Franklin Covey helps me plan my days.

A major part of running your own business is being organized and planning your time carefully. Anyone who is running a business will probably tell you that a good day planner is essential.

I looked for a long time and went to several different stores before I finally found one that I really liked. There were several things I wanted my day planner to have and I finally found one with everything I needed. It's a Day One planner by Franklin Covey.

I wanted something big enough to have room to actually write things on the calendar but not so enormous that it couldn't fit into my bag. The one I selected is a perfect size for me at 5 1/2 " x 8 1/2".

I also wanted something that was stylish and not just basic black, this one is a beautiful shade of deep red. It has a pocket inside for anything I might need to slip in there, a zippered compartment where I can put the money I collect from my customers and a section to hold several business cards, credit cards or anything else of that size. I don't really need it but it also came with an 8" ruler. There is a handy 2 year at a glance calendar.

This planner has 12-months, each month has a whole month view calendar at the beginning of it and then it is broken down into individual days that are large enough to write out the things you need to do that day. Every other page has a notes section at the bottom and there are various notes pages throughout the planner. The only thing I did not like about the planner pages is that the dates are blank so you have to fill them in yourself. In a way it's nice because if you get it in the middle of one year you can use it through the middle of the next since it's not pre-printed but I just prefer to have them filled in for me.

There are sections for Things to Do, Work and Personal. The personal section has a place to keep track of your passwords, special days, health and fitness, menu planner, shopping list, automobile service information and medical records. I don't need or use most of those pages. There is also another section for notes. There is a good sized address book in the back. There is also another page that can be used for business cards and a ziplock page you can use for software or whatever. The back of the planner has a notepad on the inside and an elastic pen/pencil holder.

It also came with a free audio cd offer by Stephen R. Covey but I never sent off for it.

So while there are some things in the planner I didn't need it had everything I did want and need. Maybe it's got what you need too!