Choosing a Paper Planner
Choosing a Paper Planner
With the growing popularity of laptops, tablet PCs, and PDA s, more and more people are adopting some form of electronic calendar system. A large number people, however, prefer the familiarity of a paper planner - and who could blame them? Although electronic calendars offer many benefits in terms of efficiency, they don t provide the satisfaction derived from putting pen to paper, the joy of reminiscing while reviewing the past year s events and accomplishments. Or the thrill of a blank new calendar along with the anticipation of what will be written in it over the coming months.
Deciding to stick with a paper planner (or switch back to one) is really only the starting point. Before you go out and buy a planner for next year, there are several factors you should consider to make sure that your investment will meet your needs.
Format
Do you like a loose leaf binder which allows you to add and remove page pages as needed, or do you prefer stitched or wire binding? Do you want a good quality product for which you can buy refills each year, or would you prefer to try something different every year?
Would you like to be able to close your planner with a zipper or snap, or would do you like to be able to just pop it open? Would a carrying handle be useful to you?
There are a wide variety of binders and planner covers available in leather, vinyl, and cloth, in a multitude of colours and styles.
Views and Layout
How much detail do you like to record? Do you need a full page per day for appointments with an additional page for tasks and notes? Or will a single page per day suffice?
Perhaps a week at a glance will be enough for you, but would you prefer a vertical layout, with the days of the week across the top and a column for each day, or the more common layout, with Monday to Wednesday on the left and Thursday to Sunday on the right?
Would you like to see your schedule in hourly, 30 minute, or 15 minute time slots?
A monthly view is a good way to get an overall view of your schedule, whether it s in addition to your weekly or monthly view, or if you re a big picture person who can get by with this layout alone.
Tasks
Do you work best with a weekly to do list on the same page as your schedule, or with a separate master list from which you can select tasks for each day or week? Or do you prefer to write each task on its own sticky note that you can throw out once it s completed?
Size
Do you want something that will fit in your pocket? Your purse? Your briefcase?
Most planners include a calendar and address book, and many have additional sections such as expenses, medical information, goals, projects, books to read, and so on. If this is important to you, you will want to be sure that the product you choose includes the sections you need, or offers the ability to customize it. If you will not make use of these sections, they will just add unnecessary bulk to your planner.
Tools
Many planners are set up to hold a pen, ruler, hole punch, stamps, and other accessories. Again, you should consider whether these will allow you to use your planner more efficiently, or if it will just be more for you to carry.
Your answers to the above questions will depend on a number of factors, including your lifestyle as well as your personality. Fortunately, there are a multitude of products on the market today, so you don t have to adapt to your planner, but instead you can select one that best meets your needs.
Janet Barclay, Organized Assistant, offers a variety of professional quality services to support entrepreneurs and other individuals who are overwhelmed by the demands and technology of the 21st century. For further information or to request a subscription to her monthly ezine, The Organized Assistant Resource, please visit her website at http://www.organizedassistant.com
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