Paper versus Electronic Planner

Planning excites me. Being organized brings me peace. I love a schedule with a schedule. The more details the better. I love to pre-plan. I enjoy having a plan A, B and more likely a C if there’s time. And I love my planner! Going on vacation with me is sure to be a well thought out, planned adventure.

Spontaneity gives me anxiety. I’m very indecisive. I can’t have too many choices in front of me. My brain is in constant overdrive and paper and pencil calms me. It’s my jam. I love to journal and read…real books! Hardcovers are the best. I love the smell of the pages, the feel of the paper between my fingers, the folds of the top corners to show my reading journey. I can get lost in a Barnes & Noble (are those still around?). Books take me to another world. I can write an entire blog about my love for books.

I own a Kindle and a Fire tablet (yes I’m #teamAmazon). I have books on these devices but those books I don’t want a personal, intimate relationship with. These are books I read just because I have free time or I know it will be a short read. Now don’t get me wrong, I have some great books on my Kindle that I absolutely adore but they’re not the books that I will sip wine and cuddle with. These aren’t the books that I need to break out my journal and highlighter (yes I love to highlight) and take notes. These are not my vacation/long road trip books. I need the real deal for that.

I believe my love for books is why I am a planner chick. I get excited when it’s time to purchase a new one. It’s a big deal in my book. That planner holds my life! Literally. My entire life is between the covers. And don’t get me started on a planner with stickers, now that’s how I have a good time. I love to see everything laid out in front of me, color-coded by child or activity. Highlighters (yes, again), colored pens, and pencils…I can go crazy.

My husband got me an iPhone (still on the fence about my loyalty; previously a die hard Android fan) and I’m trying to convert to the electronic calendar. It has its perks. I love how I can have my own personal calendar and then a shared calendar with my husband so we can keep track of family activities. I do like the shared notes app. I love the reminders when an appointment is coming up and I can adjust the alerts. BUT…it’s hard to let that paper planner go. So right now I’m doing both. It’s working for me so far. I can put the appointment in my phone and if I need to go into specific details I add that to my planner. Yes I know I can add detailed information in the phone, but people IT IS NOT THE SAME.