Full Focus Planner Review: My Honest Thoughts

I’m a medical student, business owner, wife, and dog mom who loves to travel, start new hobbies, and do aaaall the things! However, while it’s fun to have so many interests, I often end up feeling way more overwhelmed than productive. Sound familiar? 

I needed a system that would help me narrow down my TOP priorities. That’s why I was initially drawn to the Full Focus Planner, and I can just tell you it’s helped me so tremendously! I used to try to get way too much done at once only to, surprise, have a bunch of things started, but not really anything accomplished. Now, with this planner, I can focus on what matters most and make real progress toward my goals.
So, if you’re interested in how the Full Focus Planner can help you get on top of your to-do list and actually get the ball rolling toward your dreams, I’m sharing everything you need to know about what it includes and how to use it. I’ve also included my honest review of exactly what I love about this planner, a few things that I’m not a fan of, and some insights about how exactly I use it to achieve my goals.

This post is all about full focus planner.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.

Everything You Need To Know About Full Focus Planner

The Full Focus Backstory

Michael Hyatt and his daughter, Megan Hyatt Miller, collaborated to develop the Full Focus Planner. They’re both super accomplished. Michael, a New York Times Bestselling author, used to be the CEO of a $250 million publishing company until he realized that the whole hustle-and-grind life was seriously affecting his health and his personal life as a husband and father of five daughters. Megan is the CEO of Full Focus and juggles that role with being a mom to five kids of her own, including some with special needs.

So, they totally get the struggle of trying to “do it all” by balancing work ambitions with family time and personal health. However, instead of letting their dreams or relationships slip, they sat down and crafted the Full Focus System, which combines the latest research in productivity and goal achievement. Since launching in 2011, they’ve coached over 970 business owners and reached more than a million people with their Full Focus Planner.

What makes the Full Focus Planner Different from Other Planners?

A lot of planners just end up being a dumping ground for overwhelming to-do lists that feel like they’re literally impossible to conquer. Ugh, right? The Full Focus Planner takes a more intentional approach. By helping you zero in on what really matters, you can ditch the overwhelm and make real progress, even on those stressful, busy days.

Each page is crafted based on the science-backed Full Focus System. It cuts down on tasks that are disguised as action but are actually just time-wasters and busy work. And it leads you to replace them with what’s most important to reach your goals. So imagine glancing at your planner and feeling not dread but excitement and clarity about what you’re working toward.

Plus, it’s all about work-life balance (which I love and is super important, especially for avoiding burnout as premed or in medical school). This planner helps you crush your goals without sacrificing the fun stuff in your personal life.

Note: The Full Focus Planner is a quarterly planner. So, unlike other planners that tend to last a year, you will need to purchase a new planner for each quarter of the year or, doing the math, four planners to complete a year of planning. 

What’s Inside the Full Focus Planner

If you’re new to this planner, there are plenty of sections to help you level up your productivity game! It’s organized to help you set ambitious goals for the quarter and achieve them with ease.  

Annual Goals

Here, you’ll find space to jot down twelve goals you want to crush this year. It’s like a vision board but more structured and contained, perfect for keeping your ambitions front and center. This is your chance to dream big and set your sights on what matters most to you!

Goal Detail Pages

Now, once you’ve got your goals down, you can expand on them using this page as a brainstorming hub. Here, you can break down each goal into actionable steps, giving you a clear roadmap for achieving them. Getting specific and outlining the steps makes it easier to see more clearly what you need to do to make those dreams a reality!

Monthly Calendar

This customizable calendar allows you to add your own dates and gives you a visual overview of the next three months ahead. Here, you can easily see deadlines and events. For example, you can add your MCAT deadlines or, if you’re in medical school, your Step Exam study plan to this section. It’s a great way to keep everything organized so you can focus on what truly matters and map out your time in a way that feels manageable.

Rolling Quarters

Here, you can keep your long-term goals in sight while you tackle the present. It helps you evaluate your progress over three-month segments, making sure you’re on track and ready to pivot when needed. For instance, maybe your letters of recommendation for your medical school application haven’t come back yet. Instead of scrambling at the last minute, you can make a plan to contact your letter writers ahead of time. 

Daily Rituals

On this page, you can reflect on and establish habits that help you stay focused and grounded. Whether it’s a morning studying session going through Anki cards, a yoga class, or an evening wind-down routine, this is where you optimize your day-to-day experience.

Your Ideal Week

This section of the planner gives you an opportunity to create a blueprint for what your ideal week would include. Here, you can envision how every day of the week should look, helping you balance productivity with relaxation. Of course, life can and will get in the way of your best-laid plans. But this exercise acts as a north star to get you back on track. And it’s a perfect way to visualize success ahead!

