It has been 4 weeks since I last jotted anything down in my paper diary. I have been trialling the supposedly advanced features of my smartphone (Nokia N900) which syncs my phone diary to my online account. The results are mixed.
I’m now very tempted to go back to paper. The perceived added benefits of having my diary on my person at all times, synchronised to the web in case I should lose anything, do not really outweigh the advantages of using a paper diary.
Both are portable, easily searchable and quick to add entries to. So why do I still not prefer the smaller, more technologically advanced version?
- I tend to lose entries for long term tasks in the scrolling diary pages of the phone
- Task/to-do lists get filled with “ideas” rather than real tasks
- I cannot take notes as effectively on the phone, as on paper I can quickly refer to a 3 week old note about a supplier, which is trickier to do on the phone
Digital diaries do have a saving grace, however, in the form of automated annual/monthly reminders. These can be useful to keep marketing campaigns on track among other things.
I think from now on I'll be using a blend of paper and smartphone for notes, tasks, events with reminders and recurring events/tasks.
