Today Penny tells us how she combines digital and paper planning!
I prefer to think on paper, but I work in a digital world. I wasn’t surprised by the results of the paper vs electronic planning poll. While my fingers can touch type much faster than I write, by combining both systems I can work more effectively.
Given the nature of my work — I offer technology advice and assistance for solo and small creative business — much of my life is digital. How do I find balance without creating copious amounts of either busy work or duplicate data?
I’ve found three key principles to being productive in a hybrid digital and paper world. They are simple: create a system, consistently use the system, and perform regular reviews of what’s in the system!
Why do I use both paper and digital? I’m human. I like familiarity with my tools, they bring comfort to this chaotic world we live in. Yet I also like some novelty to keep my routines from becoming boring. For me, paper is what brings calm and complete focus. Even when I turn notifications off on all my devices, it’s easy to find distractions as it’s easy to find something new there. There’s also something viscerally satisfying about crossing things off a checklist or crumpling up a note — and these actions don’t translate well to today’s technology. Yes, I could throw my phone across the room, but that is definitely a more expensive action than if I threw a stack of index cards!
Could I do all my planning through the technology applications I’ve chosen? Yes. Could I also do all of it through my notebook and planner? Yes. Despite advances and the ability to draw more easily on screens, I feel I do better thinking on paper. In the current version of my systems, I use both.
So how do I apply these principles? There are four parts to my system, two on paper (a Quo Vadis Principal weekly planner and a Rhodia Goalbook notebook ) and two that are digital (calendar and task list). I refer to all of them constantly creating micro reviews. All tasks go into the task list and when I review get sorted into various projects and assigned due dates. Projects with tasks due that day land in my planner. I have layers of calendars and important things are added to the planner, though as I trial a Life Noted planner this coming year, that may change. I’ve found little tweaks over the years to help these systems talk to each other. For example, I record the project’s page number (from my Goalbook) as part of the project name in my task list. This allows me to quickly flip to the appropriate page and it’s a little nudge that reminds me to look in the notebook and not try to remember everything without recording it somewhere.
The magic is that I trust that this system will work for me. With regular review I don’t worry that any part of the chain is out of sync. I believe that you can pick “the best” planner, or notebook, or software application — but unless you actively work with it, it won’t do anything for you.
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Penny Shima Glanz spends her days spinning yarn and code into memorable projects. Small businesses rely on her for smart technology decisions. She creates understated elegance in her hand-knit and crochet designs. She loves muddy trail runs, fosters kittens, and lives in Westchester, NY with her husband and two resident cats. www.pennyshima.com
