It is the digital age. Computers are used in every aspect of our lives. One of the most basic and most common applications is a calendar program. Designed to make our lives more organized, these calendars are cropping up everywhere. Our cell phones have calendars and some of our computers have them built in. There is a wide variety of personal data assistants (PDA’s), smartphones, and “productivity” software such as Microsoft Office. There are even online versions like Google calendar that you can use from any computer connected to the internet. With all of these high tech choices it is easy to forget the old standby - pencil and paper.

Which one is better?

First, let me point out that I am a digital girl. I love using the computer to organize my life.

But technology has it’s limitations. I like being able to have my calendar on the go (easily solved with a PDA) and I like to look at the big picture - basically month views with all the appointments listed for each day (not so easily solved). I have also experienced difficulties with syncing from my computer to my handheld device, which translated to hours on the phone with customer service and more than a few late nights.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. In my post Digital Planner vs. Paper Planner I referred to an article by Julie Bonner at DeclutterIt called Choosing the Right Planner, which outlined some important factors to consider when choosing your planning system. In addition to these factors there are also some more practical aspects to consider.

1. Budget -
   How much do you want to spend on getting organized? A computer software/PDA combination can cost hundreds if not more. Several early iPhone adopters are receiving a shock when they open their first phone bills. A paper planner will generally cost much less.
2. Time -
   It takes time to set up a planning system. With anything technology, there will be glitches. Figuring these out will take time. However, if your schedule is packed, like mine, writing everything down can be tedious. You gotta love those recurring appointments. On the computer you just enter it once and set it up to occur on a regular basis. On a paper calender you will be writing in each swim lesson and ballet class separately.
3. Portability -
   Most people need their calendar on the go. It can be tedious to carry a big notebook around with you everywhere so a little handheld device is quite alluring. On the other hand most handheld devices are short on screen space. When you look at a monthly view all you usually see is a little colored blip that indicates you have an appointment sometime during the day. So if someone asks “what day next week works best for you?”, you will need to scroll through several days and never really be able to see them side by side.
4. Do you have a free hand? -
   What does that mean? Parents are unique in this aspect - they are always carrying someone or something. While I can use a pen with my free hand, it is harder for me to enter an appointment into a handheld device. This forced me to rely on my overcrowded memory. Needless to say, I missed quite a few appointments because of this when my children were little.
5. Do you have access to the computer? -
   Huh? If your calendar is on the only computer in the house and your kids are playing video games or your spouse is immersed in the latest instructional golf clips, you may be out of luck on getting to your data.

So, what type of planner do I use? I guess you could call it the hybrid method. I can’t live without the convenience of technology, so I keep my calendar on my computer using iCal. Generally, I am the only one that uses this computer. But, for the time being, I have given up on handheld devices. I print out monthly views of my calendar, fold these papers and put them in my handbag - voila! portability without bulk. I can see all my appointments for the month on one piece of paper and when a new appointment crops up, I write it on the printout with old fashioned pencil. At the end of the day or week, I input all my handwritten entries into my computer and make a new printout.

For now this method is working for me - I feel that I am more organized than I was previously and these results are what counts. (I do have high hopes for the newly announced iPod Touch though!)

life, organization, planners, calendars, productivity, parenting