5 ms·

Reasons to use a paper-based task manager

51 points by domainkiller 13y ago

jkscm 13y ago
Probably an ad hominem, but why would someone who has over 7000 tweets and who appears to be tweeting every 3 hours need to carry an additional pen + paper. Wouldn't he have his phone anyway? I wonder why are so many "digital natives" still preaching the advantages of pen an paper over digital texts today.
- jmduke 13y ago
  I mean, that's answered directly in the article: phones run out of battery, Twitter isn't as each to reach for as a notebook. I don't use this guy's specific method, but I've spent the past few months using pen-and-paper as well, and it just works very well for me (using the Bullet Journal technique: bulletjournal.com). I suspect this kind of thing varies wildly from person to person, though.
  - _delirium 13y ago
    The other aspect for me is that I can write better on a book with bound paper pages, than I can on a smartphone. I can type much better than either of those input methods, on a proper keyboard. But if I don't have a proper keyboard, I'm more skilled with a pen than with a simulation of a QWERTY keyboard on a 4.5" touchscreen.
    - jkscm 13y ago
      But if you go to a meeting somewhere and you would have to choose between pen/paper or a smartphone which would you choose? Typing speed may not be an advantage of phones [1] but your colleges will not see what you have planned. I could write these thoughts I'm writing right now on paper for myself but I'm "thinking" with you. Maybe it's hard to argue about it because these two things seem superficially similar. But like paperless offices, paperless note taking/planning will win in the end. [1]: to be fair, you have been writing with a pen since you're 5 or 6. Most people never wrote anything on touchscreens bevor 2007.
      - _delirium 13y ago
        If I was at a meeting, I'd certainly write on paper; that's one of the easiest cases! For one, it's more socially acceptable to be writing on a piece of paper than to be looking at a smartphone. When you pull out a smartphone, everyone assumes you're just doing something else (checking email, chatting on IM, whatever).
  - wslh 13y ago
    I use a mix: write the "bullet journal" with OneNote, print it, and continue with a pencil.
- domainkiller 13y ago
  I'm that guy and I always have my phone. But, I'd be willing to bet that from a standstill with nothing in our hands, I could write down a task to my Corbinizer faster than you can find the app, launch it, type it in and save. I was excited about Siri as a final replacement for the Corbinizer, but even now I'd rather not scream my tasks at my phone during a meeting.
- moocowduckquack 13y ago
  I wonder why are so many "digital natives" still preaching the advantages of pen an paper over digital texts today. Different technologies have different qualities, I still find a small notebook and an A4 zipping folder indispensible. Paper is fast. For idea development, scribbling on lots of paper is still one of the best tools available.
- DanBC 13y ago
  Pen + paper is freeform - i can include sketches easily. Pen + paper allows me to rip out a sheet and just give someone a note without having to worry about connecting phones or exchanging email addresses. It's just nice to use a different medium sometimes.
- gerbal 13y ago
  The Affordances of paper are quite significant. We're still years, maybe decades, away from digital technology as easy to use, as intuitive, and adaptable as paper.
- faster 13y ago
  I read (in a random book, while standing in a bookstore) that handwriting is an integrative activity, where tapping a screen or typing on a keyboard is far less integrative. The book said that people have input (reading, viewing, touching, etc.), processing, and output. When the outut has a focused kinesthetic element (like handwriting does), it integrates the conclusions of the processing into memories and neural connections much more deeply. Can someone who knows about this stuff confirm or deny? Personally, I find writing notes by hand to be satisfying and flexible. Yes, I have a gadget in my pocket and I use it where I know I don't need anything but text or photos. But my first choice for write-once memory is my blank book and a pen.
1qaz2wsx3edc 13y ago
> 1. Forces brevity > 2. It's always available / It never crashes > 3. Awesome Weekly Summary > 4. Take notes anywhere On 1.) This is something ultimately up to oneself, I could have a larger notebook, or use multiple pages. Brevity more over is about self-discipline in accurately describing tasks. It can also be double edged in that not enough information or vagueness may increase effort require. This is something digital tools can help alleviate by allowing for additional information (todos, comments, etc). On 2.) Sure, paper beats the redundancy of digital or online tools, but let's not forget about the power and utility they can provide as well. On 3.) Digital tools by contrast can work around this exceeding well and in detail (calendars, weekly iterations, etc). Finally on 4.) Sure, I won't argue against papers innate redundancy, but I feel like digital services convenience me just as well with mobile & web apps (as long as I can get the full site though :P). Anywho, my long drawn out point is : these strengths can be applied elsewhere, and just as well. For instance, I use Trello as a scratchpad about various things I have going on. I've got about 11 or so person boards. Writing things down and applying a method to limit work in progress is really the corner stone of getting things done in my opinion. Just my two cents.
- to3m 13y ago
  I agree about the brevity. I don't personally see it as terribly important. As the article points out, once you're in the habit of tracking things, it does mean they absolutely will get done! But to my mind this suggests you should have more space, for keeping track of as many items (large or small) as required, rather than less. (I just maintain an A5 notebook with a list of tasks. I let them build up as required, cross each off once done, and clip the edge of a page once all its tasks are resolved. Makes it easy to find the remaining items.)
