Panda Planner Classic

I’ve been using my Panda Planner for four weeks now and simply couldn’t wait to review it. It’s got such great reviews already, but maybe this review will help you see HOW and WHY it really works! (TL;DR recap at the end of this review) I guess I’d admit that I was a little skeptical that it could do any particular wonders. I’ve tried a lot of different productivity tips and read lots of guides, blogs, and books...nothing has helped much. At least not in a holistic, all-encompassing way. Until the Panda Planner! Panda Planner claims it will help me “reclaim my happiness,” I simply wasn’t expecting the ways in which it actually would. Here’s how: [First: My PRE-Panda Planner “symptoms”: anxiety, overwhelm, lack of mindfulness, difficulty sticking to habits, mood swings, overall sense of “meh,” and I feel like my days just pass me by. My method of organization: Way too many to-do lists and Post-It Notes all over the place.] 1. Improved PLANNING: • METHOD: Half the battle of making the Panda Planner work for you is to set an intention and commit to it. You gotta go ALL IN and form the overall habit of connecting with your Planner not just daily, but in the morning and evening, at the beginning and end of your week, plus of course monthly overviews. Once you commit, everything falls neatly into place. Tip: Create a nice cozy ritual around the mini and larger planning sessions. I chillax with my coffee and Panda in the AM, for example, and it’s such a nice way to mindfully begin my day (rather than checking email/social media!) • RESULT: I’m simply WAY more organized than when I had my random to-do lists and Post-Its everywhere. I feel more in control now that my tasks are all in one place. I also feel so much more prepared and so much less overwhelmed as I go through these “checkpoints” of AM, PM, Weekly prep - consistently keeping tabs on both my workload and lifeload. 2. Improved PRODUCTIVITY: • METHOD: There are spots to plan your week and days, of course, but there is also a place to schedule the hours of your day, which I use to--at the very least--loosely schedule out all my projects and tasks and remind myself of meetings, meetups, and events. There’s also a bonus spot in the Month Overview to set bigger goals. I use it for things I’ve had a LOT of trouble tackling...you know, those tasks or projects that have been on the To-Do List forevvvver and just don’t get done? • RESULT: I simply get SO much more done now. The Panda Planner makes me WANT to write down tasks, especially knowing how great it feels to cross them off! I’ve noticed that the hourly schedule keeps me more on track. And the reward of crossing off tasks from both daily and weekly is, of course, very satisfying! Also, because I set a couple Monthly “Big Goal” intentions, those are FINALLY getting done! I had one on my list since Thanksgiving that I finally crossed off in July because of Panda. 3. Improved HABIT-FORMING: • METHOD: The key to habit-forming is to not take on too much at once and, of course, complete the habit daily. On the Month Calendar Page, you set your one big habit intention and then there are little squares in the upper corner to check off/color in when you’ve completed your habit for the day. There are also spots on the Weekly and Daily pages to record your habit(s) as well. • RESULT: I completed my assigned habit every single day with NO misses and I seriously attribute it to coloring in those little squares. Gamification is real folks! And because I’m more conscious of habit-forming, I’ve also gotten a lot better at pushing away little bad habits like checking email/social media and getting lost in some sort of internet research rabbit hole. Because of the Panda Planner, I feel like these habits are always subconsciously on my mind. 4. Improved MINDFULNESS: • METHOD: Every day you record: 1. What you’re grateful for, 2. What you’re excited about, 3. Your affirmation, 4. Your focus, and 5. Your wins after the day is through. • RESULT: Just like keeping tabs on my tasks in the AM/PM has improved my productivity, keeping tabs on positive emotions like gratitude and excitement has improved my overall life outlook. Even on days when I wasn’t feeling particularly grateful or excited, I just sat there and more or less “soul searched” for something and felt a lot better afterward. PLUS--like embers that keep a fire going--throughout the day, I notice that semi-subconsciously I look for things to be grateful and excited about. I also take more time with things, take more “mindful moments” breaks to stop, breathe, and notice things around me. My days feel more full of life because I’m making a more conscious effort to participate in them, rather than letting them pass me by. 5. Improved MOOD: All of the above--combined and working together--has improved my overall mood! I know that one big source of anxiety is simply being overwhelmed by projects and tasks, so now that I’m much more organized and I merely take things day-by-day, that anxiety has decreased significantly. I also do a LOT less social media scrolling and mindless interneting--a huge source of my negative moods. Also, committing to daily exercise, especially in the AM, is like a daily dose of happy dopamine and endorphins that always cheer me up! I also committed to restarting my drawing “passion project” after a year of neglect and seeing the initial results of that is like re-igniting a fire that I thought burned out. Even when I have my bad days, it’s almost as if the negative feelings are happening independently and moving through me like storm clouds and I know they’ll pass soon. I don’t hold on to them. I don’t try to control them. And I don’t give them as much weight. Again, this is all in Month 1. TL;DR Recap: Panda Planner makes it so much easier to access productivity, gratitude, and mindfulness because of the daily, weekly, and monthly structure right there at your fingertips. All you have to do is commit to taking the time to sit down a couple times per day and fill out the blank spots that are waiting for your words. That’s it! Everything I’ve mentioned above is MORE than worth the $25 experiment even if you’re just slightly curious about whether or not this planner will work for you. I honestly can’t recommend it enough! Thank you Panda for helping me become happier!!!

