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To be honest, the best digital planner pages for people with ADHD are the ones that works for you. Your planner should meet all of your needs in one convenient place. It should also be easy to use with perfectly placed links for convenience.
There are several types of ADHD digital planners for sale, but I find most of them to be overly complicated. Do you really need a package of 500 stickers or 1000 pages?
The beauty of digital planners is that you can easily duplicate the pages. So, unless you’re getting 1000 unique planner pages, you’re really not getting a better planner.
It’s a great add-on I suppose, but the longer and more complicated digital planners get, the harder they are to use.
The perfect planner doesn’t have to boast 350 pages! In my opinion, digital planners for ADHD should be well-made with a simple design and lots of writing space.
In my opinion, the best digital planner for the ADHD brain is the one that will help you manage time and keep you more organized.
What Can a Digital Planner Do For You?
Unlike a regular planner (paper planners, for example), digital options offer features like linked tabs, customizable layouts, and easy duplication of pages.
Everyone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder processes information differently. For that reason, the benefits of a digital planner may vary from person to person.
That said, there are some distinct features of a digital planners that can help make your life easier.
For example, a digital planner can help:
- Organize daily routines and important tasks.
- Manage time blindness and improve time management.
- Break down goals into simple, manageable steps.
- Process information with colors, stickers, and tabs.
- Combine a bullet journal’s flexibility with structure.
- Customize daily planner layouts for any task.
- Build a planner system that fits your needs.
- Use a digital format across all your devices.
- Navigate easily with linked tabs.
- Edit, update, and duplicate pages fast.
- Set reminders and alerts for key tasks.
- Keep all notes, schedules, and goals together.
Digital planners also let you combine typical features of planners with unique features, like linking to your Google Calendar or syncing across devices.
Best ADHD Planner Apps
When looking for the best digital planner for ADHD, make sure the format is compatible with your planner app.
PDF planners are a good option because they are compatible with apps like Goodnotes, Notability, and Noteshelf.
I personally use Goodnotes, but most PDF planners are compatible with apps like Notability and Noteshelf.
Just upload the digital download, and you’re good to go.
How to Effectively Use a Digital Planner
The best planners should use a simple interface that includes linked tabs.
Planners can get lengthy and the last thing you want to do is spend half your time sifting through the pages.
So much for time management!
Digital planners are easy to use, but there are a few things you need to know before getting started. The following information is specific to Goodnotes.
Stylus Essentials
You’ll need a stylus, like an Apple pencil, for writing. Of course, not everyone has an Apple device. In that case there are other stylus options including:
- Samsung S Pen
- Microsoft Surface Pen
- Lenovo Precision Pen
- Universal Stylus
The stylus makes it easy to customize your digital planner by letting you choose different pen sizes and font colors.
You can use the lasso tool in Goodnotes to move content around or add stickers for a personal touch. It also helps you organize notes neatly without worrying about smudges or mistakes.
Read Only Mode
In Goodnotes, you need to switch to “Read Only” mode to use links. It’s simple to do, but it’s worth noting because this feature helps you navigate the planner quickly.
- In Goodnotes 5, click the pen icon that looks crossed out.
- In Goodnotes 6, click the pen at the top center of the screen.
Once in this mode, you can click through pages without accidentally marking them up.
Duplicate Pages, Don’t Copy & Paste!
Most electronic planners are created with links. Copying and pasting pages can break these links, so it’s better to duplicate instead.
For example, if you need more space for your budget planner or daily tasks, click the three dots in the top right corner of Goodnotes and choose “Duplicate.”
This keeps the links intact and lets you add as many pages as you need.
Make It a Habit
Even the best ADHD digital planner won’t work if you don’t use it.
Until it becomes part of your daily routines, set a phone reminder to check your planner.
Open it every day, even if you have nothing urgent to jot down.
Sometimes, just flipping through the pages will remind you of appointments, notes, or tasks you’ve forgotten about.
Grab a free, fully linked, digital planner!
Best Digital Planner for ADHD – What to Look For in a Good Planner
When choosing an ADHD-friendly planner, you want something that simplifies daily life and helps with personal use, school, or work.
From my experience designing several customizable planners, these are the essential features to look for:
1. Hyperlinked Tabs
A good planner should link to Google Calendar. That said, linked tabs in PDF planners won’t directly sync events into calendars. They only create external links.
It’s not perfect, but it can help you get your reminders where they need to be. Just copy the text from your planner, click the link (button) to open Google Calendar and just paste it into the details or description of the event.
It’s a good way to stay on top of important tasks because, honestly, if you walked away from your planner would you really enter the details later?
2. Goal Setting Pages
Every project manager knows how important it is to set clear goals.
A good digital planner should have a goal setting section. This will help keep you organized and on track, especially if you tend to take a lot of notes.
Using a goal setting page is a great way to visualize achievable goals.
Did you know?
A study by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, found that people who wrote down their goals were 33% more successful in accomplishing them compared to those who didn’t write them down!
Use your goal setting planner pages to:
- define short-term goals (personal or work related)
- set long-term goals to give your projects direction
- break large goals into small, actionable steps.
- Track progress
3. To-Do Lists
To-do lists help organize daily tasks, including those with specific due dates. Use them to prioritize your work or focus on one thing at a time.
Did you know?
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Tokyo found that writing on physical paper can enhance memory retention compared to using digital devices.
Maybe you should be writing your daily schedule down on old fashioned paper!
The findings revealed that participants who used paper completed their tasks about 25% faster than those who used digital planners.
4. Gratitude Journal
Having a place to write down the things you’re grateful for can shift your focus to a more positive mindset.
In fact, regularly practicing gratitude can increase resilience by teaching your brain to focus on positives, even during tough times.
Read: Resilience and the Practice of Gratitude by Jeff Thompson, Ph.D.
5. Daily Routines and Tasks
Your planner should include a task list for your daily routines. This is especially important for ADHD adults, as it keeps your day structured and helps reduce time blindness.
Do you frequently lose track of time? Do you find it difficult to predict how long certain tasks will take? If so, you probably suffer from time blindness.
6. Weekly Planner and Urgent To-Do Lists
A weekly planner is ideal for mapping out your week, while an urgent to-do list highlights pressing tasks that can’t wait.
ADHD-friendly planners should include mutliple weely planner pages. Of course, don’t forget that you can easily duplicate your planner pages to create as many as you need.
7. Customizable Pages
Look for undated calendars or blank sections that let you tailor the planner to your needs.
Some of the customizable features will be available in the planner app itself. For example, they may have drag-and-drop tools, syncing options, the ability to add or remove pages, etc.
Some planners come with bonus tools like:
- Reflections for end-of-day thoughts
- Time blocking for better scheduling
- Contact list pages to keep everything in one place
- Self care pages
- Sections for work tasks
- A section to write down crucial dates
- Budget and financial trackers
- Mood trackers
Summary
Finding the best digital planner pages for people with ADHD can be frustrating. Some planners include too many sections and features. In a world where more is MORE, it might be time to reclaim simplicity.
Once you find a digital planner you like, you can always duplicate as many pages as you need. There’s no need to spend extra money on a planner just because it says you’re getting 1200 pages. I purchased one recently and my brain was completely overwhelmed. At the end of the day, all I need is an easy-to-use planner with linked tabs to help me find my way around.
Have you found a digital planner that works well for you? Tell me about it in the comments.