Organization Finale
It’s been 3 very busy months since my last post. I started a new job and am learning a lot, but this blog and the numerous unfinished draft posts ended up at the bottom of my ever growing list. However, I still wanted to finish this series before moving on to other ideas and stories.
In my original post, I mentioned that I would try Google Calendar/Keep, TodoIst, Toggl, and journaling. I tried Google Calendar and Todoist, but never posted my experience of the latter or even started trying Toggl as planned for two major reasons. The first was that I started a new job, so I had to rethink my schedule as it was now going to be structured completely differently. The second was that I found a kinda cheesy but nice paper planner on sale that covered July 2019-December 2020, and began using that so regularly that the other methods no longer felt relevant.
Working at Microsoft means that I schedule many activities and meetings on Outlook’s calendar. For personal meetings, I still use Google Calendar, and when I have an idea that randomly pops up I try to write it down in Keep because I perpetually have my phone with me. But when it comes to managing longer-term ideas, projects, schedules, tasks, etc, Paper beats Software. I love having a physical planner. I cart it around to and from work. It lives in my purse alongside a laptop, pens, headphones, whatever book I got from the library this week, snacks, and other assorted paraphernalia. It’s rather bulky, and the patterning is a bit garish, but I got it on sale and it has room for all my ideas and more. I write down my daily tasks on sticky notes that I paste in, keep track of the hours I work, make plans and plan meetups, and schedule tasks. I’m still a long way from being truly on top of everything, but having this planner has gotten me a lot closer. There’s enough room to write down my daily diary as well as make other plans. There are stickers and monthly calendars on top of the daily and weekly aspects alongside blank pages where I can write longer lists. I have a more positive and flexible mindset now because I’m able to write it all in as I need to.
While the online tools were lovely, they don’t compare to the physical. Having my planner next to me makes me feel more productive and organized. While a tab can be closed or a notification easily ignored, a planner is more sedentary. I can make my own schedule here, see changes as I make them, without being distracted by various websites or my own fractured focus. I even use the space to write down a positive thing that happens each day, keep track of the books I’m reading or other meaningful stories and media I consume, add a sticky note of a pearl of wisdom I heard which both brightens my days by focusing on the good, and makes looking back so much more fun. It also feels significantly more private than any online experience. Sure, having the sync between my phone and laptops can be handy, but I don’t feel like I can track or write or keep any personal information in those. I can open up in my planner because even though technically someone can open it up at any time, it’s with me so often and I’m in charge of it. No company can decide what to do with my information. I didn’t think this would be a significant factor, but it’s solidified my decision to use a paper planner. While most of my planners fell out of use a few weeks in, I’ve been using this one daily for 2 months now, and have no plans of stopping.
So, what have I learned?
There’s no one way to do things, and a mix of methodologies is probably the best. The online tools are lovely, but they don’t have the same tangibility of a paper planner.
Find what works for you, and it’s ok if you stop and start. The important thing is that you’re starting. And try lots of things! It’s fun, and you understand why you like your final choice better if it’s a conscious decision.
Flexibility is key. You want multiple options because you're doing a lot! Schedule in time to take breaks, and try to use things that allow you to track whatever you wish. Whether that’s an app, website, or bullet journal, whatever you like will be the best option
Aesthetics aren’t everything. I know this is a strange comment coming from a designer, and it is important to pick something that you like, but overall experience is more important. The little platitudes in my planner are often eye roll inducing, and some of the drawings are rather garish, but because the rest of the book works very well for me, I’m able to ignore them. And at this point, I’ve grown fond of how silly it can be.
Paper beats Rockstar Software (sometimes). I think a skill designers and other technologists can learn from is knowing when NOT to make something technical. Paper works, so what parts need to be moved online and what parts can stay on paper?
Thank you for reading! I’m not sure what I’ll write about next, but there are lots of ideas stored on my planner that will hopefully make it online someday.