When I meet another person who carries around a monthly planner that is made out of (gasp) paper I get positively giddy. Despite my most recent post on dumbphones, I’m not against technology. But when it comes to certain things (monthly planners included), I gravitate towards the tactile.
I have carried around a paper planner since college. For four years spanning the late 1990s and early 2000s, my every move was cataloged in that thing. When papers were due, my work schedule, important phone numbers, a list of books I wanted to read — among other things. My planner had pockets where I kept stamps, an address book, and a handy 6-inch ruler that I rarely used…but always appreciated.
My good friend Annie is the only other person I know who loves a paper planner the way I do. I knew we would be friends instantly when she pulled it out one day to check her schedule. We also love writing letters, receiving mail, and expensive stationery. Her thoughts on her planner are aligned with mine:
“It’s easy to use and it’s harder to misplace than a smaller, electronic device.”
You’d think we were in our late 70s — instead of our early 30s.
My Mac makes it easy to plan my life using their iCal application. I have an iPod Touch that I sync with it, but it doesn’t have the same appeal as a cool looking monthly planner with pockets — like the Moleskines I use all the time (which are leather-ish, really). These elegant notebooks were also a favorite of Van Gogh, Hemingway, and Picasso. A paper planner is exceptionally good for taking quick notes. Instead of having to use my finger to type on my iPod Touch (and my fingers never hit the right buttons), I whip out my trusty pen and jot it right down. Plus, I don’t have to plug it in at night or worry about losing power.
On top of that, there are so many online organizing/agenda/planning apps and software out there it makes my head spin. It seems like every other week some company or another is trying to perfect the art of the planner. You could go crazy trying to find one online that has everything that you need — and nothing that you don’t.
I also see a paper planner as a “backup”, if you will. If you have everything programmed into your phone—contacts, schedule, business cards—what happens when you lose it? I keep my address book on my iPod Touch as well as on paper…just in case.
Call me old fashioned—I don’t care. I prefer to read actual books than use a Kindle, iPad, or a NOOKcolor. I like to keep little tokens like concert tickets, bus schedules, business cards and the like in my planner. Sure, I could probably find those things with a smartphone or something, but I like to touch things and have real evidence of places I’ve been or things I’ve seen. And I don’t have a smartphone, nor do I want one.
I don’t see an electronic planner or a paper planner being better or worse than the other—what you use is what you prefer. There is no right or wrong. Personally, I’m going to stick to my Moleskine. There is just something about crossing something off your list rather than just deleting it. There is a sense of accomplishment when you see a list of crossed out items — a “been there, done that” that digital devices just don’t provide for me.
Now that I’ve finished this up, I’ll just open up my planner and cross it off my list…
Here are links to other paper planners that you might enjoy using:
Kate Spade
This chic designer has a luscious leather planner that comes in two sizes. It also comes with colorful (or black and white) refills. It’s the epitome of elegant!
At-A-Glance
Scores of daily planners for your budget.
Crane
We ladies love the colorful datebooks Crane offers. And for you guys—they have gorgeous tan and black leather ones, too. You can even have them embossed for an extra personal touch.
FranklinCovey
This company might overwhelm you with all the choices in day planners—from leather to spiral bound and everything in between, there is most definitely something for everyone.
Levenger
While they’re not inexpensive, these planners (the Circa Notebooks in particular) are trusted tools of the trade for many who want to keep on top of their lives.
Action Method by Behance
The Action Method has been covered here at WorkAwesome in the past, and these paper products are the perfect companion for the creatives out there who have a lot of ideas that they need out of their heads and captured in a system they trust.
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