Switched from a digital planner back to paper bullet journal after 3 years

Last month I was cleaning out my tablet and saw all those abandoned planner apps I had tried. Digital was convenient but I kept getting distracted by notifications and losing track of things. My old BuJo from 2020 was sitting on a shelf so I cracked it open again. After 3 weeks back with pen and paper I'm way more organized. Something about writing stuff down by hand makes it stick in my brain better. Anyone else go back to paper after trying digital?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_stone1mo ago

So you're finding the physical act helps information stick? I had the same experience. Tried going all digital with my shift notes and meal prepping. Ended up mindlessly swiping between tabs and not actually processing anything. With a paper journal, even the simple act of crossing out completed tasks gives me a small satisfaction that no app has replicated. Plus, no low battery anxiety when I need to check my weekly layout.

claire_young761mo ago

Do you ever find that the physical stuff just slows you down? I tried a paper planner for like three months and it drove me crazy lol. I'd write something down and then have to cross it out twenty minutes later when things changed, and my notebook just looked like a mess. The crossing out satisfaction is real for some people but for me it just felt like I was wasting time. I actually focus better with a simple notes app, less distractions from my handwriting being sloppy haha.

west.casey1mo agoProlific Poster

You know, I used to be on the other side of this. Thought paper was just extra steps for no reason. But after a few months of digital chaos, I finally get what you're saying.