To Tech or Not to Tech?

rawpixel via Pixabay

The grocery store offers paper or plastic -- or, perhaps, reusable. When it comes to planners, the choice is paper or electronic -- or, perhaps, both.

Yesterday, I shared my hybrid planner plan.  If you started out the year embracing technology, but now find yourself eyeing old-school half-price planners, maybe you're a hybrid planner person, too. Here are three questions to ask yourself.

Do I need to write things down in order to remember them? Often, the very act of writing something down helps us commit it to memory. If you worry (or if experience has shown) that once you type it into your phone, it's forgotten, you might be better off with a paper calendar.

Store sign at 'Round the Clock Diner
York, PA

Do I need 24-7 access? This one is purely a matter of  personal preference. Although most of us take our phones everywhere we go out of sheer habit, it's just as easy to develop the habit of carrying a paper planner. The key here is making sure that your planner of choice has a consistent home as you travel from place to place. Whether you consistently stash that planner in a purse or a back pocket, "consistently" is the key. If you're just as likely to leave it on the kitchen counter as you are to take it with you, maybe stick with the phone. Or a master calendar in your kitchen or office. Just make sure that dates you note when you're out and about make it onto/into which ever option you choose.

Do I need reminders and other bells and whistles? No matter how much you love that beautiful paper calendar you so lovingly chose, it's not going to send you notifications. If you need reminders for all of the dates in your planner, you might want to go electronic. Personally, I find these notifications annoying and intrusive...which is why I lean more toward paper and pencil.

One final consideration: no planner is foolproof. Phones and electronic devices need charging and both electronic planners and paper planners can get lost in the shuffle. In addition, every planner is subject to human error. If we enter an appointment incorrectly (or not at all), having a planner is little help.

So, what'll it be? Full tech? Old school? Or maybe a little of both?