Planning Your Day for Success: Paper or Digital Calendars?

Paper Planner or Digital Calendar? Which is Better to Plan Your Day for Success?

Which is a better scheduling tool when planning your day for success: a paper planner or digital calendar/planner apps?

Each has its benefits and its drawbacks, so it comes down to a matter of personal preference.

However, if you are reading this article, you are probably unsure which will work better for you. You might be wondering whether you should implement both types of planners into your daily scheduling.

Personally, I like using both a paper planner and a digital calendar for scheduling my days, weeks, months…. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each type, as well as how to use a planner and a digital calendar together in order to plan your day for success.

 

 

Pros and Cons of Paper Planners

Even in this digital age, some people swear by paper planners. Some just need a physical book with pages they can flip through, to visually see their days, weeks, or even the entire month laid out.

Here are a few pros and cons of using paper planners.

 

Pros

• Physically writing something down can help you remember it better.
• You won’t run out of battery power.
• They are better for making lists, creating little notes, etc.
• They come in a variety of designs and price ranges.
• There are tons of cute planners to choose from!

 

Cons

• There is limited space in a paper planner.
• There is no backup if you lose it.
• It can get messy if you are constantly rewriting information.
• It is not very secure–anyone can look at it.

 

Related: 9 Tips to Boost Productivity When You Work from Home

 

Pros and Cons of Digital Calendars

Other people use nothing but a digital calendar for scheduling their tasks and appointments. If they only had a paper planner, they might not ever open it or use it. This is something I struggle with–actually remembering to open it up.

 

Pros

• You can sync your digital calendar over multiple devices.
• You can set reminders for events and appointments.
• There is unlimited space in a digital calendar.
• You can secure it with a password.
• The search capability is invaluable.
• You can create recurring reminders.
• There are lots of different planner apps to choose from.

 

Cons

• You could run out of battery power.
• There is a slight risk of crashes and lost information.
• You have to be somewhat technologically-inclined.
• There may be too many planner apps to choose from…how do you choose?

 

Planning Your Day for Success

As you can see, both paper planners and digital calendars (or planner apps) have their pros and cons, but you can use either one to plan your day for success. Try one, try the other — then decide which works better for you.

Maybe you’ll decide you like using a combination of both for scheduling your work-at-home tasks (as well as your personal appointments).

I personally use both types of planning methods in different ways when planning your day for success.

For example, when I make an appointment, I like to enter it directly into the Google Calendar widget, which is right on the home screen of my phone.

This way, I get reminders right on my phone and I can see a little snapshot of anything that is coming up soon. Then, when I have a chance, I also add it to my paper planner. This method might be a little tedious for some, but it works for me!

A paper planner, on the other hand, is really handy for listing everyday tasks and housework that need to be done.

These are things I’m not going to put into my calendar necessarily, although you certainly could — especially if it’s a recurring task that can be scheduled for a certain day each week.

These are just a couple examples of ways I use both paper and digital planners to remind myself of appointments and things that need to be completed. But what works for me might not work for you.

One thing I know for sure, though, is that I absolutely have to schedule out my work week in order to be productive.

Things are always changing and they don’t always work out the way I have planned, but checking off my to-do list is the only way I can feel accomplished at the end of the day.

And, boy, does that feel great!

 

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