On Monday when I discussed how you can simplify the actual practise of Getting Things Done, rather than focusing on a GTD lite approach that misses the point, one suggestion was to stop messing around looking for the latest clever program and hi tech solution. Instead pick up a pen and paper and get on with it! If you need any more persuasion here are my top seven suggestions.
- It’s simple
What’s more simple than a basic biro pen and notepad from your local stationary store? A pencil perhaps? Really, this should be a no brainer. - It’s portable
Ok, sure. Maybe a iPhone, Blackberry and even a laptop is portable. You can travel from city to city with them fairly easily. But they simply don’t match up to paper solutions, which come in all sizes and can be folded, bent and even ripped up as required. - It’s cheap
No hi tech solution comes close in price. The gulf is so wide that you could even buy a good quality pen and a Moleskine and still have change spare for an holiday to Spain… maybe. Another plus is you won’t have to upgrade your notepad every other year to keep up with your techie friends. - It’s easy to use
I really don’t think you need to flick through a big, bulky manual before you can start putting pen to paper (well, I certainly hope not). Think of all the time you waste simply trying to research how to add an event to your electronic calendar. You could do it in seconds on a paper based one. - It’s quick
Assuming you’ve actually figured out how to use your PDA, you still have to move through a bunch of menus before you can add a simple note to your shopping list saying you need bananas. And that’s assuming you can type efficiently on the miniature keyboard. - Less chance of failure
Where do I begin? Imagine dropping that expensive laptop on the floor or have the battery of your fancy gizmo run out at a critical moment. Perhaps it crashes before you have chance to save anything. Or maybe it’s just so sunny there is too much glare on the screen. Compare all that to a paper solution. Oh no! The ink in my pen just ran out! Whatever will I do… - It’s a break from all that technology
The top reason I always give for not using hi tech solutions is that I spend so much time on a PC I don’t want to then have to use it to organize my day. Seriously, how often do you have to look at screens and monitors and keyboards everyday? Give your eyes (and brain) a break.
May 8, 2008 at 09:12AM
As a 2.0 person, I can’t help but to say that the top one reason to use hi tech and not paper is the ability to search.
However, if you can provide a way to find that one note written a week ago in a hundred page notebook, I’ll surely throw away my PDA!
Great blog by the way.
May 8, 2008 at 05:35PM
Good point. I don’t know if this really counts, but I tear pages out of my notepad as and when they are no longer applicable, so though I may have to flick through a few pages to find what I want, it’s never an excessive number.
May 8, 2008 at 06:59PM
One more thing that speaks in favor of my PDA is flow. I have never been comfortable with a paper calendar. When I get into the flow, I hate to keep appointments in mind. I want to stay in the flow state of mind until an alarm goes off.
May 9, 2008 at 01:06PM
I fully agree with you. Searching in a notepad could be easier if you use indexing. Additionally, it’s faster and easier to capture things with a pen than with a keyboard (drawings, mindmaps) and it also avoids the psychological barrier represented by a laptop, in a meeting between two people.
May 9, 2008 at 05:36PM
I pre-number my pages and keep an index at the back working my way to the middle. The index looks like:
Bus sketching 401, 523, 542
Blog ideas 321, 322, 401
That’s my solution to analog searching.
May 9, 2008 at 06:58PM
Why not use both? I use an iPhone and a Filofax. Contact information is one area where my iPhone shines over the Filofax. I can’t stand not being able to reorganize paper solutions (the only one that has this feature is Rollabind). But there are other things a digital device can do that you’d be hard pressed to accomplish with paper and pen – web browsing, map/location lookup, telephony, media player, advanced calculations, photography…
May 10, 2008 at 01:42PM
Dave, that’s a clever approach. I’m fortunate in that most of my work is in the here-and-now so I rarely have to flip back through all my pages to find old notes.
Exactly, Michael. Why not use both? A lot of people (myself included at one point) feel it’s necessary to have one item that does everything. It’s not necessarily easier or quicker that way.