Key Projects

This section is a brand-new addition that allows you to keep your most important projects front and center for the upcoming quarter. Focus on what truly matters by prioritizing your projects in the left column. Then, at the bottom, you can list your “Weekly Big Three,” which consists of the three goals you’ll get laser-focused on to complete.  

Daily Pages

Here, you’ll identify your “Daily Big Three,” which are the three tasks that you prioritize to knock out each day. This simple practice will help you to stay focused and productive, no matter how hectic life gets. The Daily Pages, as well as the following pages, the Weekly Preview and the Quarterly Preview work together as the heart of the Full Focus System. If you stick to just these three sections, you’re already ahead of the game!

Weekly Preview

Before you begin each week, take a moment for the Weekly Preview Page. Use this space to take time to reflect on your progress toward your goals, adjust your plans if necessary, and set up for the week ahead. This weekly ritual brings so much clarity that it’s like hitting the refresh button, keeping you on top of your game!

Quarterly Preview

Just like the weekly preview, the quarterly preview gives you a chance to assess your progress for the last three months. Reflect, tweak your plans, and gear up for the next stretch. The Quarterly Preview helps you stay on top of your priorities to keep your goals within reach despite what life throws at you. It also creates a transition into the next quarter of the year so you can maintain an ongoing cycle of growth.

How the Full Focus Planner Works

The planner uses the Full Focus System to keep you organized and on top of your goals with a straightforward three-step process. This system will help you prioritize the right work so you can leverage it, stay on track, and make steady progress on what truly matters to you.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how this simple yet effective method can set you up for success!

1. Set Your Annual Goals: Use the beginning sections as a framework for creating clearer and more meaningful long-term goals that genuinely lead to achievement.
2. Plan Out Your Weekly Objectives: Before you begin each week, you take a goal and break it down into short-term targets or accomplishments.
3. Focus on Three Daily Tasks: You designate one to three actions that you work to complete each day that align with achieving your weekly milestones.

Pros & Cons of Using the Full Focus Planner

I didn’t use all the pages of the planner (as you can see from the pics lol) but earlier this year I was religiously using the Full Focus Planner for a few months, and it definitely has some super helpful features that I liked a lot. However, there are also a few things that don’t quite hit the mark. Here’s where I land on each to help you decide if it’s for you!

What I Love About It

• Spiral Binding: The hardbound version is sleek and has the option of choosing bold colors, but I’m a fan of the spiral-bound option. It keeps things flat and neat on my desk, plus the black cover is super stylish!
• Goal Setting Made Easy: The planner kicks off with a yearly goal section where you can jot down your big dreams. It walks you through breaking them down in the “goal detail” section, which includes key motivations, the next steps to take, rewards for reaching milestones, and progress tracking.
• Smart Planning: Rather than writing down a goal and leaving it at that, it encourages you to plan actionable steps so you can actually crush those big dreams. It’s about working smarter, not harder, by no longer creating overwhelming to-do lists.
• Weekly Preview & Weekly Big 3: The weekly preview section is perfect for my Sunday resets! It’s a chance to reflect on what went well and what didn’t. I use this section to assess my progress, choose my “Weekly Big 3” tasks for the upcoming week, and prioritize what really matters.

What I’m Not a Fan Of 

• Daily Big 3 Struggles: Honestly, having to pick three big daily tasks is tough for me. I often find myself overwhelmed. Instead, I prefer the “Daily Highlight” approach from the book “Make Time” because I can focus on just ONE key task each day.  Accomplishing that one thing makes my day feel successful!
• Short-term Use: The planner is only designed for a quarter, meaning I have to buy a new one every three months. This can be a little annoying, especially if you’re looking for something more long-term. Not to mention expensive since it is $50!

Summing Up My Full Focus Planner Review 

Overall, the Full Focus Planner has been a fantastic tool for keeping my goals and daily tasks in check. I highly recommend giving it a try because it’s packed with features that can help keep you super organized and focused. Also, I’m totally obsessed with the spiral-bound layout and the sleek black cover that just looks so professional and stylish.

One of the best parts is the goal-setting section. Writing out my yearly goals and then breaking them down feels like having a personal coach right there with me. Plus, the prompts are super helpful for mapping out my steps, making it way easier to keep everything on track.

Also, I’m a huge fan of the weekly focus, especially the “Weekly Big 3” concept. It really helps me zone in on what’s important. I did switch up the “Daily Big 3” to the “Daily Highlight” method from the book “Make Time,” because it just feels less overwhelming and keeps my days super productive.

Finally, it’s true that it only lasts a quarter, which means I have to snag a new one every few months, but honestly, that fresh start feels amazing. All in all, the Full Focus Planner has been an awesome tool for keeping my long-term goals and daily tasks on track. If you’re looking to level up your organization game, definitely give it a shot!

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