I've used this planner for the week and found myself to be much more productive and self-aware. I think I'm going to be using it during my four-day workweek and Friday, which is when I get most of my tasks finished. I've found the goals sections and end of day/week reviews to be most helpful. Goals: This planner really put me into a proactive mode instead of just going with the status quo. After actively thinking about what my monthly and weekly goals are and writing them down, I've found I'm more motivated to accomplish the goals than if they were not written down. The planner provides accountability by encouraging one to create a plan for their week or month. End of Day/Week Review: This planner encourages taking time to actively think about that day or week and what was great and how it can be better in the future. After doing this I recognized that each day had something great about it and I've found myself to be much more appreciative for each day. Previously I've focused on what I did not accomplish that day and generally felt dissatisfied. I've also realized that my expectations for each day are unrealistic, so I'm taking a step back at the beginning of the day to think "what can I realistically get done today?" Other sections that I also think are great include Morning Review and Priorities on the Daily pages: Morning Review: This section really encourages positive thought by digging a little deeper about what you are grateful for. The creator wants the user to really feel the gratitude and be more specific than just saying "family." Listing what will make the day great really puts a positive outlook on the day also. There is always something to look forward to if one just stops to actively think about it. Priorities: The priorities section has helped me stay on task at work. There are always lots of different tasks that I could get done, but I try to just list 3 items in the priorities section. During the day I will catch myself getting side-tracked on some other project and I'll stop to think "Wait, was this on my priorities list? No? Then I should do it later" Summary: I think this a great planner. It has caused me to be more intentional with creating goals, setting priorities, and encouraging positive thought. I'm telling everyone I know about it I'll update my review later as I develop more from using the Panda Planner.

Der Planer war für die Lieferung nicht gut verpackt, als ich ihn öffnete, war er zerdrückt und gequetscht. Bei einer so teuren Zeitschrift erwartet man, dass sich der Verkäufer um die Lieferung kümmert.

It is easy to become organized with it

I love this planner. I've never bought anything like it before but I now spend a few minutes at the start of the day getting organised and love the format, which helps me both look ahead to what I need to do and reflect on what I have already achieved/ lessons learnt. The latter has been particularly useful during Lockdown, as we all seek to hang on to our mental health!

love the diary, but was upset to see it came damaged. i dont expect it from something that costs this much!!

I had admired the Passion Planner on Instagram for a while, but it’s an expensive import. This is similar. FYI - I’m an arty, unplanning, right-brain, spontaneous type. I’ve tried countless diaries and journals with many fails. Over time I have worked out what suits my character, personal style, and brain-type. I don’t plan, I journal. Firstly, un-undated. Anything with a date gives me the nudge to write even on days I’m apathetic about it…….. for a while. My previous dated diary lasted 3 months, then Summer came and the busy season took me away from my journals…. The empty days are unsatisfying to see and I couldn’t return to it. Undated gives me the freedom to use it as and when I’m inspired to. If you need the nudge, don’t buy this one. 2. A certain amount of parameters gets me started. The completely empty diaries/journals left me uninspired or required too much thinking to get started (bullet journals). This one has all the boxes ready to fill in. I fill in what I want and blank out what I don’t need (Schedule & Tasks). I especially enjoy the sections for Gratitude, Today’s Wins. 3. As a mixed media artist, I like the freedom to use various mediums although I don’t water-colour in this one. The thick paper takes most markers (not copic) and most water-based ink pads. Overall, it’s made well. Cons: 1. Really dislike the blue cover and there’s no other option, on Amazon at least. I will cover it, but an ugly (to me) cover could have put me off using it. 2. The ribbons are ugly. 3. A pen holder would have been nice. Diaries/planners/journals are utterly personal to ones needs & way of functioning. This one suits me. Someone in the reviews was annoyed that the months and days were separated and so we shouldn’t buy it. Firstly, that’s a personal preference. Secondly, it makes perfect sense in an un-dated planner! You need that flexibility of how many days you actually end up using. There are 3 attached ribbons which are supposed to help. I’ll be buying a second one - it came with a handy 10% discount too.