1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: tip is that you don't always have to go digital. 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: Many complex lives and schedules can in fact be managed 5 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: on paper. If you prefer paper, then just stick with 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: that unless you absolutely have to switch. Today's episode was 7 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: inspired by a conversation I had recently with my Best 8 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: of Both World's co host Sarah hart Unger. She and 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 1: I both have pretty busy lives, jobs, families, extensive hobbies. 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: We also both use paper calendars and paper planners. She 11 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: works part time as a physician, and obviously her hospital 12 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: has a digital system for putting in patient appointments, but 13 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: outside the hours of eight to five Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 14 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: Sarah schedules her life on paper. My calendar for my 15 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: five children's activities and such happens on paper too. I 16 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: mean partly this is because I really dislike electronic calendars. 17 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: A major upside of self employment is that no one 18 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: can make me use them. But I also really like 19 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: seeing things written out without having to scroll around on 20 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 1: a screen. With my planners and to do lists, I 21 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: like the physical act of crossing things off. It makes 22 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: it feel real that I've accomplished something. I know that 23 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: many organizations require people to use electronic calendars for work, 24 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,559 Speaker 1: which then nudges people to use them for the rest 25 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: of life, as we don't actually have two separate lives. 26 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: Your nine am Dennist appointment affects your work. If your 27 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: spouse is going to be gone for three days during 28 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: a busy time at your job, you're going to want 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: to know that as you are planning things out. But 30 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: some of the alleged benefits, like it's so easy to 31 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 1: reschedule things, don't strike me as real benefits. People might 32 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: be a little more mindful of scheduling things if they'd 33 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: have to cross them out and rewrite them. People note 34 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: that they have so many meetings that they wouldn't fit 35 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: on a paper calendar, Well, maybe we should all have 36 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: fewer meetings. It's an idea that said, even if you 37 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: do use an electronic calendar for actual meeting appointments at work, 38 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: if these aren't too frequent, like maybe two or three 39 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: a day, you can just take a glance at that 40 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: and note these things in your paper calendar and use 41 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: paper for the rest. Even if you do use an 42 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: electronic calendar, I would suggest making your weekly priority list 43 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: on paper somewhere. This will require you to take some 44 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: time where you step away from your inbox and your 45 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: screens and really think about what is important. Writing each 46 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: priority down will also be an act of commitment. You 47 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: are pledging to do it because you bothered to write it. 48 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: It's kind of like your signature that way. Using paper 49 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,399 Speaker 1: means that your priority list can sit there, separate from 50 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: your screens and serving as a north star through the week. 51 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: Whatever you are working on. You don't have to scroll 52 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: out of your inbox or your current project to check it. 53 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: It is just there in a planner next to you. 54 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: This makes it easier to keep in front of your mind. 55 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: There are a great many benefits to digital systems. That 56 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: is true, sometimes we need things that are more portable. 57 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: But if you find you prefer paper, know that even 58 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: complex lives often can be handled at least partly on paper. 59 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: There is no reason to go digital just to go digital. 60 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: And hey, there are a lot of beautiful planners out there. 61 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:07,119 Speaker 1: Being a paper person provides an excuse to try them out. 62 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: In the meantime. This is Laura, Thanks for listening. And 63 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 64 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 65 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:37,119 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 66 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 67 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 68 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.