The Big Rocks Planning System

Stack what matters.

Cairn is a planning system built on one idea: place your highest priorities first, and let everything smaller fit in around them. Get it on paper, coming soon as an app, or both.

PDF: instant download, print at home, yours forever.
Daily·Weekly·Monthly·The Quarry
The Problem

Your to-do list isn't the problem.
The order is.

Most planners give every task the same size box — which means the important stuff and the busywork end up fighting for the same five minutes. Cairn does the opposite. It makes you name your three big rocks before anything else gets a slot, so the day, week, or month actually moves the things that matter.

The Cairn Method

Big rocks first.

Every Cairn page follows the same simple stacking order — so you always know what to do first, and everything smaller still has a place.

1

3 Big Rocks

Your must-do priorities. Place these first, before anything else claims your time.

2

5 Medium Rocks

Supporting tasks that matter — they fit in the space around your big rocks.

3

The Quarry

Everything else waits here, unscheduled, until it's ready to become a rock.

Inside The PDF Kit

One system. Four pages.
Every timeframe covered.

Every page is a print-ready, letter-size PDF (8.5" × 11") — the same four page types are also built into the app, if you'd rather plan on a screen.

Cairn Daily

3 Big Rocks, up to 5 Medium Rocks, an hourly time-block schedule, and a notes area for today.

Cairn Weekly

3 Big Rocks and up to 5 Medium Rocks for the week, plus a day-by-day glance at Monday through Sunday.

Cairn Monthly

3 Big Rocks and up to 5 Medium Rocks for the month, plus a blank calendar grid that works for any month.

The Quarry

A 30-item backlog checklist for everything not yet scheduled — raw material to promote into a future rock.

Plus a cover page to keep your set organized.
Colorways

Same stack. Ten looks.

Every Cairn page comes in 10 hand-built colorways, from warm neutrals to bold pops of color — on paper and in the app. Pick one for the whole set, or mix and match by mood.

Terracotta
& Stone
Slate
Navy
Sage
Forest
Charcoal &
Mustard
Dusty Rose
& Plum
Cobalt
Pop
Emerald
Pop
Magenta
Pop
Sunshine
Pop
Violet
Pop
Paper

One system. Multiple ways to use it.

Cairn works the same way whether you're holding a pen or a phone: name your big rocks first, and let everything else fit in around them. Pick whichever fits how you plan — or use both.

PDF Core Kit

Cairn, printed by you.

$14 USD

A one-time download you print at home. No screens, no login — just pages.

  • All 4 page types: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, The Quarry
  • All 10 colorways, included — not sold separately
  • Print-ready PDFs, letter size (8.5" × 11")
  • A cover page to keep your set organized
  • One-time purchase — print forever, no subscription
Get the PDF Core Kit
Sold on store.cairnplanner.com via Payhip. Secure checkout with PayPal — delivered instantly to your inbox.
Print Bundles

Cairn, printed for you.

from $38 USD

Tell us what pages you need, and we'll print them, bind them, and ship them to you.

  • Spiral-bound kits available, as well as pad-bound pages.
  • All 10 colorways available.
  • Letter size (8.5" × 11") on high-quality paper.
Get Print Bundles
Sold on store.cairnplanner.com via Payhip. Secure checkout with PayPal — delivered via mail.
Add-On Packs

The same stacking system, built for what you're already doing.

Every add-on pack keeps the Cairn method — big rocks first, everything else fits in around them — and reshapes it for a specific part of life. Sold separately on our store, in all 10 colorways.

Meal Planning

The Pantry

Plan your big meals first, then fill in the rest of the week's cooking and grocery runs around them.

Home & Events

The Blueprint

Plan the big moments of a project or event first, then fill in the smaller details around them.

Product & Sprints

The Build

Ship the big rocks of a release first, then clear the rest of the backlog around them.

Travel

The Trailhead

Mark the big stops of a trip first, then fill in the rest of the itinerary around them.

Budgeting

The Ledger

Fund the big financial rocks first, then balance the rest of the month around them.

Habit Tracking

The Path

A daily habit tracker built on one idea: consistency is the trail, so keep marking it.

Wedding Planning

The Aisle

Plan a wedding around its biggest milestones first, then let the smaller details fall into place.

Lesson Planning

The Chalkboard

Plan the big lessons of a week first, then fit the rest of the classroom day around them.

Renovation

The Foundation

Build the big rocks of a renovation or move first, then fit the punch-list items in around them.

Freelance & Small Business

The Trade

Land the big rocks — clients, projects, deadlines — first, then fit the rest of the business in around them.

Big Goals

The Summit

Stack the big rocks of a quarter or a goal first — that's how you reach the top.

Bullet Journal

The Logbook

Cairn-style rapid logging for bullet journalers: Future Log, Monthly Log, and Daily Log, all in the same stack.

Browse Add-On Packs
All add-on packs are print-ready PDFs, sold on our store.

Already own Cairn?

Paper Kit and add-on pack downloads live in your Payhip library on store.cairnplanner.com.

Lost your download email? Reach out at hello@cairnplanner.com and we'll resend it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size are the pages?

US Letter (8.5" × 11"), designed to print cleanly on any home printer.

What file format do I get?

Print-ready PDFs — one per page type, per colorway. No special software or fonts required.

Can I use the PDFs digitally instead of printing?

Yes — the PDFs also work well in annotation apps like GoodNotes or Notability if you'd rather write on them with a stylus instead of printing. For a purpose-built digital experience with syncing and the Quarry's weighting feature, use the app instead.

What are the add-on packs?

Add-on packs take the same big-rocks stacking system and reshape it for a specific purpose — meal planning, home projects, travel, budgeting, habit tracking, wedding planning, lesson planning, renovations, freelance work, big goals, and bullet journaling. Each is sold separately on store.cairnplanner.com, in all 10 colorways. See the Add-On Packs section above for the full list.

Do I have to pick one color?

No — every colorway is included in your purchase, on paper and in the app. Switch anytime.

Is this a subscription?

The Paper Kit and add-on packs are one-time purchases — yours forever, unlimited printing. There's no subscription for either.

Is checkout secure?

Yes. Our store is hosted on Payhip, and checkout runs through PayPal — Cairn never sees or stores your payment details.

What's your refund policy?

Not loving it? Email us within 14 days of purchase for a full refund, no questions asked.