A digital planner is a PDF. That is the whole trick — and it is why the same file works in GoodNotes, Notability, Noteshelf or any other PDF annotation app. Once you know the four moves below, you can set up any of our planners in under five minutes.

What you need

  • A tablet with PDF annotation (iPad with GoodNotes and an Apple Pencil is the classic setup)
  • The planner PDF — delivered instantly after checkout
  • Roughly five minutes, and a decision about which pages you actually use

Step 1: Download the planner

Your download appears on screen immediately after payment and is emailed to you as well. Save the PDF to Files (iPad), Downloads (Android) or your desktop. Keep the original somewhere safe — it is your master copy, and you can reuse it every year because the planner carries no dates.

Step 2: Import into GoodNotes

Three ways, easiest first:

  1. Share sheet: open the PDF in Files, tap Share, then “Open in GoodNotes”.
  2. Drag and drop: in GoodNotes, open a notebook list and drag the PDF in from a split-screen Files window.
  3. Import menu: tap the + in GoodNotes → Import → choose the file.

Give the notebook a name you will recognise, such as “Planner 2026 — Blush Pink”.

Step 3: Write on the pages

GoodNotes opens a PDF as a background layer, so your handwriting sits on top and stays editable with the eraser. A few habits make it feel natural fast:

  • Use a fine pen setting for small boxes (habit grids and budget columns) and a medium brush for journal pages.
  • Zoom in before writing in tight layouts — GoodNotes keeps handwriting sharp when you zoom back out.
  • Use the highlighter on the schedule rows to block out time before you write in them.

Step 4: Organise so you keep using it

The planners that get abandoned are the ones with no shortcuts. Two minutes of setup fixes that:

  • Set tabs or bookmarks on the pages you open daily — the undated layout means those pages stay in the same place all year.
  • Duplicate a page instead of writing over it. In GoodNotes, add a page and choose “Insert from current page”.
  • Name the notebook by month if you like a fresh file each quarter; the pages are undated, so any cadence works.

Back it up

Turn on iCloud sync in GoodNotes (Settings → iCloud) so the notebook is backed up automatically. Keep the original PDF in cloud storage too. If you ever lose the notebook, you can re-import the master file and carry on.

Undated planners are the reason this is easy: there is nothing to reset on 1 January. Reuse the same notebook, or start a clean one, whenever you want.

Which planner should you start with?

If you are not sure, start with a daily planner. It is the layout most people can adopt immediately, and it doubles as a task list, schedule and reflection page. You can add a weekly or monthly view later.