WEBVTT - You don't always have to go digital

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is that you don't always have to go digital.

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<v Speaker 1>Many complex lives and schedules can in fact be managed

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<v Speaker 1>on paper. If you prefer paper, then just stick with

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<v Speaker 1>that unless you absolutely have to switch. Today's episode was

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<v Speaker 1>inspired by a conversation I had recently with my Best

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<v Speaker 1>of Both World's co host Sarah hart Unger. She and

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<v Speaker 1>I both have pretty busy lives, jobs, families, extensive hobbies.

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<v Speaker 1>We also both use paper calendars and paper planners. She

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<v Speaker 1>works part time as a physician, and obviously her hospital

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<v Speaker 1>has a digital system for putting in patient appointments, but

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<v Speaker 1>outside the hours of eight to five Monday, Wednesday and Friday,

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<v Speaker 1>Sarah schedules her life on paper. My calendar for my

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<v Speaker 1>five children's activities and such happens on paper too. I

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<v Speaker 1>mean partly this is because I really dislike electronic calendars.

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<v Speaker 1>A major upside of self employment is that no one

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<v Speaker 1>can make me use them. But I also really like

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<v Speaker 1>seeing things written out without having to scroll around on

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<v Speaker 1>a screen. With my planners and to do lists, I

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<v Speaker 1>like the physical act of crossing things off. It makes

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<v Speaker 1>it feel real that I've accomplished something. I know that

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<v Speaker 1>many organizations require people to use electronic calendars for work,

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<v Speaker 1>which then nudges people to use them for the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of life, as we don't actually have two separate lives.

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<v Speaker 1>Your nine am Dennist appointment affects your work. If your

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<v Speaker 1>spouse is going to be gone for three days during

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<v Speaker 1>a busy time at your job, you're going to want

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<v Speaker 1>to know that as you are planning things out. But

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<v Speaker 1>some of the alleged benefits, like it's so easy to

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<v Speaker 1>reschedule things, don't strike me as real benefits. People might

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<v Speaker 1>be a little more mindful of scheduling things if they'd

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<v Speaker 1>have to cross them out and rewrite them. People note

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<v Speaker 1>that they have so many meetings that they wouldn't fit

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<v Speaker 1>on a paper calendar, Well, maybe we should all have

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<v Speaker 1>fewer meetings. It's an idea that said, even if you

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<v Speaker 1>do use an electronic calendar for actual meeting appointments at work,

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<v Speaker 1>if these aren't too frequent, like maybe two or three

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<v Speaker 1>a day, you can just take a glance at that

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<v Speaker 1>and note these things in your paper calendar and use

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<v Speaker 1>paper for the rest. Even if you do use an

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<v Speaker 1>electronic calendar, I would suggest making your weekly priority list

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<v Speaker 1>on paper somewhere. This will require you to take some

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<v Speaker 1>time where you step away from your inbox and your

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<v Speaker 1>screens and really think about what is important. Writing each

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<v Speaker 1>priority down will also be an act of commitment. You

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<v Speaker 1>are pledging to do it because you bothered to write it.

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<v Speaker 1>It's kind of like your signature that way. Using paper

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<v Speaker 1>means that your priority list can sit there, separate from

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<v Speaker 1>your screens and serving as a north star through the week.

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<v Speaker 1>Whatever you are working on. You don't have to scroll

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<v Speaker 1>out of your inbox or your current project to check it.

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<v Speaker 1>It is just there in a planner next to you.

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<v Speaker 1>This makes it easier to keep in front of your mind.

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<v Speaker 1>There are a great many benefits to digital systems. That

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<v Speaker 1>is true, sometimes we need things that are more portable.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you find you prefer paper, know that even

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<v Speaker 1>complex lives often can be handled at least partly on paper.

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<v Speaker 1>There is no reason to go digital just to go digital.

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<v Speaker 1>And hey, there are a lot of beautiful planners out there.

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<v Speaker 1>Being a paper person provides an excuse to try them out.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime. This is Laura, Thanks for listening. And

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for

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<v Speaker 1>listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,

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<v Speaker 1>you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts

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<v Speaker 1>from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

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