From paper planners to online calendars or bullet journals, everyone has their own organization method nowadays. Some of us simply just have their planners set out by our companies. And that is ok. But why should you keep a paper planner? How to use it? And is it worth it in the long run to waste the paper?
You might be an avid defender of not wasting paper, and that is ok, we should avoid any type of waste and be environmentally friendly for sure, but there are actually health benefits and science-backed reasons why we should use a paper planner instead of digital ones. Whether you’re a business person, a stay-at-home parent or an office regular, you must have a system to organize and prioritize your tasks, even if your system is half a dozen post-its on your desk or a Google calendar, it is essential to plan to get things done.
With the amount of time spent on digital screens we have lost the habit of note taking, journaling or planning on paper. Do you even remember the last time you wrote down more than 2 sentences by hand? Our phone seems to be an extension of our bodies and we never leave the house without them anymore, so it only makes sense that our note taking has also been transferred to that digital device.
However, there are many downsides to digital agendas, especially because they increase the amount of time we spend looking at screens. TVs, phones, tablets and computers are undoubtedly an essential part of life – True! But over time, it starts weighing on our eyesight, we eventually lose focus and find ourselves lost behind those blue screens. A paper planner can help you stay on top of things, having a little moment for yourself and giving you that needed time away from scrolling and typing.
So, here is some science behind the actual benefits of using a paper planner:
1. Reduced stress
There are studies that show the link between writing things down by hand and mindfulness, and many others that show too much screen time negatively impacts your brain. In stress therapy, it is often advised to keep a journal exactly because of the activity’s healing properties. Like an active meditation, writing helps you sort out whatever mess of thoughts you have in your mind, into words. And exactly because of the effort it takes, you get to become more selective with words. That makes you better at defining your feelings, attitudes, and goals. As you register them, it’s easier to deal with them appropriately, be more concise and to the point. Having various conflicting tasks and priorities can be super overwhelming and very stressful to manage. Using a paper planner will enable you to keep everything in one place, making all your activities much easier to view, monitor and manage effectively.
2. You’re less distracted
When asked about the pros of digital planners, many people highlight the notifications and reminders. With the phone by our side all the time it’s easier to rely on the notifications to remind you to drink water or plan your finances for the month. But, in reality, how many notifications do you get per day and how many of them do you simply swipe away? Our days are filled with reminders, pop ups, notifications and buzzes, and they’re so many throughout the day that we’ve learned to simply ignore the avalanche, because they’re annoying and distracting as it is. Additionally, how many times have you been carried away by a simple push notification and ended up browsing through your Facebook page or got lost watching TikTok videos… for hours?
Taking a minute to plan your day on paper helps you clear your head from that abundance of information we receive in our mailboxes and feeds. If you really want to improve your focus by reducing screen time, then definitely switch to paper planners for journaling, idea mapping, organizing tasks and events, poetry writing – whatever! You’ll be definitely doing your brain and eyesight a favor in the long run.
3. You remember things better and have more focus
You’ve probably heard your teachers say this before, and it’s true – writing stuff down actually helps you to memorize it, once it’s not only your brain memory at work but also your muscle memory as well. Not only writing by hand makes us formulate our plans and to-do’s better, it stimulates certain brain cells at the base of the brain to increase focus.
The physical action of writing simply triggers this sector, making your brain turn into maximum focus mode. Once you write down a goal, your brain will be working overtime to make you pay attention and remember. There are many studies proving that, and one by Dominican University of California found that people who wrote down their goals, shared them with others, and maintained accountability for their goals were 33% more likely to achieve them, versus those who just formulated goals in their head!
The screen, on the other hand, limits that ability, becoming like a shield that distances us from what we write. Simply put, writing by hand is a much more engaging process for your brain, as you form and connect the letters, whence typing involves arranging letters by pressing keys only. Plus, the muscle memory required to type is a no-brainer, as many people have learned to type without even looking.
Bottomline, there is a strong relationship between our thoughts and the language we use. Therefore, writing your goals down and carefully wording them, helps you retain that goal in your mind, and also because you’ll be looking at them often, once they’re written on a planner you open every day.
4. It’s your healthy habit
It takes on average between 18 to 254 days to form a habit. By using a planner on a daily basis you’ll develop a routine of managing your tasks, tracking your goals and monitoring your progress…which if done consistently over time, will become a great habit to possess! As you’re more inclined to commit to your plans and goals when you write them down, having a planner is also a commitment. We are more likely to cling to physical things, rather than digital, because they are real – we can touch them. In a digital world, separated by an impenetrable screen, your commitment to an app gets lost among all the other stuff on your phone, tablet, or computer. A daily planner, put nicely on your desk is a great reminder to use it.
5. You’ll have a sense of accomplishment
The key benefit of using a daily planner surrounds just how satisfying it feels marking all your tasks as complete at the end of each day. Each time you complete an activity you will feel closer to achieving your goals.
Ultimately people who plan are far more successful than people who don’t, regardless of how you define success.
So, we covered the why, now you need to know How to use a planner, and I’ve seen many people fail on the most basic first step – You need to use it. You can’t just leave it on your desk, never opening it and declaring they simply don’t work. For a planner to work you have to write down your appointments and commitments into it, they have to be there for you to see and work them into your routine. You will also have to read what you’ve written on your planner everyday too. So, to summarize it very briefly here are some tips for how to use your planner:
· Open your planner every day but look at it often, not just once a day – you don’t want to double book yourself.
· Write everything down
· Take it wherever you go. Things will happen when you leave the house, and you don’t want to forget to take notes, because your planner is at home.
Your planner can help you get organized, if you use it, allowing you to plan your time and the tasks that you need to do on any given day. But keep in mind it won’t do them for you, you have to work the system for a planner to actually work, if you don’t do what it’s telling you to do, then you are going to miss that sense of accomplishment and not move closer to being organized. You have options even, you can go into detail or have a basic plan, it depends on how you work and what kind of help you need to be more organized. But planners do work and they can be the most amazing tool on your desk or your house!
Comments