May 11, 2008 at 02:28AM
I agree that lack of search is problem, as is lack of backup. Losing a paper appointment book can be a disaster. On the other hand, I’ve never lost a paper appointment book in all the years I’ve used them, and I didn’t use search that often on my Palm (have an iPhone now). Guess nothing is perfect. Good article though.
May 13, 2008 at 02:16PM
While you make very good points, I don’t think it’ll ever catch on. PDAs and other smart phones (like the iPhone) are here to stay and are only going to get more popular. Plus, guys might not have enough space to carry pen and paper around if they’re not wearing a coat. It’s easy to fit a phone in your pocket or clip it to your belt, but adding a notepad in there will just make it too bulky.
May 13, 2008 at 05:01PM
Jacinda you don’t really believe this, do you? I mean, the big and bulky thing. My notebook (diary, address book, notepad, street map…) and a pen hooked on is pretty much the same size that my Palm was. But I don’t need to haul around a hub and power supply.
May 15, 2008 at 05:38PM
Jacinda, you have a point but I should say that a paper based approach isn’t tied just to notepads. I can write down a treasure trove of ideas, information and thoughts on one single piece of paper. Fold that up and nothing compares in size.
May 20, 2008 at 06:12PM
I definitely vote for using both. If you are at a party, a pen and scrap of paper is usually more effective than a PDA. But in another setting the PDA will be on the top. I think it all goes down to making the right choices about what tool you use and when to use it. There will never be a perfect match to all needs so getting a balance is the key. I personally use both and I make every effort to put everything into electronic form. It’s time consuming at times but those notes and ideas are very useful later.
June 7, 2008 at 10:46PM
The biggest reason I like electronics is that they can send reminders about appointments and previous obligations. I am terrible at remembering what day I was supposed to meet so and so, etc. But I fully relate with the notion that often TOO much time is spent looking for the next best tool to keep track of your life. Pen and a paper is usually a great tool. Additionally, consider posting a small white board on your wall.
June 11, 2008 at 08:22AM
Tage, reminders are indeed useful but usually I review my planner each Sunday to see what appointments I have during the week. And I review daily the appointments for that day afterwards so I get reminded of everything. If you do need an alarm you can set up your mobile phone for it. And if i really need an event with a reminder I put it into iCal and then sync it with my phone. I am keen for both, but if I had to choose one I would ditch the phone rather than my daily planner.
June 11, 2008 at 03:59PM
I can see how having reminders using electronic tools can be especially handy, but because I review what is on my paper based weekly planner on a regular basis, getting a reminder five minutes before a meeting is due to start isn’t really a necessity.
June 15, 2008 at 01:55PM
Hurrah for paper! I followed James here from the Life Optimizer discussion about trusted systems. One reason I keep going back to paper is that I’ve found I think, brainstorm, analyze, outline and write ideas better on paper. I edit, research, fill in, and organize ideas better on computer. So I use paper as my basic system – a planner, a notebook, a few file folders for loose notes. I transfer the stuff that I’m going to develop to the computer, and the transferring actually becomes part of the development. Then I get to trash (er… recycle) that piece of paper, which gives me tangible evidence of having done something. Maybe a bit primary level, but I work really well with tangible rewards.
July 13, 2008 at 11:34AM
As someone just starting down the GTD blackhole I truly appreciate this point. As I debate within myself as to what software, gadge or, new laptop may help me be effective, the pad of paper and the pen already on the desk that I have always relied on just hadn’t occurred to me. Duh!
September 20, 2008 at 02:35PM
I must agree that paper is better. I believe that what we think, we create and when we write things down we become it and create it. Putting it into a PDA, PC or notebook means it is easily forgotten. It does not have soul.
September 21, 2008 at 08:27PM
I’m a non executive director of three companies, and do consultancy for a few others. I’ve had smartphones, iPods, Google calendar and so on, but the paper diary works for me.
In terms of indexing, I have an A4 book per client – each meeting starts on a new page, with the date of the meeting in the top right, and a plan (not list) of the attendees at the top left. I can take notes, make to-do lists, and even draw diagrams as I go.
I am regularly in meetings where the technocrats try to demonstrate how they can get their hands on the appropriate documentation quickly, and am used to them being shocked when I can look up things faster.
