It
is amazing how fast my daily planner has filled up this year. As soon as I
purchased the paper planner at the beginning of the year, I quickly started filling
in the events and appointments that I had on hand at the time. This included
work, lodge, personal and other reminders of what each day had in store for me.
It has also served me well in scheduling different topics for the blog and had
come in handing on a number of occasions both as a means to remind me of what I
am writing about but, more importantly, of where I can move some topics when
another blog needs to be written right away.
While
some, many in fact, will see my bound paper planner as an antiquated form of
organization, it still remains the most efficient form for me. Not only do I
seem to do better when I am able to write things down, cross items off, and
budget my time accordingly, it also forces me to slow down and remember what I
am putting into my schedule. This is especially true for work engagements as it
is too easy to simply accept a calendar invite. By pulling out my planner and
recording the meeting, I tend to recall the commitment days earlier rather than
fifteen minutes prior.
Of
course, the most important part for me is the simplicity of this paper based
system. I still enjoy writing many things by hand and editing documents by hand
and having this out has allowed me to maintain my tactile focus without the
constant windows and websites loading in the background just beyond the word
document. It also eliminates the digital clutter that can become commonplace in
an industry that relies so heavily on the digital world. Even when crossing off
multiple items and shifting appointments around, the physical paper still seems
cleaner than the digital jumble.
Another
benefit of this ‘old school’ system has been the fact that I am able to
schedule anything I need to without having to consult my computer or smart
phone. It is a system that still transcends generations and given the frequent
communication I have with many older generations, this can be a huge asset. Lastly,
there is a sense of permanence and obligation when you write down a meeting in
front of someone. The digital divide is still alive and well so appointments
change regularly when simply typed into a computer or phone. Write down an appointment
in front of someone and they tend to honor that arrangement more regularly.
In
the end, I guess I am one of the few remaining that still prefers the physical
planner over the digital calendar. In a sense, there is something a little out
of touch about this method and I am okay with that. I don’t mind being ‘behind
the times’ as it pertains to how I go about my day. There is a calmness to
nostalgia and the simpler way of doing things that seems to be lost in most
technology. All of these things are designed to make our lives easier but is
that really what they are doing? For me, the pendulum swings both ways and
sometimes it is nice to swing into the past.
