Planners

[iris lilies]

A financial guy sent to us a paper planner for an Xmas gift.

I haven't used a paper planner for a dozen years. I will cop to using a large wall calendar for events that DH needs to know about that I book, but those are few.

I use a digital calendar to write appts, "to do" lists and events on.

I don't know if I should be insulted because he thinks we are old and therefore paper based. ?? actually, DH IS paper based because he wants financial reports in paper. Maybe that's where our financial guy got this idea.

anyway. How many of you use paper planners? Ive been kind of surprised to see that designing these is a regular little industry where personal coach gurus stamp themselves all over a planner and sell it as part of their package. I had assumed younger people use digital calendars and planners.

[rodeosweetheart]

I use only paper planners and rotate among different types depending on what I am trying to accomplish. I love the medium size but alas my eyes are giving out so I have gone last week to the 8 1/2 by 11 paper and am finding it a good fit for my home based lifestyle.

When I had three kids at home with lots of schedules, I used a vertical day timer that was wonderful. But now I keep a lot of financial notes in there so I use a two page a day Franklin Covey refill.

I have a leather looseleaf notebook and it makes me happy to hold it, use it, and look at it. I'm a very tactile person, a kinesthetic and visual learner, and I hate the way digital planners look. They irritate me, and always have since my first Palm Pilot.

[Chicken lady]

Very paper based. Have never found a panner I really like, so am constantly printing out "improved" pages or drawing lines in notebooks.

[JaneV2.0]

I don't use any kind of planner, but I use a small pocket datebook calendar to keep track of bills. I like the idea of digital planners, but that's as far as it ever gets.

[freshstart]

I did solely paper because I could not sync to my work calendar to my private and I did not want work seeing my private calendar if I used theirs. Fine until a few months ago when I realized this really is not working for this household. Everyone has so many appts and only one person can drive. So I had to copy my needs into an email, wait for them to email their stuff and things started slipping through the cracks because no one was updating changes. So I started using the calendar app in Apple products, we all have Apple stuff. I showed them how easy it is to share a calendar and to enter things on it. That was a few months ago. I'm going all digital with or without them as of 1/1. I have to keep track of every appt, every test I have per the SSDI lawyer, make sure I get copies of it all, keep track of healthcare expenditures, etc. so digital is the way to go in this case. But I will miss being able to flip to that page where I know I wrote a note I'd need. But I just have to get better at using Notes.

[Tammy]

It's all on my iPhone

[freshstart]

It's all on my iPhone

do you share it with other family members and if so, does it work well that way?

[Reyes]

We have a paper calendar on the fridge. Not much on it:-)

[Williamsmith]

Paper calendar, paper financial budget book, paper notebook.....paper paper paper. And a shredder.

[ToomuchStuff]

Does it have his name on it?
Doubtful he was insulting you, but trying to choose the most useful, or all the cra*** advertising that they have to choose between.

[catherine]

I have it all.. I was using Wunderlist digitally but I wasn't keeping up with it--and I find that projects on my computer tend to be more out of mind. So last summer I was in a bookstore and saw a cute little Moleskine weekly notebook and I started using that and it works quite well.

But just last week I was listening to my daily "life optimizer" Brian Johnson and he mentioned OmniFocus, so I'm in the middle of a trial period for that. It's like Evernote in that there's a real ramp up in the learning curve, which I usually don't have much patience for, but there are many things about OmniFocus I like so far. So we'll see. I have 10 more days to decide if I want to buy it. So far so good. I really like the fact that there's a keyboard shortcut that enables really fast capture of things that pop into your mind that you have/want to do.

On my really hectic days/weeks, I write out all the critical tasks and schedules on my white erase board. Putting key tasks on the wall in big bright letters makes me feel more confident that I won't forget them.

IL, I wouldn't feel insulted that you got a paper planner because you're "old"--I think a lot of people still use them. In fact, coincidentally when I went up to see my DIL last September, I found that she is using the exact same paper planner that I do--and she works in tech!

[lessisbest]

I use a 5x7" desk planner calendar (one week at a glance) to track appointments, use as a diary to note things that happened, and track the grocery budget. It's in my top knee-hole desk drawer for easy reference/use. I have an envelope system I use for bill paying, which I've used since we got married in 1971. I keep past planners/calendars filed away. I've found you occasionally need to go back a few years to find out when you did something, so I always file them.

[Tammy]

I don't share it. Kids are grown. Husband has his own stuff on his phone.

