6 Most Innovative Up-and-Coming Planners

With all of the constant technological advancements going on these days, it only makes sense that the world of paper would be making some cool changes and developments. The following innovative planners, notebooks, and journals all have something unique to offer (some digital and some physical).

If you’re bored with the same ol’ notebook scenario and need something to keep up with your busy, technologically focused life, these up-and-coming planners are up for the job. (They’re also great gift ideas, just sayin’.)

Commit30

Goals can be so overwhelming and elusive sometimes that it feels like no matter what, you’ll never make any progress. The Commit30 Planner is meant to remedy that. It breaks things down into 30-day goals for you throughout the year. You set one goal, commit to sticking to it for 30 days, and then track it each day for 30 days. This helps you think about your daily goals and set trackable steps to take.

If you want 2024 to be the year you finally get some shit accomplished, then you really need a tool to help you do that—Commit30 can be your right-hand man in the process.

There aren’t any fancy gadgets in the Commit30 Planner, but it’s such a highly organized and easy-to-understand system that it doesn’t need them. With the broken-down steps, you’ll feel the most focused and capable you’ve ever felt as you work to achieve your goals and dreams.

Rocketbook Wave

There is nothing more revolutionary than the Rocketbook Wave. It’s new, so it hasn’t gained steam yet, but mark my words—the Rocketbook Wave will change the world of paper. This notebook is microwaveable—meaning you pop it in the microwave to erase the pages after you finish the notebook. Then, you have an entirely blank notebook to be used again and again and again. For this to work, you simply need to use the Pilot FriXion pen.

Not even notebooks made of recycled paper are as environmentally friendly as the Rocketbook Wave.

On top of that, this notebook is compatible with the brand’s mobile app (available on Android and iOS). Just take an image of your notes and the app will scan them and upload them to the location of your choice. To indicate which place, you mark on the bottom of the page where there are multiple icons for different clouds. Evernote, Google Drive, and Dropbox are all included, among many others. The Rocketbook Wave is less than $30, even though it’s a reusable notebook.

My Path

Reflection. Intention. Affirmation. These are three words that adequately sum up what the My Path Journal is all about. Depending on which journal you choose, some are broken into 30 days in separate notebooks for you to write down your goals for the month and track how you’re doing. More importantly, it asks you to take stock of all the good things in your life. If you’re looking for something to help you achieve your goals and dreams while making the current days brighter, then the My Path Journal can do just that.

When you’re asked to set your goals for both the month and your life and then set intentions each day to achieve those, you’re more likely to make progress and complete those goals. When you’re asked to think about what would make the day great and to think back on the good things that happened in the day, you’re reminded that you have a life worth living even though you haven’t achieved your goals yet.

This prevents you from becoming frustrated and giving up along the journey. My Path seems simple and like it wouldn’t pack that much influence, but it really does, and it’s worth the investment.

The Hero’s Planner

From the makers of The Hero’s Journal comes a new adventure-packed organizational tool—The Hero’s Planner. This planner is an exciting way to start each quest—I mean, day—and comes with several features that make it a force to be reckoned with. You can buy it as a spiral bound or perfect bound planner.

You’ll find a section for weekly gratitudes, a Habit System, a Main Quest for each week, To-Dos and SideQuests, notes, Dailies, and inspirational quotes. The best part, though, is the artwork. Each page is an unfolding story that you can make your own. Currently a work in progress on Kickstarter, this planner is one you’ll want to own for yourself!

Slice Planner

When you order the Slice Planner, you also get the free app designed to take your paper notes to your digital devices. Through the app, you can upload notes to your cloud (Evernote, Dropbox, Google Drive, One Note, etc.) and your calendar events to your digital calendar (iCalendar, Google Calendar, etc.). The better your handwriting, the better the transfer process works, though. Keep that in mind before you start scribbling like crazy.

Aside from the cool digital transfer, the Splice Planner has a very unique layout. For instance, the daily schedule is a sketch of a clock face and you fill in the hour slots for your plans. The Slice Planner is reminiscent of a Bullet Journal—aside from the clock face, the rest of the pages are free for you to interpret and use however you want. You can doodle, make lists, or section of different parts of the page to different things. It’s also undated, so if you don’t need it one day, no problem and no wasted paper.

The Habit Calendar

If you’ve already got a planner you L-O-V-E but still feel like you need something to help you create more intentional habits and, as a result, a happier life, then the Habit Calendar can help you out. The Habit Calendar is a simple monthly calendar dedicated entirely to help you track your daily, weekly, and monthly habits. There’s a section devoted entirely to helping you brainstorm the habits that would be the most beneficial to your life, so you will know what to write down each month. As you complete your daily habits, you mark off the boxes next to each one so by the end of the month you can see your overall progress.

The weekly habits have four boxes for you to check off for each habit and the monthly habits have one box to mark off. The calendar is undated, so you can start it at any point in the year and use it for a full 12 months. Each month has a different theme (creativity, finances, etc.). It’s a useful tool to hang by your desk, in your bathroom, or even right by your bed to ensure you see it daily. Make progress one day at a time to create the healthy, intentional life you want.

Follow Terra on Instagram: @terrabrown3

Updated December 5, 2023.