A Planner For 2013

We're all pretty pre-occupied with the holidays right about now, but don't forget that the new year is looming on the horizon. 2012 is just about in the books already, and that means you need to think about 2013. Once the ball drops, your life resumes as usual, and that means you'll still need to keep track of it. You don't want to flip your calendar on January 1 only to find a chipboard backing or a friendly reminder to buy a replacement. You need to be ready!

Calendar Buying Guide

If you already have a planner and just need to refill it, consider this that friendly reminder in advance. Manufacturers stop making new appointment book refills for a given year soon after that year begins. It's important to make sure you're taken care of for 2013. For those looking for a new planner or calendar, there are several things to think about before purchasing.

The first thing to determine is whether you want a calendar, appointment book, or organizer. Calendars tend to be stationary, sitting on your desk or mounted to the wall. Appointment books and organizers are both designed to be carried around, with organizers including additional features like a zipper enclosure, address book, scratch pad, pocket, business card slot or even a calculator. Organizers are also more likely to be refillable than appointment books.

The next thing to think about is how detailed your schedule needs to be. If you plan your day in fifteen minute increments, or need to add additional information to hourly appointments, buy a daily appointment book or desk calendar. Weekly planners still allow some space to list daily appointments and are considerably less expensive. Monthly planners only give you a small box per day, but allow you to view a whole month at a time.

That's the third thing to consider: do you take things day by day or do you like to have the whole week or month in front of you? If you've opted for a calendar, going daily gives you the satisfaction of tearing off or turning a page every day, while a desk pad livens up a workstation, giving you space to plan every day while viewing an entire month at a time.

 

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