You don't always have to go digital

Even people with complex lives can plan on paper

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that you don't always have to go digital.
Many complex lives and schedules can in fact be managed

(00:24):
on paper. If you prefer paper, then just stick with
that unless you absolutely have to switch. Today's episode was
inspired by a conversation I had recently with my Best
of Both World's co host Sarah hart Unger. She and
I both have pretty busy lives, jobs, families, extensive hobbies.

(00:49):
We also both use paper calendars and paper planners. She
works part time as a physician, and obviously her hospital
has a digital system for putting in patient appointments, but
outside the hours of eight to five Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
Sarah schedules her life on paper. My calendar for my

(01:10):
five children's activities and such happens on paper too. I
mean partly this is because I really dislike electronic calendars.
A major upside of self employment is that no one
can make me use them. But I also really like
seeing things written out without having to scroll around on
a screen. With my planners and to do lists, I

(01:33):
like the physical act of crossing things off. It makes
it feel real that I've accomplished something. I know that
many organizations require people to use electronic calendars for work,
which then nudges people to use them for the rest
of life, as we don't actually have two separate lives.

(01:54):
Your nine am Dennist appointment affects your work. If your
spouse is going to be gone for three days during
a busy time at your job, you're going to want
to know that as you are planning things out. But
some of the alleged benefits, like it's so easy to
reschedule things, don't strike me as real benefits. People might

(02:16):
be a little more mindful of scheduling things if they'd
have to cross them out and rewrite them. People note
that they have so many meetings that they wouldn't fit
on a paper calendar, Well, maybe we should all have
fewer meetings. It's an idea that said, even if you
do use an electronic calendar for actual meeting appointments at work,

(02:38):
if these aren't too frequent, like maybe two or three
a day, you can just take a glance at that
and note these things in your paper calendar and use
paper for the rest. Even if you do use an
electronic calendar, I would suggest making your weekly priority list
on paper somewhere. This will require you to take some

(02:58):
time where you step away from your inbox and your
screens and really think about what is important. Writing each
priority down will also be an act of commitment. You
are pledging to do it because you bothered to write it.
It's kind of like your signature that way. Using paper
means that your priority list can sit there, separate from

(03:19):
your screens and serving as a north star through the week.
Whatever you are working on. You don't have to scroll
out of your inbox or your current project to check it.
It is just there in a planner next to you.
This makes it easier to keep in front of your mind.
There are a great many benefits to digital systems. That

(03:41):
is true, sometimes we need things that are more portable.
But if you find you prefer paper, know that even
complex lives often can be handled at least partly on paper.
There is no reason to go digital just to go digital.
And hey, there are a lot of beautiful planners out there.

(04:02):
Being a paper person provides an excuse to try them out.
In the meantime. This is Laura, Thanks for listening. And
here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for

(04:22):
listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,
you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts
from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

(04:46):
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.