We live at a time unlike any other in human history. Here in the digital age, we have a robust supply of electronic and digital tools to help us improve productivity, increase efficiency, and be more intentional in everything we do. And yet, digital technologies are not always the right choice. Sometimes, analog is better. This is why high-performance planners are still printed on paper.
We get the fact that a lot of people prefer digital daily planners. We are okay with that. Really. Our view is that any type of high-performance planner should be offered in a variety of formats to suit as many preferences as possible. A daily planner should work well for whoever uses it. It shouldn't force the user to adapt to the creator's way of doing things.
Let us look at time management to illustrate the point. There are plenty of us in the digital world who still prefer paper. There are some of us who find time management easier when we write things down in a daily planner or journal.
Digital Overload Is Real
As much as we appreciate digital technologies, we think it's important to acknowledge that modern society often suffers from digital overload. Just take a look around. Make a point of noticing how many people are glued to their phones. They can never put them down. They cannot stop looking at the screens.
One of the unfortunate results of so much screen time is reduced attention span. That reduced attention span is the root of a lot of time management problems. People struggle to manage their time because they are only able to think in the moment.
Digital overload is real. It can be so pervasive in a person's life that basic time management is fleeting. It is not that people don't want to manage their time, it's just that they are so distracted they forget to do so. But a paper journal or planner is a workable solution for some people.
Writing Down and Remembering
There are exceptions to every rule, but many people find it easier to remember things if they write them down. Science isn't exactly clear about why this is. However, it could be that writing things down creates a connection in the brain, a connection that links the skills necessary to write with one's ability to remember.
Even if a person doesn't remember every detail of what was written down, it is easier to remember the actual act of writing. Remembering that act is a reminder to pull out the daily planner to check it. The planner acts as a tangible link between a person's written plans and what's actually happening at that moment in time.
A Daily Planner Is Visual
It could be that some people find time management easier on paper because a planner is visual. They are able to actually see all their meetings, errands, etc. laid out in front of them on a piece of paper. That makes every task tangible. In the digital realm, all those things are represented as text on a screen. They are not tangible in the same way. Therefore, the visual isn't the same either.
We are the first to admit that people succeed with time management in different ways. Some people can do it all in their heads with no problem. Others thrive with digital time management tools and mobile apps. But when a person is better able to manage their time using paper, a high-performance daily planner becomes a valuable prize. It becomes the key to time management success.