OK, I’m sounding like a technophobe – quite the opposite – my degrees are in mathematics and computation, and I’ve been a CTO for two start-ups. I’m writing this from a little Linux EeePC, rather than the Mac or the Windows boxes downstairs… I find that computers are great for structured data – customer databases, accounts, spreadsheets – and for formal presentations… but for general organization and keeping notes of meetings and phone calls, I’ll stick with my books and pen.
March 21, 2009 at 10:50PM
It really does come down to what kind of notes you need to take, where you get them from and what kind of an environment you do your work in. It would be silly to say one thing is best for everything. Unfortunately I thought I could put everything in one place and I wont admit just how very much time I wasted last year searching and testing many different programs and services.
I am just recently converted back to paper for most of my plans and it is such a relief. Also incorporating white boards and chalk boards into my daily routine has been heaven. But there is some tech, gems I know I wont ever give up now that I’ve found them and could never translate to paper. I just want to know why I the hell I had to go through so much waste and frustration to get here!
April 8, 2009 at 08:02PM
I agree with Mark Harrison. Whilst I am a Mac chap and very much on the tech side, my degree is in ICT and I specialized in productivity software (GTD and other type software solutions to you and me). I have been so overwhelmed lately with the amount of projects, commitments and exciting things I’m involved in that my iPhone/Mac screens could not cope!
I loved using my clipboard to get down ideas but the larger Filofax is rather good for both the notes and the organization of notes. I still rely on the computer and iPhone for calendar and address book duties but my Filofax is very much a project center.
All I need to do is learn to read my writing!
October 6, 2009 at 05:06PM
Excellent review! There is so much to be said for going back to the basics. It is a pleasure to have a notebook to refer to instead of another computer device staring back at me. If you have ever tried taking notes on a PDA, you know what I mean. I never have to worry about it crashing or failing to start up. And believe it or not, it is faster and easier to organize.
But the real beauty of a pen and paper is the ability to be creative quickly. All you need is a pencil or pen and your can get your ideas on paper with words or images in an instant. While smartphones may be here to stay, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution and are not conducive to the creative process.
Long live pencil and paper!
October 23, 2009 at 09:41PM
I completely agree – I love the paper and pen. It’s so much more free, less restrictive. If something is important, you can circle, make notes, draw stars, highlight. It’s easy to write bigger and smaller. It’s a visual way of prioritizing and organizing, and the physical feeling of crossing something off my daily to-do list is kind of empowering! It makes me want to move on to the next task.
November 4, 2009 at 03:37PM
I’ve just found this blog and really like it!
I have been using PDAs for years and although I am reluctant, I have returned to pen and paper. I have gone through three Palms in the last four years (lost one, two were dropped) and I cannot stand it anymore. With the last one I had, I bought a bunch of software that is now useless and I am tired of wasting the money! If anyone has any tips on the pen and paper approach, I would be ever so thankful!
January 16, 2010 at 02:51AM
I don’t know dude, I’ve lost too many pieces of paper in my life. I prefer to keep it digital if at all possible.
January 27, 2010 at 03:13AM
I am on the computer all day already, so from that stand-point I agree, taking a break away from the PC is good.
While having indexing for notes sounds like a cleaver, efficient, and space saving idea for smaller things like a to-do list, I find that paper is easier to use for things that just need to be done ASAP. Once you’re done, you can finally throw it out and get it off your table. In fact, I am trying to get out of the habit of being a pack rat… and it seems that storing things digitally is only feeding to the transition of a physical-to-virtual pack rat.
Apps on mobile devices or even web enabled apps such as Google Tasks is a bit too much for quick to do lists. However, programs like EverNote helps with documenting and web-clipping help to create a consolidated way to refer back to information you wish to save and do follow up research on. Web-Clipped info stored to EverNote gives me a history of what I’ve came across and hopefully learned. The info is accessible everywhere, easily – in digital format of course.
So in essence, IMO, digital copy is good if you need to refer back to it… NOT everything is worth keeping. As with any system, it’s only as good as your use of it.
- LouieV