The Pros and Cons of a Digital Planner vs a Physical Planner

There are two types of planners to select from to keep yourself organized, digital planners and physical planners. The question is ... which planner user are you?

I am a planner lover at heart. I can remember my first planner, I was in middle school when I found one at the local grocery store. I begged my mom to get it. She figured I wouldn't know how to really use it. Much to her surprise I really used that planner to manage so much of my little life then. Between homework assignments, after-school track practices, and hangouts with my friends, I had a lot to manage. And this was before digital planners even existed.

As I grew up and eventually started college I was still using planners to manage my life. I had a box with my collection of annual planners for about ... 12 years of life. It wasn't until I got married and started a new job that I started to use my first digital planner. And I loved that also. I did miss adding new planners to my collection box but I was still managing my life as needed.

Choosing a planner style is a very personal decision that depends on many factors. Some people may prefer the flexibility of a digital planner while others may find more value in a physical planner. My goal today is to go through some of the pros and cons of each to help you decide which is right for your lifestyle.

What are Digital Planners and how can you use them?

A digital planner is an application or software you can use to manage your daily, weekly, monthly, and even annual tasks and reminders. Depending on the platform you choose, you may have access to futures such as creating recurring tasks, assigning priority, or even dividing a larger task into subtasks over time. Many applications even allow you to collaborate with others to get tasks completed.

Many task management apps and to-do lists can be used as a digital planner that you can access on your computer or mobile device. However, there are even more sophisticated digital planners today that work with tablets that provide a nice balance between the physical planner and the digital space. Although it looks like what you would see when buying a physical planner, these new digital planners are accessible on tablets where you can write in the details you want and it is saved and accessible anywhere.

What are Physical Planners and how can you use them?

Physical planners on the hand for those that really enjoy the feel of a planner in their hands and the thrill of writing down tasks and items and checking them off each day. They are often used by people who need to organize their lives and schedule events but don't want to dig through multiple to-do lists and calendar links to see all the items. They can be very useful for people with busy schedules with multiple angles and need to have only one place to check all that is going on.

Some people use them to plan their daily activities, while others use them to plan their weeks or months in advance. But one thing I do and that I have seen others do as well is also use it as a place to store memorabilia. For instance, when I was in high school, I had this thing about saving the ticket stubs whenever I went to the movies or a concert with friends. I would write on the back of the stub the names of the people that I was with to better remember the event. It's a little sentimental but looking back at them later on always brought a smile to my face.

Pro’s & Con’s of using a Digital Planner

Okay now, let's get to some of the pros and cons of each planner. First, let's talk about the digital planner.

A digital planner is software that helps in scheduling and organizing the workload.

Digital planners are helpful for freelancers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. They can be used to plan their day-to-day tasks, manage projects, and get updates on their progress.

There are many benefits of using a digital planner like it helps in managing projects, time management, productivity tracking etc. But there are also some drawbacks like it can take time to learn how to use them and there is always the risk of forgetting important details because they depend on your memory.

Nowadays, many people prefer the digital version of planners and calendars to physical ones. With a digital planner, you can easily access and edit your schedule from any device. You can set reminders and alerts for your various tasks and events, and you can sync with all your other apps easily.

Pro’s of Con’s using a Physical Planner

There are also a few pros and cons of using a physical planner. Physical planners are a great way to stay organized and on track. They can be used to store notes, lists, goals, and ideas. They are also great for making sure that you don't forget any important tasks or events.

Physical planners have some cons too though. They can be difficult to update if you change your schedule or travel plans. And they can take up a lot of space in your bag when you're on the go.

The pros of using physical planners outweigh the cons though in my opinion. It's just about finding the right planner for you!

Conclusion

Today though I have found a happy balance between the digital and physical world. Between running my business, raising my children, managing my home, and any volunteer activities I am working on, I have a lot to coordinate and plan for each day. To handle all of this, my digital planner is my best friend. However, when it comes to mapping out my top priorities for the day, walking around with my physical SPICER Planner keeps me focused and engaged in the most important things. This habit has made improvements in my life, including a more balanced lifestyle and a decrease in stress levels.

I would love to hear from you, about which method you would prefer. What makes it your go-to planner method. If you don't use either and rely on memory to keep your life in order, how does that work out for you and why don't planners mesh with your style? Are they too restricting? Or maybe having to remember to write everything down is just one more thing to have to do. Totally understand.