  - deathspin 13y ago
    It really depends on the individuals learning style. For me, more room for more stuff is not better.
- morganherlocker 13y ago
  > For instance, I use Trello as a scratchpad about various things I have going on. I've got about 11 or so person boards. Writing things down and applying a method to limit work in progress is really the corner stone of getting things done in my opinion. I use trello extensively. I always have an "In Progress" list and an "On Bat" list. "On Bat" maxes at 5 items, "In Progress" always has two items per person on the board (and it should usually only be one item).
edj 13y ago
I've used Moleskine daily 12-month planners on and off over the years. Effective & stylish. And then easily archived at the end of the year.
- joemaller1 13y ago
  This makes a lot of sense to me, I'm going to try something similar, thanks.
lvs 13y ago
4 reasons to use a candle-based desk lamp: 1) You have to go to sleep when the candle burns out. 2) You can always get more wax from bees. 3) Gives off a pleasing aroma. 4) Take it anywhere you go!
- Aardwolf 13y ago
  1) Nah, the glow of my monitor will keep me going
giantrobothead 13y ago
Regardless of how much writing I do on my laptop, I am never without a sketchbook and pen. Indispensable tools.
atmosx 13y ago
I'm 50-50 on this. I try to use the mobile for 2Do, but doesn't work as well as I would like... Especially the part where you have to take a note on the run: No matter how fast you're with your mobile's keyboard you can't beat paper.
- cma 13y ago
  just get a galaxy note =P
pgsch 13y ago
Paper is great for tracking small things while I'm working in some task, but how do you take paper notes on non-text data like URL's or images..?
- dclara 13y ago
  I think I'd use it as a reminder for time/task management to boost the daily performance and productivity, not for information capturing.
hawkharris 13y ago
The photograph in that article contained such a powerful dose of hipster that it transformed my laptop into a pair of skinny jeans.
- sitkack 13y ago
  http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-pda http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-...
dclara 13y ago
It's amazing. It record tasks, notes and ideas, especially it shows the battery life on the corner to indicate that the week is burning out. Unfortunately, there are only four days in a week. Depending on how many days you are working, maybe four days is enough. Or if you work for seven days a week, you can use the note page for additional days and leave the last page for notes. This way, we can physically count the number of days in a week passed, so quickly.
bdunn 13y ago
I've tried just about every web/mobile/desktop todo list out there, and always end up back at pen and paper. Every night, I list out the things I want to get done the next day. I strike these tasks out throughout the day as I do them. At night, I destroy the list (burn it if we have a fire going) and make a new list. After writing out "Setup split test experiment on blog CTA" a few nights in row, it becomes painfully obvious that it either needs to get done ASAP or it's not worth it. With software-based todo apps, it's too easy to overload your list, which leads to starting each day depressed over how much you have to do that day.
- dangoor 13y ago
  I've tried just about every todo list app, too. I keep ending up back in Things. I think it's a very personal choice. It's just a matter of finding a style that works for you.
codex 13y ago
Writing is better than typing in many ways. It engages the mind more, while at the same time calming it.
Aardwolf 13y ago
Really, those coffee cup + pair of glasses + partial macbook photos still haven't gotten out of fashion?
- domainkiller 13y ago
  It might be, but when my daughter showed me the photograph she took - I was sold. She's 15.
skywhopper 13y ago
... because for all of the advances in computer technology, writing on paper is still a superior user interface for a multitude of purposes.
pattisapu 13y ago
Scribbling my tasks on the back of an envelope or receipt or whatever and keeping it in my pocket somehow makes the tasks more immediate or urgent feeling with their physical presence, however small, and the urge to physically scratch them off (satisfying) and ultimately throw away the scrap of paper (very satisfying) can occasionally be the straw that breaks the camel's back to get up and get the thing done!
aymeric 13y ago
The folding mechanism probably came first on http://www.pocketmod.com/ http://www.pocketmod.com/ which allows you to build your own organizer by drag and dropping modules.
- domainkiller 13y ago
  You're 100% right. However, I wasn't happy with their final product.
jasonlotito 13y ago
For those interested in a system: http://www.bulletjournal.com/ http://www.bulletjournal.com/
INTPenis 13y ago
For myself I think paper might work better at remembering the task. Because I've always remembered things better if I write them down with my own hand.
- jamesbritt 13y ago
  Anecdotally, I find that I think differently if I am just thinking thoughts in my head, vs writing them down on paper, vs typing on a keyboard, vs writing them on a whiteboard while standing, vs speaking to someone, vs speaking into a recorder.
dimovich 13y ago
I find that keeping a ziplock with pieces of papers (one task per piece of paper) solves most of my task planning.
trengrj 13y ago
I made my own task manager this weekend: https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus I think that the problem with digital task managers is not that they are worse than paper-based ones, but that a task manager is a very personal thing. Unless you are a programmer it is hard to find one that suits your needs entirely.

