I hope you are enjoying this new audio series. If you have a question for me, send it to hello@courtneycarver.com.
Be More with Less Audio Q & A
What medium do you find most helpful for keeping track of your life? Paper—as in a planner/notebook/ paper calendar, or do you prefer using programs on your phone, iPad, laptop, etc? Or a combination of both?
Listen to the answer by clicking this link, or by pressing the orange button below.
Quick Links (a few helpful resources I mentioned in the audio)
- Evernote: How I track my life digitally
- Morning Pages: How I break up the scar tissue
Thanks for the great info you always share. My 2 cents, this would be better in a podcast format. I can download on my phone and listen when I drive. Thanks
I use both. Digital calendars are great for reminders / alarms and long term planning, but I find that I still think better when I use paper and pencil to write out my thoughts. Paper and pencil also work great for spontaneous ideas.
Dan
I got into the habit of keeping my calendar on my laptop and a paper appt. book in my purse which meant I was always transferring info. I found it inconvenient because I always had to keep each one uptodate, especially since I didn’t carry my laptop around with me.
So I got an I phone and tried keeping my calendar on that. Well, it hasn’t happened because it takes me so long to enter things and pull them up and switch dates, etc., so my phone calendar was always behind.
I’ve since gone back to my old method of purse calendar plus laptop. I need to be able to physically write and erase and move things around in my purse calendar. Then later I enter the stuff on my laptop calendar. It’s not perfect, but it bridges the technology gap for me in a practical way.
Do you keep or throw the notebooks away?
I use paper calendar – one for personal, one for work. I was using a PDA and synching it with my laptop. When I purchased a new laptop, the software program for my PDA would not work for some strange reason so that was a bust. I do use the calendar on Outlook for webinars, etc. and to-do things around the house.
I do the same as Dan. I use digital/phone for reminders/alarms. However I use paper for ideas, thoughts, and creative writing. 🙂
I use Google Calendar to manage my schedule. It syncs with its phone app too. I also started using Workflowy as a great list management system.
All paper, all the time. I use a Franklin Covey calendar and day planner system. Some folks work really well with technology and syncing and all that jazz. Other folks (of which I am one) like holding a pen and writing something down and the physicality of it all. To each his own.
I use both of them. Digital calendar is my favourite for long term plan. For any ideas I usually use small paper.
I mostly use a digital calendar on my computer that syncs up with my phone. However I also keep a large paper calendar on my refrigerator at home where I keep track of my family’s birthdays, social engagements, medical appointments and meal plans for the week. That way we can all see what’s planned for the weekend and whoever gets home first can start supper.
I’m intrigued by the one notebook method!
I have a planner (I like Blue Sky Planners) that fits in my purse and I use the monthly calendar pages for scheduling and the daily pages in between for note-taking. Way back when, my divorce lawyer suggested that as a way of keeping track of missed visitation- just write a note on that days’ page. Having that record makes a huge difference if you wind-up in a battle. Huge.
I’ve since started using the same method to keep track of mileage for work, and when I cancel a membership or subscription, etc (if it doesn’t get cancelled somehow, they ALWAYS ask who you talked to, and I always have it written down). Also, there’s a “notes” page in the back, and that’s where I keep track of all of my passwords for things that don’t need to be secure.