Advantages of Physical Planners for Young Professionals

Thursday, October 20, 2022

The current crop of young professionals is a generation raised in an online world. They survive on a constant digital diet of information, events, and conversations served up on websites, social media platforms, and streaming services. This wealth of online content has seemingly caused the likes of pocket planners to be launched into obsolescence marked by a trend in reducing our consumption of paper products.  

But as we often find out, what may be considered out of step with the latest in digital tools and resources, many people prefer to maintain their daily, weekly, and monthly paper planners as the most effective way to keep schedules and reduce the risk of missing an important meeting or event.  

The Visual Power of a Paper Planner 

It might seem amusing to think that selecting a paper planner over its digital counterparts is the professional equivalent of using an abacus over an electronic calculator, but they can be much more effective than using fleeting bits of online data to track our days. 

Most of us are visual learners. We need, maybe without even thinking about its specific effects, to have a tangible, visual component for that piece of information to be anchored in our brains. We might hear our manager say the next meeting is on October 31, but if we take the time to physically write down the date in our monthly planner, then we are also reminded it is Halloween, and then the meeting date is reinforced.  

We do not always need a spooky holiday to ensure we remember information. The physical act of holding a pen or pencil and writing down something that is important, then we are more likely to remember each item. And as we glance at our planners throughout days, weeks, and months the physical calendar that we can see and touch has more power to remain at the top of our minds, rather than fleeting bits of information that can be quickly lost while scrolling.  

Paper Time Over Screen Time 

Let’s face it. Our eyes can become really tired after spending hours looking at screens on our desk computers, laptops, phones, and television. The constant assault of light, color, and graphics on our eyes can be exhausting. Using a daily or weekly planner can give our eyes and our brains a rest from so many hours exposed to such glaring, artificial light.  

Maintaining a paper component like a daily planner to keep our busy lives organized and on track can allow our eyes to rest but without the fear of losing any important information. And while our eyes get a reprieve from looking at screens, we can give our sometimes-over-whelmed minds a rest too. Paper planners allow us to slow down and absorb information in a productive manner, rather than one that seems to move at the speed of light. 

A Different Kind of Convenience 

We have been programmed- pun very much intended- to think of the digital age as one of great convenience, and there is not much of an argument to convince most people otherwise. But sometimes even the savviest of tech-minded professionals get caught in the inconvenient trappings of being almost permanently connected to our devices.  

Even those of us who are extremely skilled in navigating the digital world sometimes fall victim to that great equalizer- electricity. Our laptops suddenly die, and our smartphones run out of battery power. And our computer and phone chargers are nowhere to be found. Sometimes there is an easy resolution, but in the event of a power outage, even those charging cables will not be of much use. Take a hard look at your paper planner. No wires, no cables, no USB ports. It conveniently fits in your pocket or purse and never needs charging. But you do have to remember your pen.  

Saving the Environment  

Many of us have adjusted and adapted to incorporate environmentally friendly products into our daily routines. It may seem that adding more paper, that is a paper daily, weekly, or monthly planner, into our professional lives is counterintuitive to maintaining an eco-friendly workplace.  

Sometimes these adjustments have to be looked at from a lens of balance and making informed choices. Using a paper planner does not contribute to significant waste attributed to paper products. And when choosing eco-friendly paper planners made with recycled paper and soy inks, then you are making a statement that this type of product is important in your workplace culture.    

It is always effective to evaluate the tools and resources you use to stay organized and productive in your professional world. The best methods to choose are the ones that work most efficiently for you. You may feel completely tethered to all your online tools and that is fine if it works.  

But consider incorporating a paper pocket planner into your organizational routine. You will have covered your bases in the digital world as well as the one where many of us think that paper still rules. Admit it- there is nothing like a great pen writing across quality paper.  

Look for your eco-friendly pocket planner and other paper daily, weekly, and monthly planners today. They aren’t old-fashioned. They remind us of the future.