Despite the rise of organization, schedule and calendar apps, sales of printed appointment books and planners grew to $342.7 million in recent years. [1] In a time when digital devices can do mostly anything, phones and tablets may not be the best planning tools. Here are ten reasons fitting your schedule neatly into a paper planner may be better than relying on tech.

1. Speed
   • It’s faster and easier to open a planner to today’s date than it is to take out a device, enter a passcode, find the app, launch, etc. Paper planners are designed to do one thing – organize your schedule – and they do that well!

 

 

2. One-Stop-Shop
   • If you’re using your phone, the calendar app won’t do everything. There might be a separate app for notes, to-do lists and schedules and they don’t always integrate. With a paper planner everything is collected in one place eliminating the need for switching from app to app.
3. Customization
   • The flexibility of a paper planner allows for customization that is personal and creates a planning system that is adapted to work best for the individual. Apps are limited to the installed program features and are most likely not created by planning professionals. [2]

 

 

4. Memory
   • Writing things down commits them to memory and helps recall. [3] The ability to mentally envision your schedule and tasks will help keep them top-of-mind.
5. The Big Picture
   • Many digital planners require swiping, zooming and scrolling to get the best view and full details on appointments or lists. Open a paper planner and there is a complete view of the week or month with tasks, priorities and schedules.

 

6. Less Distractions
   • Devices are full of distractions from social media to text and emails. Checking in with a planning app to see what’s next on the to-do list can end in distraction from what needs to be done. A paper planner doesn’t disrupt your focus with hilarious memes or news alerts.
7. Reliability
   • With a paper planner you don’t have to worry about a dead battery, apps that crash or need updated or low service signal. There is also no chance of a paper planner malfunctioning and deleting schedules and to-do lists. A paper planner is always available.

 

8. Planning Pretty
   • The practice of decorating paper planners has exploded in recent years, just search #planneraddicton Instagram for the beautiful proof. Decorating paper planners with unique style makes getting organized more fun. Just start with a basic planner, your favorite pens and a little creativity.
9. Achieving Goals
   • Choosing a paper planner with space for tracking goals keeps them visible and allows for easier prioritization of tasks. Digital options don’t usually allow enough room on the screen for tasks, priorities and goals – without swiping.

 

10. Healthy Balance
    • Paper planners are one way to go back to basics and help create balance in a digitally-saturated world. A digital calendar is just one more daily tool that requires more screen time, which can be bad for the brain.
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