The Best Minimal Planner Layout

This is the ultimate planner layout for minimalists.

It’s bare bones with just enough space for goals, habit tracking, review and reflection. And of course, you can customize it to your liking.

I’ve found plenty of planners over the years that I like, but this simple handmade layout can’t be beat. I no longer buy planners because this is so good.

If you’re a minimalist like me and want to keep things simple and focused, try this layout. I think you’ll love it 😘

1. Choose a simple blank journal.

• I like A5 journals with lined pages.
• Bonus points if it has a bookmark (or two), a strap to hold it closed, and an inner pocket.
• I used to go for dotted pages (like this Moleskin) or blank pages (like this Leuchtturm), but lately I’ve been using regular lined pages as long as they’re not printed too dark. Honestly, any notebook will do for this layout.
• For my 2025 planner, I’m using this cactus leather lined journal by Flexbook:

2. Monthly spreads

• On the first 12 pages, I create monthly spreads.
• I like to draw them out in landscape orientation so the calendar fits the page better.
• The month and year go at the top of the page
• Weeks are numbered across the top of the page (so I know where I am out of the year’s 52 weeks)
• I use this to note down holidays, birthdays, events, days off work, trips, etc. The point is to be able to flip through these first 12 pages and have a quick snapshot of what’s going on / what happened that month.

3. Year Goals page

• After the December page, I title the next page “Year Goals 2025.”
• Fill this out accordingly and refer back to it frequently. At the least, try to review it at the end of every month to evaluate progress and course correct your actions as needed.
• I actually leave the next few pages blank as well in case I want to use them for important notes that I need to refer back to often. Whatever you put in these early pages will be easy to find when you need it.

4. Monthly overview spread

• Next, I like to devote two pages (facing each other so it’s one open spread) to the month’s overview. This will be followed by the weekly spreads for that month, and so on for the rest of the year.
• I title the left page with the month and year. Below that, “Goals.” You know what to write here.
  • I aim to keep this short and focused – somewhere between 3 – 5 items.
  • I’ll also use this page for notes relevant to that month (like books read, amounts paid toward my credit card/debt, skills learned, etc.)
• The right page is for “Highlights.”
  • As the month goes by, I jot down the little highlights of that month on this page. They can be big or small.
  • The point is to capture the special moments from this month for two benefits. One, so I can look back at the end of the year and remember all the little things that I might have otherwise forgotten. And two, to acknowledge all the good shit going on in my life! It’s basically a gratitude practice.
  • I’m usually in my planner every day so I get a chance to add things regularly; it’s much harder to do this at the end of the month because you’ll probably have forgotten so much.

5. Weekly spreads

• Each week gets a two page spread.
• On the left page, I title it with the date range for that week.
  • For example, here I titled the page February 17 – 23, 2025.
  • Below that, I make a section for each day that I mark with the date and the date: for example, 17 – Monday. I space these evenly throughout the page.
• On the right page, I write a “Habits” section with the days of the week listed so I can mark off the days I do a certain thing.
• Below that, I have a “Goals” section that’s for the things I need to get done that week.
  • You can of course put these action items on my daily section too, but it helps me to see the week’s overall goals grouped together in one place and in the same spot in my spread every week.
• I usually have some extra space leftover at the bottom of the right page that’s handy for miscellaneous notes, reminders, memos, etc.

And honestly, that’s it!

You can absolutely get more creative, detailed and complex with this template but this has served me well over the years.

One thing you might want to add is a quarterly section at the start of each new quarter. Kind of like the weekly spreads, but with a focus on what you want to do over the quarter period.

And at the end of the year you can have a section for the year’s review and reflection. This is a great place to jot down some thoughts about what you’ve learned, achieved, and how you’ve grown as a person. And of course, capture your thoughts, ambitions and intentions for the coming year.

What do you think of this spread? Are there any printed planners that you love and recommend? Do you have any other things that you like to add or track in your planners? Share them with me, I’d love to know!

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