5 days 'til launch: Paper or Digital

It’s Ali here. If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook you already know me from chat's we've had in the comments and DMs.

Based on your experience of the last few months of pandemic-tide, you're probably as aware as ever that your physical environment is profoundly impactful on your ability to listen and actually hear. In the same way, our physical interactions with the tools we use every day impact our planning and reflection.

We hope our tools encourage full presence with God, recognizing that this full presence looks different for everyone. Some of us might need paper and pen to feel connected instead of distracted. Others prefer the accessibility of digital tools to seize some moments of planning or reflection in as opportunities appear. I personally prefer a blend of both, as certain things lend themselves more readily to one or the other.

I’ve been a paper planner person since high school.  It works with my brain instead of against it. So, for my daily priorities and tasks, I remain faithful to the old fashioned pen and paper. Yet I love a good Google Doc collaboration and shared online calendar.

Studies conducted by Princeton, UCLA, York, and McMaster, and West Point all point to the incredible benefits to writing certain things down, including: 

• Improved recall and memory 

• Better focus and less distraction 

• Easier processing of critical information

• Increased likelihood of totally completing a task

I am SO grateful for the many ways that technology has created space for collaboration; both personally and professionally. There’s nothing like going into our family’s calendar and making sure that everyone knows where they need to be and go that weekend, and there’s no greater blessing than being able to talk to my mom on FaceTime every night after dinner during pandemic-tide. 

I do recognize though, that there is merit to physically writing down & reflecting on my daily tasks, weekly priorities, and yearly rhythms. As you discern whether paper or digital planning and reflection are right for you, you can give them both a try! We have one-month planner samples available in our shop for $4; it’s a digital download, so you can print AND use digitally to your heart’s content. 

Some questions to consider as you determine whether you’re a paper or digital kind of kindred...

• What kinds of planning do you do on a regular basis that needs to be shared with others?

• What kinds of planning do you do on a regular basis that is for your eyes only?

• Can you tell a difference between how you feel with a pen in your hand, a keyboard at your fingertips, or a screen before your eyes?

• Do you prefer scrolling or flipping pages?

Grace + Peace,