Google Docs Magic: How to Create a Monthly Goals Planner (Canva-Style, Free)

Short answer: You can create a beautiful Monthly Goals Planner in Google Docs — no Canva, no templates, no paid tools. This tutorial shows you exactly how to build a clean, printable, Canva-style layout using tables, spacing, fonts, and color.

This Google Docs Magic tutorial shows you how to design a modern Monthly Goals Planner that looks like Canva — without using Canva.

We’ll use only built-in Google Docs tools: tables, spacing, fonts, and subtle color. No templates. No paid tools. Just smart formatting you can reuse forever.

What You’ll Learn

• How to structure a Monthly Goals Planner using Google Docs tables
• How to create Canva-style headers without Canva
• How to design weekly goal sections that stay readable
• How to add a flexible Week 5 and top goals area
• How to reuse this planner layout every month

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New to Google Docs Magic?

If you’re wondering how Google Docs can look like Canva without templates or paid tools, start here:

👉 How to Make Google Docs Look Like Canva (Free Guide)

This explainer walks through the exact formatting techniques used in this tutorial — tables, spacing, fonts, and layout — so you can reuse them for any planner or worksheet you create.

Who This Monthly Goals Planner Is Perfect For

• Anyone who wants a simple, printable monthly goal system
• Students and professionals using Google Docs
• People tired of paying for basic Canva planners
• Goal-setters who want structure without clutter

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Before You Start: Page Setup

Proper page setup is what separates a document that looks accidental from one that looks designed.

1. Go to File → Page setup
2. Set orientation to Portrait
3. Set all margins to 0.75 inches
4. Set page color to #fdfcf8

This warm off-white background keeps the planner soft and printer-friendly — a subtle trick Canva layouts rely on.

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We’ll build this planner the same way Canva does — structure first, decoration second.

Step 1: Create the Date Header Block

The small header block anchors the entire layout and immediately signals structure.

1. Insert a 1×2 table
2. Select the full table and set:

• Border width: 0.5 pt
• Border color: #999999

Style the Top Row

• Drag the row divider upward to make the row short
• If needed, temporarily reduce the font size to allow shrinking
• Background color: #ceccbf

Style the Bottom Row

• Type: DATE:
• Cell padding: 0.1 inches
• No background color

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Step 2: Add the Monthly Goals Title

Instead of centering the title above everything, we’ll place it beside the date block — a classic Canva-style move.

1. Right-click the table
2. Select Table options → Quick layouts
3. Choose the top-left layout

Format the Title Text

• Press space four times
• Type MONTHLY (all caps)
• Font: Antic Didone
• Font size: 42 pt
• Letter spacing: 0.6

On the next line:

• Type GOALS
• Center align
• Font color: #434343

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Step 3: Add a Divider Line and Weekly Grid

We’ll visually separate the header from the planner body using a faux horizontal rule.

Create the Divider

1. Insert → Drawing → New
2. Add a rectangle and stretch it horizontally
3. Fill color: #535353
4. Border: transparent
5. Save and close

Create the Weekly Table

1. Insert a 4×11 table
2. Stretch it to match the divider width
3. Set cell spacing to about 0.2

Label the top row:

• Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4
• Font: Antic Didone
• Size: 13
• Color: #666666

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Step 4: Separate the Weekly Columns

Without column separation, planners feel overwhelming. This step fixes that.

1. Select the cells under Week 1
2. Add a right border:

• Width: 1.0 pt
• Color: #b7b7b7

Repeat for Weeks 2–4.

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Step 5: Add Soft Row Styling

Subtle background color improves readability and print results.

1. Select each row
2. Background color: #f6ede8
3. Add a bottom border:

• Width: 1.0 pt
• Color: white

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Step 6: Add a Flexible Week 5

Some months don’t fit neatly into four weeks — this layout accounts for that.

1. Reset table spacing to single
2. Copy the horizontal divider
3. Paste it below Week 1
4. Resize it to match one column width

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Step 7: Build the Top Goals Planner

1. Click inside the Week 5 area
2. Table options → Table style → Wrap text
3. Insert a 1×4 table

Style the table:

• Top row background: #777256
• Rows 2–4 background: #deddd7
• Bottom border: 1.0 pt, white
• No outer border

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Step 8: Add a Notes Section

Every goals planner needs space for thoughts that don’t fit neatly into boxes.

1. Insert a 1×4 table
2. Remove borders
3. Set cell padding to -2.1

Type Notes using:

• Font: Euphoria Script
• Size: 24 pt

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If you followed along, you now understand the layout — not just the finished design.

Download the Monthly Goals Planner (Free)

If you want to skip recreating this layout from scratch, you can download the finished Monthly Goals Planner and customize it instantly.

This is the exact planner built in this tutorial. No paid templates. No email gate. Just a clean starting point.

1. Click the download link below
2. Choose File → Make a copy
3. Edit, reuse, or duplicate as many times as you like

👉 Download the Monthly Goals Planner (Google Docs)

Free for personal use • Built entirely in Google Docs

Why This Google Docs Magic Layout Works

• Tables act as invisible design containers
• Muted colors print cleanly
• The structure supports real goal planning
• The layout is reusable every month

Once you understand this system, you can build daily planners, habit trackers, dashboards, and worksheets — all inside Google Docs.

This is the real Google Docs Magic.

Back to Hub

Return to Google Docs Magic Hub

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Monthly Goals Planner FAQ

Is this really created in Google Docs?

Yes. This planner is built entirely inside Google Docs using tables, spacing, fonts, and color. No Canva. No plugins. No templates required.

Do I need design experience to follow this tutorial?

No. This tutorial is written for beginners. Every step is intentional and explained so you understand why it works — not just what to click.

Can I reuse this layout every month?

Absolutely. Once you’ve created the layout, you can duplicate the document and reuse it for any month, goal set, or project.

Is the download really free?

Yes. There’s no email signup and no upsell. The goal of Google Docs Magic is to teach reusable skills — not sell templates.

Can this be printed?

Yes. The margins, spacing, and colors were chosen specifically to print cleanly on standard letter-sized paper.

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FREE

Google Docs Templates

Download free planners, checklists, and trackers built using the exact techniques in this tutorial.

Browse Free Templates