5 Steps to Complete a Planner Review: Reflect, Adjust, and Prep for 2025

The end of the year is the perfect time to step back, reflect, and plan ahead. If you’ve ever felt like your planner wasn’t quite working for you—or you want to make your system even better for 2025—this guide is for you!

In this post, I’ll walk you through 5 simple steps to complete a planner review that will help you evaluate what worked, adjust what didn’t, and create a vision for your perfect planner setup. I’ll even tell you a few things I’m learning as I do this same review for my own planner setups!

Whether you’re a busy mom juggling family schedules, self-care, and work (like me!), or just someone looking to stay more organized, these steps will help you align your planning system with your life.

📺 Prefer to watch? Check out my YouTube video on this topic below!

Step 1: Reflect on the Past Year

Your first step is to take a good look back at your current planner. Open it up, flip through the pages, and reflect on how it served you this year.

Ask yourself: What layouts did you love? Which sections stayed blank? Did your planner help you meet your goals, or were you left feeling stuck?
Look for trends. For example, maybe you consistently skipped habit trackers or found daily spreads overwhelming.

This step is about awareness. You can’t make meaningful changes without understanding where your system is thriving—or falling short. I currently have both a personal planner (large) and a business planner (XL). I’m realizing I only use my personal planner for my monthly view…but I don’t carry it with me most of the time, so why do I need it in a different size than my business planner? Should I just upgrade it to the XL size and keep all the things in one place? (Hint: the answer is probably yes, lol.)

Step 2: Identify Gaps or Challenges

Now that you’ve reflected, it’s time to pinpoint the areas that didn’t quite work.

Did you feel overwhelmed with too many sections to fill out?
Were you missing tools, like a meal planner or goal tracker?
Did your planner fail to keep up with life changes, like a new job, kids’ activities, or health goals?

Take notes on these gaps or challenges. They’ll guide you as you decide what adjustments to make for next year. I definitely did not use the daily self-care that was in my personal planner. Not even once, friend! So that one is definitely going away. In my business planner, I love using the P&J insert for tracking my business throughout the month. I am still tweaking it to figure out where I want to put what information, but I have decided that I want to keep my weekly layout separately.

Step 3: Celebrate What Worked

It’s easy to focus on the negatives, but don’t forget to celebrate the positives!

What tools, layouts, or routines worked well?
Which parts of your planner made life easier or even fun?
What accessories did you use to make your planning system work for you? Maybe some stickers or washi tape?

For me, I love flipping through my habit tracker and seeing progress over time. It’s a great reminder of how small, consistent actions can add up. Highlighting these wins will help you build on what’s already working as you plan for 2025. Now, currently my habit tracker is in my journal, so I will need to find a new home for it. I’m considering adding an XL dot grid where I can draw out my trackers for the year, like my Bible reading tracker (it’s crazy to see how much I’ve already read this year) and my book tracker (I’m at 49 – the goal is 52).

Step 4: Adjust for 2025

Now it’s time to think about what changes you need to make for your next planner setup.

Do you need a larger or smaller planner?
Would a new layout better fit your needs (e.g., weekly vs. daily spreads)?
Are there additional tools or accessories you want to include, like dashboards, stickers, or habit trackers?

Your life changes year to year, and your planner should evolve with it. Take what you’ve learned from steps 1–3 and decide how to adjust for 2025. I’ve already talked about some of the changes I’m likely going to make. I had already started decorating my monthly with our V5 sticker sheets (you can check out that fun Craft with Me video here), so I’ll need to grab another January V5 sticker sheet, but I won’t need to grab a full set of them. Pro tip: if you’re a sticker fanatic like me, then you’ll want to grab your V5 sticker sheet bundle before November ends and save some $$! Otherwise, you’ll have to buy them individually as you need them.

Step 5: Create Your 2025 Planner Vision

Finally, bring it all together by creating a clear vision for your 2025 planner.

Visualize how you want your planner to support your goals and daily life.
Sketch out or imagine changes, like new layouts or organization systems.
If you’re switching planners, start researching options that match your needs.

This step is all about intention. You’re designing a system that works for you—not the other way around. I’m wanting to bring all the things back into a single planning space. Some folks need to separate personal planning from business planning…but I need them all in one space. I am creating a separate planner for my day job – something more than just the dot grid journal I’ve been using this year. I grabbed several dot grid and notes inserts. I’ll use the dot grid to keep up with the mini projects that make up the bulk of my work, and the notes inserts for the larger projects that I also work on. I needed a bit more organization and less flipping through pages to find the notes from last week’s meeting…you know what I mean?

Why a Planner Review Matters

Taking the time to evaluate your planner isn’t just about making adjustments—it’s about ensuring your planning system aligns with your life. A great planner doesn’t just organize your tasks; it helps you stay grounded, achieve your goals, and make time for what matters most.

For busy moms, that might mean finding time for family dinners or prioritizing self-care. For others, it could mean staying consistent with health goals or simplifying a hectic schedule. Whatever your goals, a well-designed planner can help you get there. Don’t be afraid to try new things while keeping the parts of your planner that have been working for you.

Let’s Chat!

Now it’s your turn: Have you done a planner review before? What’s one thing you’re changing for 2025? Let me know in the comments below—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

💡 Looking for more planning tips? Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel or join my Chaos Coordinator Community for inspiration and support!