Why is a Paper Planner better than a Digital one?
I have a few indispensable things that I need everyday to be the best me, and keep life running as smoothly as possible.
Coffee. Water. A hot shower. And my planner. A solid, beautiful, physical paper planner.
I love the digital medium - I use Trello for planning my marketing, and Google Calendar for keeping track of appointments, family and work wise.
But when it comes to planning, mapping out my week, organising my thoughts, and checking in with my goals, nothing comes close to my planner.
Why is paper planning so powerful?
Firstly we often underestimate the pure power of writing things down. Research shows that writing things by hand helps you retain information better (remember all those notes you did for your exams?). It also helps you order and prioritize your thoughts, as your brain will start to sift through the tasks, and the process of working out how and when you will do them. Writing is like an active meditation, a semi state of mindfulness.
Secondly, a paper planner is distraction free. Goodbye email notifications, pings, slack threads, tweets,too many open tabs. A paper planner allows you to create a quiet space for yourself, where it is just you and your planner, to formulate your own thoughts, and jot down the structure of the day before it gets hijacked by all the digital demands on our time. Digital fatigue is a real thing. Nearly 70% of adults report issues with digital eye strain. It is so much better for your physical and mental health to have some time away from the screen, and a return to the simplicity of pen and paper.
Another reason I love encouraging my clients to use a paper planner is that the finite space will help you get realistic about what you can achieve,and schedule your time more effectively. No more cramming more and more things into your digital day.
A paper planner is a sensory experience. It is very hard for even the most aesthetic Notion page to match the joy that comes from cracking open a new notebook or planner. The best planners (like my own) are thoughtfully designed, and contain well chosen inspiring quotes, clean designs and colours chosen to make the pages and cover pop. We all know the joy of being able to tick off your goals, or cross things off your to do list - (hands up who has written something they have already done on their to do list just so they can cross it off again?!)
A paper planner will become your best friend, your confidant, your cheerleader, your second brain.
So my message to you is that a planner is a vital part of your wellbeing toolkit, for you to lead a happier and more fulfilled life. Why not give it a go and let me know how you get on?
