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Digital layout vs paper spreads, paper won after 4 months | Bullet Journaling - Free To Speak

Digital layout vs paper spreads, paper won after 4 months

I tried going fully digital with my bullet journal last January on my tablet because I thought it would be easier to move stuff around and keep everything searchable. After about 4 months I switched back to my old A5 notebook and the difference was huge for me. Digital felt too clean, like I was scared to mess up and had to make every page perfect before I could use it. Paper lets me scribble, cross things out, and slap a washi tape over a mistake without overthinking it. I also noticed I actually remember things better when I write them by hand, something about the motion sticks in my brain. The tablet was nice for color coding and copying templates fast, but I found myself opening other apps too much. Has anyone else gone back to paper after trying digital, or do you stick with the tablet and make it work somehow?

2 comments

2 Comments

leehall1mo ago

Ha! Yeah, I feel this one in my bones. I did the exact same thing last spring, bought a fancy tablet and everything, and thought I was so smart. But after a few weeks I kept feeling that weird pressure you're talking about, like every little thing had to be neat before I could move on. Scribbling over a mistake with paper is honestly a weird kind of therapy for me now. The hand memory thing is real too, I can still picture where a note sits on a page but I got nothing from that tablet. So yeah, you're not alone in going back, and I don't miss the constant app switching one bit.

lewis.mila1mo ago

Oh man, I gotta disagree with you there! I've been digital for over a year now and I can't see myself going back. The whole "too clean" thing is actually what I love about it, my tablet lets me keep things neat without the pressure of messing up because I can just undo or move stuff around. I get what you mean about hand writing helping you remember, that's a real thing, but for me the search feature is a lifesaver when I need to find an old note from three months ago. Honestly the distractions thing is on you though, I put my tablet on focus mode and it's just as good as a notebook for staying on task. Paper is great for some people, but for me the flexibility of digital wins every time.