[iris lilies]

Does it have his name on it?
Doubtful he was insulting you, but trying to choose the most useful, or all the cra*** advertising that they have to choose between.

oh I know, I was kidding about being insulted.

I wanted to see how many people here used paper planners. Because I put my "things to do" on my calendar as well as appointments and social engagements, it has many things on it. A typical week has 15 - 20 items on it.

When working I used the Outlook digital calendar there as my main calendar, I didn't have a separate personal one. 95% of items were work related and I didn't care if anyone saw the personal ones since I entered them in a cryptic way anyway.

But freshstart, your situation is complex with several people and their activities to sync. My DH doesn't have a smartphone so I don't have to even contemplate sending data to his phone. Ugh, I wouldn't do that too complicated.

ok, you all have convinced me that enough people use paper planning calendars that
Imwill,donate this one to Goodwill. It's a fairly nice one,big, with one week displaying on two open pages. It's 10" x 8.5."

[Float On]

I'm still a hold out for paper, but I use just a monthly view calendar instead of daily. Though every year I try some sort of daily journaling and this year's winner was a faux Midori set-up. I just like a good excuse to use good paper and wonderful pens. Youtube shows a vast amount of younger people who love paper planners though as one of my favorite tubers "stuff and things" said he decided to check out Midori because most of youtubes were too "scrapbookie (is that even a word?)".

[freshstart]

I have to go google Midori planning

we are not getting far, mostly my dad yelling, "I don't have an Apple Id." "You have to if you have apple stuff." "It's our home address." "Nope, it's not, here is how to find it." "Yup, I did that, I don't have one or it's your mother's maiden name." "Yeah, that's still not it, it's usually an email." On an endless loop as he is not buying into this unless I totally own it so he's not trying at all. I haven't even gotten to my mom yet, at least I know her Apple ID.

So they agree to a family calendar in theory, but their theory is they will continue to email me dates, expect my dates back in return and I will slap all this crap up on a "family" calendar that only I ever look at.

[JaneV2.0]

In their own way, freshstart, your family is helping to keep you alert and on your toes. Keep up the good work as the family organizer! ;)

[freshstart]

that is a much more positive way to look at it, lol, thx!

[TVRodriguez]

I imagine it's just a marketing thing not aimed at you in particular, OP.

As for our stuff, my work calendar from Outlook syncs with my phone calendar, so all work and home stuff goes in it. Our kids are still small so they don't need their own. And my assistant needs to know if I'm busy with home or family stuff so as not to make any client appointments at those times. DH has a Google calendar, which I check and add stuff to if I need him to know about it. Otherwise he doesn't care when the next birthday party for the kids friends happens.

[kib]

I use both and it's a disaster. Frankly I'm considering going back to creating things on the computer and then printing them out and keeping the data manually, because scribbling on paper and then pretending that this info somehow magically makes it onto the "real" digital documents is a fantasy.

[SteveinMN]

Haven't used a paper planner since 1992...

[Williamsmith]

Haven't used a paper planner since 1992...

You should go back to paper.....there have been a lot of technological advancements in paper since then. We now use a mechanical pencil. I know....I'm easing into it.

[Mary B.]

We have a big calendar on the frig. (Why does the autocorrect think i keep my calendar on a frog? That's barbaric!) It's for family things, and includes times I'll be away for work. We also use it for if we are paying someone to help us do something -- hours go on the calendar or they did not happen.

I keep my date-specific plans on the calendar associated with my email, and daily priorities on a blackboard over my desk. I know it's primitive but I love crossing things off!

I track goals and such with a spreadsheet.

I'd like to use a more sophisticated online system. I've tried various to-do lists like Remember the Milk, but they didn't really do it for me. Planning a bit of investigation between now and 2016. Maybe I'll start a new thread to ask for recommendations.

[mschrisgo2]

I used a paper planner for many years, 6x9 leather zip-up, and I loved it. Calendar in the front, sections for each project in the back half. Then as job responsibilities and outside commitments shifted and I got a smart phone, I started keeping my calendar on my phone.

I still use a paper "lesson planner" at school, and keep school related meetings and deadlines noted in there. I have a divided spiral notebook where I keep notes and "next steps" for my volunteer commitments. If something is going to require much time at all, I calendar that time on my phone. This is a good reality check, because if there's no time available on my calendar, I can't commit to doing it.

Been doing this for 3 years now, seems to be working well. What I do miss is the journaling section of my old paper planner, where I used to check in with myself when I had a few extra minutes here and there. Now I end up browsing on the phone.

