Switched from paper planner to a cheap notes app on my phone last month

Used to carry a leather planner from Barnes & Noble everywhere, cost me $40 each year. But after I left it on a bus in Portland last month with my whole schedule in it, I finally gave in and tried Google Keep. Now I just type my break tasks in there and it syncs across devices, no more losing things. Anyone else make the switch and actually stick with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel4741mo ago

Stuck with it for about a week before going back to paper. Something about typing appointments just doesn't stick in my brain the same way writing them down does. I still use the phone for quick reminders and grocery lists though, that part works fine. Different tools for different stuff I guess.

paul2861mo ago

@daniel474 Have you ever tried a hybrid system? I keep a small paper notebook for daily appointments and notes, but I use the phone for recurring stuff like weekly meetings or reminders. The phone buzzes me for grocery lists too. Writing it by hand does make it stick better, I admit that. But I find the phone is better for stuff that pops up at random times, like when I'm out and need to remember to pick up milk. Different tools for different stuff, like you said, but I think the phone can do more than you give it credit for if you use it right.

mary_foster921mo agoOG Member

Wait, you guys are using actual systems for this? I just write everything on my hand and hope I don't wash it off before I get home. That hybrid approach sounds too organized for me, like you've got your life together or something. I tried the phone calendar once and spent twenty minutes setting up a reminder for a dentist appointment I'd already missed by the time I figured out the app. But hey, if it works for you, more power to you. I'll stick with my scribbled palm and the occasional sticky note surprise I find in my pocket three days later.