Choosing an ADHD planner as an adult, without buying five
Most planner advice is written for people whose problem is motivation. If your problem is working memory and decision fatigue, the checklist is different.
Start with the failure, not the features
Before comparing planners, name how the last one died. It's usually one of four ways: it asked too much per day, it had no place for the stuff that didn't fit, it made a skipped day feel like a verdict, or it lived somewhere you didn't look. Match the fix to the failure.
| How it died | What to look for next time |
|---|---|
| Too much per day | A daily page with a hard cap: three priorities, not a full page of boxes. Empty space is a feature. |
| No place for the mess | A brain-dump or inbox section that is fast to reach. On a digital planner, a tab on every page; on paper, the first spread. |
| Skipped days felt bad | No streak counters, no "days completed", no scoring. Look for a done list instead: it records what happened rather than what didn't. |
| Lived somewhere you didn't look | Put it where the trigger is. Digital planner on the iPad you already use in bed; paper planner on the kitchen counter, open. |
Digital or paper
Paper wins on friction: no unlock, no app, no notifications. Digital wins on capacity: 24 brain-dump pages instead of two, a duplicate button, dark mode at night, and links so you never flip. If you already carry an iPad, digital tends to stick. If the iPad lives in a drawer, go paper. Don't buy a tablet for a planner.
Dated or undated
Dated planners are honest about time and give you a reason to open them on a specific day. Undated planners forgive gaps. The best of both is a dated planner that ships an undated edition too, so a bad March doesn't cost you the whole book. Ask before you buy; several sellers now include both.
Things that matter more than they sound
- Tap targets. If the month tabs are 20 pixels tall, you'll stop using them. Look at a screenshot at real size.
- Line spacing. Stylus handwriting is bigger than pen handwriting. Lines closer than 26 pixels on an iPad get ignored.
- Link reliability. Hand-placed links break. Ask whether the planner was tested in your app, and test the tabs the day you get it.
- Meds tracking. If you take medication, a monthly grid with morning/midday/evening rows and a sleep line is worth more than any habit tracker. Take it to appointments.
- Real page previews. Digital planners are usually final sale, so you should see every page type at real size before you pay. If a listing only shows a mockup of a tablet on a desk, keep looking.
A four-week trial that tells you the truth
- Week one: only the daily page. Three things, done list. Ignore every other section.
- Week two: add the brain dump. Empty your head each night into it.
- Week three: add one tracker, the one your clinician would ask about.
- Week four: do the monthly reset. What worked, what didn't, drop.
If you're still opening it in week four, keep it. If you stopped in week two, the planner was probably fine and the trigger was wrong; move it before replacing it.
Three Things is built around that checklist: three priorities, an inbox on every page, a done list, no streaks. See the pages at real size, or compare it with the others in the honest comparison.