Paper vs. Digital
If you want to boil down the famous GTD system (Getting Things Done by David Allen), it’s simply Use A System You Trust. Those three words are equally important – Use, System and Trust. This post is about the second word – System.
I’m a geek. Always have been; always will be. An unapologetic gadget lover, but I limit myself to only things that are truly practical and functional in my world. Well, mostly. I also love the tactile, cozy experience of reading a real book with paper pages. That pretty much describes how I approached the GTD principle, too.
Some people can successfully and comfortably rely solely on electronic media for appointments, notes, lists, and errata. They’re the type of people that have all their office files stored electronically, too, and empty Inboxes. I admit that my smart phone is my brain prosthetic! Other people are more comfortable with paper notes, calendars and rolodexes, and never found the need to go digital. Or some may simply not trust machines that run on batteries. And there’s nothing wrong with a hybrid solution.
Mr. Allen has suggested that you take the time to figure out what works for you, then use it and trust it. Get rid of the errant scraps; clear your mind of “strings tied around fingers” that only build subliminal stress; learn to build confidence that you have “it” together.
I’ve learned through trial-and-error which pieces I need on paper and which pieces I rely on electronically. Then I built habits and trust followed. My own hybrid system wouldn’t work for everyone, and that’s the point. I’m not claiming to be stress-free, but I’d hate to think of what my overload would be if I weren’t using a system to capture life-stuff: Appointments, birthdays, receipts, meeting notes, email addresses, shopping lists, passwords and logins, billable time, to-do’s and got-done’s – good grief.
I carry my iPhone everywhere, and my Day-Timer book is always open on my workspace or with me at business meetings. That combination gives me a place and method to capture anything, a contemporaneous log of business notes, ability to monitor emails, reminders of imminent appointments, a big-picture calendar to scratch in, reference data, dictionary and thesaurus applications, pockets for receipts, business cards … somewhere for everything. I know where to look for what I’ve captured; I don’t have to use brain energy trying to remember or trying to search.
Silly example: I can’t remember all the words of my favorite Starbucks drink, so it’s in my iPhone notes – decaf venti cinnamon dolce frapaccino with whipped cream. (I had to look it up.)
Use a system you trust to reduce the stress of data overload. Every little bit (less stress) helps.
What’s your productivity strategy – paper, digital or hybrid?
____________________
For more on the GTD approach, see David Allen’s website.
For a contrarian view, also see LifeHacker: The Step-by-Step Guide to Digitizing Your Life
The Day-Timer (primarily paper) management system is here, with many electronic enhancements.
Note – I’m not shilling for any of the above. Just sharing how I use a system that works for business and personal productivity.