[JaneV2.0]

One of my simple living goals has always been not to need a planner...:~)

[ljevtich]

i use a planner now. Did not used to for a long time, but the Apple Calendar is NOTHING like the MS Outlook, which I loved. It was so easy to use. But I used to use a Franklin Covey system a long time ago, and now use Erin Condren and a A5 planner. I am a sucker for stickers, and have learned how to make my own. Is it simple living, no, but I need a creative outlet and this seems to be it. For me...

[iris lilies]

Well, here we all are a year later.

Sometime last year I started using my IPad's calendar in a simple way, just noting appointments and obligations on it. Then I got crazy busy with flower show obligations and I typed up all of those in a Word document, and that's where I note ideas, inspiration, special instructions for each event.

DH has a smallish hanging paper calendar where he puts his few appointments.

I'm not in love with this system, but it will do.

Laura, you are a star for loving MS Outlook, I hated it.

[Reyes]

For personal use I have a paper calendar on the fridge. For work I use Outlook as it seems anyone and everyone needs to have access to my calendar:-)

[Tammy]

I've switched to the fantastical app. Best thing I've ever used.

[catherine]

So, I tried OmniFocus, but it's really overkill in a way. Then I went back to Wunderlist and bottom line, I think I'm better off with "low-tech, high-touch" systems. Once I capture something digitally, it seems to go "out of sight, out of mind." The one digital thing I like and use frequently are the voice commands to Siri to remind me to do such-and-such, like buying a grocery item, or remembering to send someone something.. little things you're afraid you're going to forget.

I also use Outlook for work appointments and trips--most of my clients are Outlook-based.

BUT, I did read here (I did a search and found it was herbgeek) about the bullet journal, which intrigued me. I got around to actually giving it a trial with an old notebook I had lying around, and I really like it. So for the time being, I'm back on paper using the bullet journal system. (Thanks, herbgeek!)

And I use my dry erase board for daily to-do's--especially on crazy days.

Oh, and I also use Evernote to save web clips and random notes/inspiration.

[cindycindy]

Paper calendar, paper financial budget book, paper notebook.....paper paper paper. And a shredder.

This is exactly what I use (except substitute wood stove for shredder).

[Mary B.]

I switched to a bullet journal last year and I still love it. I bought a nice hardcover notebook (8.5x11) that lies flat and has a ribbon bookmark included for about $20 to get started, and a second in November when the first was full.

I was was a bit careless with the table of contents, so I need to work on that for max efficiency. I was not always as good at looking at dates as I should have been, so I am working on that. I am definitely continuing, though. I love my book from 2016, which includes everything from meeting notes and project plans from work to knitting patterns, shopping lists and me record of tasks as my brother's executor.

I still ill use an electronic planner at work for meetings (outlook) but that is just for other people's convenience and group scheduling.

For me the bullet journal works as a real planner-- something I use to make plans -- rather than just a scheduler.

[Mrs. Hermit]

I agree about the bullet journal being a real planner. Because I move between 4 offices, not all of which have computer access, I need a paper planner for my plans that I can carry with me. Because I interface with 3 different divisions, I need a computer calendar too, but that doesn't work for me as a planning tool. It is just the best way to keep everyone apprised of what is happening where.

My research that I do at home is also both paper and digital. I use gcal for my calendars, and evernote for project planning and research tracking. But I also brainstorm on paper. Writing seems to unlock different ways of thinking than working on a computer does.

[razz]

Writing seems to unlock different ways of thinking than working on a computer does. Mrs. Hermit, I find this so true. I write in the morning whatever comes into my head and amazed at what this unlocks in my thinking. As cursive writing is deleted from education programs "because we can do everything so faster on an electronic keyboard", I wonder how much innovative thought will be missed.

Re planning - I have to improve, a lot. i use a calendar in my kitchen and usually check it daily but it doesn't remind me in time to schedule a dog walker or train ticket. I am now entering info on my iPhone with the hope that planning will be better. We'll see.

[Simplemind]

Very interesting reaction. I would have never thought to look at it that way. I'm paper all the way. I also own a smart phone but use it rarely because I find most people's fetish for having them and constantly checking them to be a huge pet peeve, like the guy who walked in front of my car in the parking lot yesterday while texting. I enjoy the act of writing, it also helps me remember better than typing. I can also doodle or clip something else in. I keep them after the year is over and go back and look at them. I hate reading off my phone.