Paper Planner vs Digital Planner: Pros and Cons and Why I Chose a Paper Planner

I planned on writing this post right after an exciting situation happened, I even wrote it in my planner. However life happens and no matter where you write your goals or plans whether in a paper planner or in a digital planner, rescheduling happens. Before I go on, it’s important that I disclose that the products I mention in this post are things I’ve researched and/or tried but I am not getting paid to advertise.

Re-visiting a Paper Planner

So what happened? Well, a little background first. You will then see the significance of the event and not be looking at the screen with a blank expression. I have been working to accomplish certain goals and habits, one of which was to be more mindful. Overall, I wanted to be less distracted by this little device called a smartphone.  Research on going back to a paper planner then commenced. I haven’t touched a paper planner since high school. Oh wait, there was that one I had a few years ago, but it was never fully utilized and it’s somewhere gathering dust bunnies.

I did my research and settled on the PowerSheets by Cultivate What Matters. Unfortunately, once I made the decision I was disappointed (it was January!) to find out the planner was sold out! So I settled on my second choice, the Erin Condren Life Planner. It was colorful, customizable, and looked like fun. I found out later, that the PowerSheets goal planner I wanted was not actually the type of planner I thought. It was more of a goal setting/accomplishing system so choosing the EC planner worked out.  Once I bought the EC life planner I made a deal with myself. If I was spending this much time researching and spending money, I needed to make a conscious effort to utilize my planner productively and improve my life.

Meeting Erin Condren

I decided to introduce my friend Vanessa to Erin Condren Life Planners, and what better way than to go to lunch and then to the Erin Condren store. The store is immaculate, colorful, and if you aren’t into paper planning now, you will be by the time you walk out.  At the register, Vanessa leaned over to me and whispered: “Um, isn’t that Erin Condren right there?” In my head, I thought “Psh, riiiiighhht. Erin Condren. Here.” But as I turned I realized she was just a few feet away! It’s one thing to follow someone on Instagram, buy their product, and be inspired by them and quite another to see them right in front of you. I am not usually at a loss for words (as many close to me know) but at this moment I was. Politely I asked if we could take a picture with her and then my mind went blank.  I just stood there with a silly grin on my face. Later I drove home thinking and re-thinking what I would have said! Have you been there? Ugh.

Anyway, that situation has brought me to this post because I’ve also had friends ask about my EC planner. Many of them ask “Why don’t you just use your phone?” Or “That’s cute but I would never remember to use it!” so I began to wonder about the pros and cons of paper planners vs digital planners.

Pros of Digital Planners

Most will know this already but the obvious one is that your phone is ALWAYS with you right? It’s like an extra appendage, therefore, you wouldn’t tend to forget it at home. It can set reminders that will recur, it can ding to let you know that you need to pick up dog food on the way home or that you have a brunch date tomorrow. You can search your reminders and lists and then there is the ability to sync it to your many devices.

Cons of Digital Planners

Some of these cons actually were on the pros list which is the tricky part. How many of us have become desensitized to those reminders or notifications and forget about them? Or maybe the dinging, vibrating, or pop-ups on your computer screen just get annoying so you silence them or just swipe them away (me). What about the time it takes to learn a new app and all its quirks? Or just the time it takes to pick up the phone, open the app, set the reminder, set any notifications, make it a color, or whatever else you do to categorize it?

Here’s one more: Distraction. This is what I struggled with. I would pick up my phone to add a reminder or event and get so distracted by whatever text had popped up that I would answer the text, then scroll around social media forgetting why the heck I picked up the phone in the first place! With the addition of the screen time tracking on iPhones I began to be more conscious of how much time I spend on my phone and it was shocking. Four hours a day!? What better things could I be doing with those hours that could get me closer to my goals or just…make my life better?

Pros of Paper Planners

One big pro of paper planners is this: research has shown that writing stuff down actually helps us retain it better. I realize that for many of us, it’s faster and easier to type but we are also less likely to distill an idea down to it’s most actionable. Technology can be distracting and distancing and sometimes we truly need a break from our screens.

By writing, we are able to clarify our thoughts and mindfully connect with what we want and what we need/want to do. You use your hand to form letters and connect them and in the process engage the brain more actively. Typing or texting involves just selecting letters by pressing identical-looking keys. If you want to know more about the science behind writing and why it is beneficial for us, visit the article here.

Another pro is unlimited flexibility. Write it down and it’s there where ever. With customization, you can truly make your paper planner a joy to look at and depending on the planner, add in your own pages. The Happy Planner lets you add or take out pages depending on your lifestyle. It’s also helpful to see when you might be over-scheduling yourself because you see everything at once.  The ability to quickly look back at past weeks, habit tracking, goals, lists, etc can also be satisfying.

Lastly becoming part of a community is perhaps the most surprising for me. Just search the word “planner” on any social media site and oodles of groups and hashtags will come up. I even discovered that there is a conference called Go Wild! Yes, a conference for those that get joy out of paper planning!