51 points by domainkiller 13y ago

jkscm 13y ago

Probably an ad hominem, but why would someone who has over 7000 tweets and who appears to be tweeting every 3 hours need to carry an additional pen + paper. Wouldn't he have his phone anyway? I wonder why are so many "digital natives" still preaching the advantages of pen an paper over digital texts today.

jmduke 13y ago
I mean, that's answered directly in the article: phones run out of battery, Twitter isn't as each to reach for as a notebook. I don't use this guy's specific method, but I've spent the past few months using pen-and-paper as well, and it just works very well for me (using the Bullet Journal technique: bulletjournal.com). I suspect this kind of thing varies wildly from person to person, though.
- _delirium 13y ago
  The other aspect for me is that I can write better on a book with bound paper pages, than I can on a smartphone. I can type much better than either of those input methods, on a proper keyboard. But if I don't have a proper keyboard, I'm more skilled with a pen than with a simulation of a QWERTY keyboard on a 4.5" touchscreen.
  - jkscm 13y ago
    But if you go to a meeting somewhere and you would have to choose between pen/paper or a smartphone which would you choose? Typing speed may not be an advantage of phones [1] but your colleges will not see what you have planned. I could write these thoughts I'm writing right now on paper for myself but I'm "thinking" with you. Maybe it's hard to argue about it because these two things seem superficially similar. But like paperless offices, paperless note taking/planning will win in the end. [1]: to be fair, you have been writing with a pen since you're 5 or 6. Most people never wrote anything on touchscreens bevor 2007.
    - _delirium 13y ago
      If I was at a meeting, I'd certainly write on paper; that's one of the easiest cases! For one, it's more socially acceptable to be writing on a piece of paper than to be looking at a smartphone. When you pull out a smartphone, everyone assumes you're just doing something else (checking email, chatting on IM, whatever).
- wslh 13y ago
  I use a mix: write the "bullet journal" with OneNote, print it, and continue with a pencil.
domainkiller 13y ago
I'm that guy and I always have my phone. But, I'd be willing to bet that from a standstill with nothing in our hands, I could write down a task to my Corbinizer faster than you can find the app, launch it, type it in and save. I was excited about Siri as a final replacement for the Corbinizer, but even now I'd rather not scream my tasks at my phone during a meeting.
moocowduckquack 13y ago
I wonder why are so many "digital natives" still preaching the advantages of pen an paper over digital texts today. Different technologies have different qualities, I still find a small notebook and an A4 zipping folder indispensible. Paper is fast. For idea development, scribbling on lots of paper is still one of the best tools available.
DanBC 13y ago
Pen + paper is freeform - i can include sketches easily. Pen + paper allows me to rip out a sheet and just give someone a note without having to worry about connecting phones or exchanging email addresses. It's just nice to use a different medium sometimes.
gerbal 13y ago
The Affordances of paper are quite significant. We're still years, maybe decades, away from digital technology as easy to use, as intuitive, and adaptable as paper.
faster 13y ago
I read (in a random book, while standing in a bookstore) that handwriting is an integrative activity, where tapping a screen or typing on a keyboard is far less integrative. The book said that people have input (reading, viewing, touching, etc.), processing, and output. When the outut has a focused kinesthetic element (like handwriting does), it integrates the conclusions of the processing into memories and neural connections much more deeply. Can someone who knows about this stuff confirm or deny? Personally, I find writing notes by hand to be satisfying and flexible. Yes, I have a gadget in my pocket and I use it where I know I don't need anything but text or photos. But my first choice for write-once memory is my blank book and a pen.

1qaz2wsx3edc 13y ago

> 1. Forces brevity > 2. It's always available / It never crashes > 3. Awesome Weekly Summary > 4. Take notes anywhere On 1.) This is something ultimately up to oneself, I could have a larger notebook, or use multiple pages. Brevity more over is about self-discipline in accurately describing tasks. It can also be double edged in that not enough information or vagueness may increase effort require. This is something digital tools can help alleviate by allowing for additional information (todos, comments, etc). On 2.) Sure, paper beats the redundancy of digital or online tools, but let's not forget about the power and utility they can provide as well. On 3.) Digital tools by contrast can work around this exceeding well and in detail (calendars, weekly iterations, etc). Finally on 4.) Sure, I won't argue against papers innate redundancy, but I feel like digital services convenience me just as well with mobile & web apps (as long as I can get the full site though :P). Anywho, my long drawn out point is : these strengths can be applied elsewhere, and just as well. For instance, I use Trello as a scratchpad about various things I have going on. I've got about 11 or so person boards. Writing things down and applying a method to limit work in progress is really the corner stone of getting things done in my opinion. Just my two cents.

