you add apps that are compatible with your devices, and also be sure to check if the app is paid or not.
4. test drive some apps
Also don’t feel like you need to confine yourself to one app from the get-go! Try different apps for a few weeks to see which ones you prefer. Remember that many apps have both a free version and a paid version, so that’s another factor to keep in mind.
Take note of the pros and cons of each, and even consider using different apps for different purposes if you can’t find one that ticks all your boxes. Even if you’ve found an app that you like, there’s no reason why you can’t try other apps to manage your upcoming tasks.
5. look for cross-platform compatibility
As stated earlier, one of the biggest benefits of a weekly planning app is the fact that many apps can sync across multiple devices, so you can use it on your laptop while at work, or on your phone while out and about.
Some people even like to share their planners with coworkers or spouses for better communication. If this is something that’s important to you, be sure to select apps that can sync.
6. consider integration with other tools
You may also want to sync your planner with your calendar or other tool so that you don’t need to constantly keep manually adding appointments, reminders, and meetings to your planner. You may want to sync Google Calendar events so that your monthly planner and weekly planner are integrated, or have it access your note-taking apps to help you manage various to-do lists.
7. think about the user experience
You also want an app that is intuitive to use, that doesn’t have a million ads, and that doesn’t keep crashing, so user experience is another factor to keep in mind when it comes to selecting a planning app. You need to be able to use it without constantly trying to figure out where things go or how to use certain features.
Of course, there will always be a learning curve, but in the end, a planner should make your life easier, not harder.
8. don't feel stuck
You may find a planning app that works perfectly well for you, but that doesn’t mean that it always will.
Life is always changing, so you need to allow yourself the grace to find a new planning app if needed. It’s easy to feel like you’re stuck with one app, but that doesn’t need to be the case! If something doesn’t work for you anymore, try something new!
bonus: my favourite weekly planning app
Allow me to quickly shout out my favourite tool: Forzeit. This is a weekly planner that I believe has it all. It has emojis to allow you to mark similar tasks. It has templates you can use so that you don’t need to set your week up from scratch, and it also syncs with your calendar.
You can move tasks around, use various shortcuts to mark them as done or partially done and have task lists to help you focus on what your next priorities are. If this sounds good and you want to give it a try, click here to sign up for Forzeit.
final words
If you are considering switching to an app to do your weekly planning but feel overwhelmed by the choices, I hope that this post made it easier for you to select one that works for you!