If you’re looking for a tool to help you get your life organized, I highly recommend the A5 Erin Condren Life Planner. I’ve been using a Life Planner for 11 years and this is my favorite planner. Keep reading for my full review of the 2025 Erin Condren Life Planner!
2025 LIFE PLANNERS
Erin Condren Life Planners (ECLP) are some of the best paper planners available. Like I mentioned, I’ve been using them for years, and each year they have more options. Definitely their most popular option is the classic, coiled 7×9″ Life Planner. The classic size is nice and has 3 interior design themes, but it’s a little large for me.
Here are a few comparison pictures of my 2025 A5 ECLP and a 2025 classic 7×9″ ECLP that I bought for my mom:
As you can see, the A5 size is so cute and compact. It has everything the classic 7×9″ size has but it’s more portable and the layout is more efficient. I did a full comparison between the classic 7×9″ size and the A5 size I prefer here.
2025 ERIN CONDREN LIFE PLANNER REVIEW
Cover + Coil Selection
When you order your A5 ECLP online, you first have the option to select a cover. The covers are a laminated plastic with perforated coil holes so you can swap them out as desired. I only ever use the one cover that I ordered with my planner, but I guess it’s nice to have the option.
I store my A5 ECLP in a purple holographic binder. There are large pockets sewn into the binder to secure the back cover of the ECLP and hold my planner in place. I love how rainbow reflective the holo is; it makes me excited to come back to my desk and use my planner. I bought my cover on etsy, but I’m not finding the seller at this time.
I ordered this Hello Kitty cover on my A5 ECLP. You can customize this cover’s background color (I chose the color Dusk), and you can personalize the cover to say your name or other text of your choice. I love the cute Sanrio characters and the little rainbows and flowers on the cover.
I personalized the text on my cover to say MuffinChanel, and I upgraded my coil to be a gold coil. When you’re going to be using a planner for an entire year, you want it to look how you like it so you will be encouraged to use it.
Layout + Design Options
The next step in ordering your planner online is to select between a horizontal or compact vertical layout. I chose the horizontal layout because I prefer that style. Next you can choose between a colorful interior design (Evolve) or the more neutral interior (Bold Blooms). I selected the neutral interior because I used it in 2024 and I like the associated fonts better.
Some planners let you choose when you want the calendar to start, but when I ordered mine, I only had the option for January 2025 start. That was perfect for me because I like to have one planner for each calendar year.
2025 A5 ECLP Quality
I have consistently been pleased with the ECLP quality. The colors are crisp and clean, the coil is super strong/durable, the laminated tabs are good quality, and the paper is thick with a nice texture.
The most important thing in a planner for me is that it makes you want to use it. You aren’t magically going to become organized just by owning a planner, you have to actively use it. So when my planner is high quality, pretty, and laid out nicely, I am more likely to keep up with it.
HOW I USE MY A5 ECLP
Everyone will use their planner differently based on what’s important to you, but I wanted to share a few ways that I use my A5 Erin Condren Life Planner that can maybe inspire you:
Goal Setting: In the 12-box spread, I like to write out my larger goals for the year. I’ll have a box for financial goals, fitness goals, family/life goals, work goals, etc. These are goals that may take all year to achieve or milestones that I’d like to meet on the way to a bigger goal. Writing down your goals is proven to make you more likely to succeed.
Important Dates: When I set up my planner each year, I place a little post-it flag on the date in the monthly spread. This is for important dates like birthdays/anniversaries, annual bills, appointments or special events. Having these dates already flagged, makes it easy for me to take in each month at a glance when scheduling new activities. I like having these dates flagged with post-its so I can move them around if needed or toss them if plans are cancelled.
Consistency Tracking: In the monthly dashboard spreads, I track things like my skincare routine, my miles run, my knitting projects, fitness goals, and highlights for the month. This is one of my main spreads that I look at daily to see my monthly progress.
I use highlighters to color code boxes that represent each day of my skincare routine. I use post-it flags to document my monthly highlights until the end of the month where I transfer that list to the blank box. I love having this dashboard spread and getting all this information in one spot.
Weekly/Daily Lists: The week view is my most used spread. I use post-it flags to “pre-plan” certain tasks I want to complete. Again, I like the flags because I can place a task on a certain day, but I have the flexibility to rearrange it if needed. I don’t like to write a task into my planner unless I’m for sure trying to complete it that day.
To get my flags set up, I will write out things like cleaning tasks — “wash sheets – every 2 weeks”, or “clean windows – every 4th weekend”. Then I place these flags on the expected due date, and once I reach that date and complete the task, I’ll move the flag to the next expected occurrence. So, I’m basically shifting these flags for recurring tasks all the time. Having these to-do tasks help me plan ahead and keep up with a routine.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m really happy with my 2025 A5 Erin Condren Life Planner and I’m looking forward to using it next year. There are a lot of ways to enhance or embellish your planner from different pens and stickers, to washi tapes and markers. I just like to have fun and make my planner exciting to use.
I hope this post was helpful for you in making your decision to invest in a paper planner! If this is your first time using an ECLP, sign up with my link for $10 off your order.
