Using a Paper Planner with an Electronic ONe

[Justmee]

Can people share how you successfully do this? I've been using only electronic (Palm) for years. It's been working okay, but while I love it for reminding me of things (daily meds, appointments etc), it's not so great for to-do lists and general "when should I clean the kitchen" type organizing. Also I use the computer program a lot more often, and if I'm out and about I tend to not pull out the palm device and write things in. Even if by some miracle I do put in a "to-do" I never look back at it. I also think I just flow better on paper, and I like being able to see my month / week / etc together.

For this reason, I decided to get a covey planner as my main planner and household notebook. I have been working on a time map (a la Julie Morgenstern), and trying to get myself together, write down "todo" in the correct zone, etc. ONe thing is she is very big though on using ONE planner. I really want to make my new paper one work for me (I'm getting it in 2 weeks), but I think there is still a place for the palm in my life. Has anyone successfully used both? Made the transition from electronic to paper (or back again?). Any tips on getting into using the planner, and coming to rely on it to help me organize my day?

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[bu's mama]

I hear what you're saying. I use a palm also, but love the idea of a paper planner. The act of just writing something helps cement it in my memory & I could always add stuff...a little note from dd or something.

That said, I use the electronic organizer exclusively now. I print out a monthly calendar for the kitchen but I'm almost positive you can print out planner style sheets. I add stuff to the kitchen calendar & then once a week or so I update it on the computer & print out a new one. So maybe print out the sheets, write down things when you're out & about & then transfer later.

It took me awhile to get a system that really worked for me & now it's pretty smooth.

[TwinMom]

I use both.

My paper calendar (one day per page) has all my appointments, lists of errands, who I need to call, etc. In my Blackberry I also keep track of all appointments, because I constantly double-booked them. This way the kids and dh can write their stuff down on my paper calendar, then I check each week to make sure the Blackberry and paper calendar have the same info.

I also have a spiral notebook that has all of my lists--To Do, daily lists, grocery lists, packing for trips, etc. I can't live without lists! I wish it could all be in one place, but I have tried that and can't remember to bring it with me.

[Justmee]

TwinMom, so you use your blackberry more for you (so you have it on you at all times) and your paper planner for the family?

I also have a small spiral notebook for master to-do stuff and lists I need to make for various projects. Now I use the palm for appointments, addresses, and daily reminders. I want to use just the paper planner, but I'm wondering if I'll get myself in trouble still using the palm sometimes. Really what I need is one place to rely on so I know what I need to do, when I should do it, and stop frittering the day away on mothering LOL.

[yllek]

I use both too. I my iPhone for appointment alarms, capturing reminders and ideas, keeping reference materials with me (lists, contacts, notes, pictures of take-out menus, etc.), and carrying the whole Internet with me. With that said, I need to have things written down on paper to see my Big Picture. I have to see and color-code my week on a time map. I want to have my day's tasks written out on an index card that I can scribble on. I like having a physical shopping list when I go to the market. I absolutely need a grid of the week's meal plan hanging up on my fridge (although I also record it in iCal so I can pull up previous meal plans for ideas).

I think one reason that paper is so important to my workflow is that I am highly visual and I can scan text very quickly. There is no way that a pda screen can show all the info I need to make sense of any pattern. On the other hand, if I just need to access a discrete data point or read something linearly, the iPhone is perfect.

[Drummer's Wife]

I use a combo of a huge desk calendar to write out all my school due dates, a wall calander for b-days and big events, scratch paper all over the place for random shopping and to-do lists, the notepad on our PC for all kinds of things, my netbook and the calendar and notes, etc., programs/apps on my iphone.

I'm not the most organized person, though, so maybe I should learn to keep track of everything w/one system