Cons of Paper Planners

The obvious con here is remembering to carry your planner with you. But, this can quickly become a habit. After all, you don’t forget your phone often, right? It’s a matter of mindset. However, the planner will never be as accessible as your phone. I have also read about the pressure that some feel to fill in every space in the planner or the pressure to make it a work of art. You have to do YOU! Paper planning is not supposed to be an extra stressor!  Open space and unscheduled time is awesome and much needed! And if decorating doesn’t bring you joy then don’t do it.

Thinking About Switching to a Paper Planner? Here Are Some Tips to Ponder:

Decide How Much Money You Want to Spend

Just type planner into Amazon and you see planners ranging from under $10 to over $50. I truly believe you get what you pay for and it also depends on what kind of planner person you plan on being and/or what your planner’s use will be. Creativity? Functionality? Color? Ability to customize? Freedom to create your own such as with a Bujo (bullet journal)?

How Portable Should Your Planner Be?

Do you want to be able to throw it in your purse or bag? Is it going to sit at home on the kitchen counter or in your office? While buying online is convenient, you may want to take a little field trip to the store (Michaels’, JoAnn’s, Hobby Lobby, Staples, or even Walmart are just a few!) to check for paper quality and size.

What Do You Want Your Planner to Do for You?

Planners can serve many functions or just one. Some of these are Scheduling, Goal Setting, Artistic Planning, and Habit Tracking. Here is what to look for depending on what you want:

Scheduling

You may want a business planner that comes in monthly, weekly, daily or hourly formats.

Goal Setting

Look for a planner that allows you to write down your to-do list and be able to track your goals. It’s important to be able to specifically track the steps on how to get there incorporating the SMART system of goal setting.

Artistic Planning

Look for a planner with space for planning but also the ability to have the space to sketch, keep a journal, memory keep, or scrapbook, etc.

Habit Tracking

You can track anything such as financial planning, exercising, meal planning, or even meditating. Look for something that has graphs or space to create your own. Alternatively, there is always the ability to download printables or buy stickers for this as well.

Don’t Forget!

If transitioning from a digital planning system to paper, carefully check all your apps and calendars that you track stuff with and transfer to your new planner.  Check your recurring tasks and add those in the future areas of your planner. You may also want to make a gradual switch from digital to paper. Maybe you keep habit tracking digital and keep everything else in a paper planner at first or vice versa. I’ve also recently come across a system that combines both. It is called the Slice Planner and my boyfriend (digital planner) was intrigued by this option!

Some Challenges to Be Aware of

Change does not come without some challenges of course. I had to get used to remembering to write stuff down, remembering to check my planner, and not writing too much to overwhelm myself! Ironically, I started by setting reminders on my phone to do these things. Then I started to incorporate it into a daily habit in the morning and in the evening. Also, having your planner out on your desk or counter, turned to the day/week you are on, with a pen next to it, makes it easier to plan. I keep it this way at home and at work.

I’ve also had to reign myself in on spending money! It becomes a little bit addictive so be aware of that as well. My goal in switching to paper planning was to spend less time on my phone, not replace it with another task to take up my time. You may need to try some different strategies with planning. For me, decorating every Friday is one of the things I look forward to all week.

How My Paper Planner has Changed my Life

Having a paper planner has truly added a creative and functional outlet for me. I almost feel a greater sense of control over the many aspects of life. It has also helped me to demonstrate ways of planning to my students, start conversations with co-workers, and have a reason to craft with purpose. I have also strengthened bonds with old friends as well as made some new ones.

My planner with its bright colors and positive words has allowed me to be more mindful. Every time I open it I am using positive affirmations and visualizations of what needs to get done to accomplish more. I’m also more aware of my habits and what I am choosing to do (or not to do) in order to get me closer to being my best self and/or accomplishing goals.

What I Wish I Would Have Said to EC

When I met Erin Condren at her store I was surprised by how nervous I became. I now realize it was because lately, I’ve been spending more and more time finding men and women who are truly doing something to make life better for others vs just a celebrity pushing themselves, their movies, their clothing, or fragrances. People like Erin Condren, Brene Brown, Gretchen Rubin, Lara Casey, and Shawn Stevenson are doing things that are changing lives.  They inspire us to be better and grow and THAT is what I’m all about.

I replayed my conversation (or lack thereof) with Erin Condren for the hour and a half of my commute home and what I wish I would have said. Since I didn’t get to tell her I am going to tell you. So, here is what I would have said that day if I could do it again (and maybe someday I will say it for real):

I absolutely love your product Erin! For its positivism, for its hopefulness, for its ability to infuse hope back into planning and staying organized. Thank you for all that you do in the planner world and for helping to change me and my life into something greater. Oh, and are there plans to have planners that are possibly more guy-friendly?

How about you? Are you going to try paper planning or are you a digital planner? What are your favorite tips and products? I look forward to reading your comments and feedback!

WARNING! Paper Planning may be addictive.