to3m 13y ago
I agree about the brevity. I don't personally see it as terribly important. As the article points out, once you're in the habit of tracking things, it does mean they absolutely will get done! But to my mind this suggests you should have more space, for keeping track of as many items (large or small) as required, rather than less. (I just maintain an A5 notebook with a list of tasks. I let them build up as required, cross each off once done, and clip the edge of a page once all its tasks are resolved. Makes it easy to find the remaining items.)
- deathspin 13y ago
  It really depends on the individuals learning style. For me, more room for more stuff is not better.
morganherlocker 13y ago
> For instance, I use Trello as a scratchpad about various things I have going on. I've got about 11 or so person boards. Writing things down and applying a method to limit work in progress is really the corner stone of getting things done in my opinion. I use trello extensively. I always have an "In Progress" list and an "On Bat" list. "On Bat" maxes at 5 items, "In Progress" always has two items per person on the board (and it should usually only be one item).

edj 13y ago

I've used Moleskine daily 12-month planners on and off over the years. Effective & stylish. And then easily archived at the end of the year.

joemaller1 13y ago
This makes a lot of sense to me, I'm going to try something similar, thanks.

lvs 13y ago

4 reasons to use a candle-based desk lamp: 1) You have to go to sleep when the candle burns out. 2) You can always get more wax from bees. 3) Gives off a pleasing aroma. 4) Take it anywhere you go!

Aardwolf 13y ago
1) Nah, the glow of my monitor will keep me going

giantrobothead 13y ago

Regardless of how much writing I do on my laptop, I am never without a sketchbook and pen. Indispensable tools.

atmosx 13y ago

I'm 50-50 on this. I try to use the mobile for 2Do, but doesn't work as well as I would like... Especially the part where you have to take a note on the run: No matter how fast you're with your mobile's keyboard you can't beat paper.

cma 13y ago
just get a galaxy note =P

pgsch 13y ago

Paper is great for tracking small things while I'm working in some task, but how do you take paper notes on non-text data like URL's or images..?

dclara 13y ago
I think I'd use it as a reminder for time/task management to boost the daily performance and productivity, not for information capturing.

hawkharris 13y ago

The photograph in that article contained such a powerful dose of hipster that it transformed my laptop into a pair of skinny jeans.

sitkack 13y ago
http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-pda http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-...

dclara 13y ago

It's amazing. It record tasks, notes and ideas, especially it shows the battery life on the corner to indicate that the week is burning out. Unfortunately, there are only four days in a week. Depending on how many days you are working, maybe four days is enough. Or if you work for seven days a week, you can use the note page for additional days and leave the last page for notes. This way, we can physically count the number of days in a week passed, so quickly.

bdunn 13y ago

I've tried just about every web/mobile/desktop todo list out there, and always end up back at pen and paper. Every night, I list out the things I want to get done the next day. I strike these tasks out throughout the day as I do them. At night, I destroy the list (burn it if we have a fire going) and make a new list. After writing out "Setup split test experiment on blog CTA" a few nights in row, it becomes painfully obvious that it either needs to get done ASAP or it's not worth it. With software-based todo apps, it's too easy to overload your list, which leads to starting each day depressed over how much you have to do that day.

dangoor 13y ago
I've tried just about every todo list app, too. I keep ending up back in Things. I think it's a very personal choice. It's just a matter of finding a style that works for you.

codex 13y ago

Writing is better than typing in many ways. It engages the mind more, while at the same time calming it.

Aardwolf 13y ago

Really, those coffee cup + pair of glasses + partial macbook photos still haven't gotten out of fashion?

domainkiller 13y ago
It might be, but when my daughter showed me the photograph she took - I was sold. She's 15.

skywhopper 13y ago

... because for all of the advances in computer technology, writing on paper is still a superior user interface for a multitude of purposes.

pattisapu 13y ago

Scribbling my tasks on the back of an envelope or receipt or whatever and keeping it in my pocket somehow makes the tasks more immediate or urgent feeling with their physical presence, however small, and the urge to physically scratch them off (satisfying) and ultimately throw away the scrap of paper (very satisfying) can occasionally be the straw that breaks the camel's back to get up and get the thing done!

aymeric 13y ago

The folding mechanism probably came first on http://www.pocketmod.com/ http://www.pocketmod.com/ which allows you to build your own organizer by drag and dropping modules.

domainkiller 13y ago
You're 100% right. However, I wasn't happy with their final product.

jasonlotito 13y ago

For those interested in a system: http://www.bulletjournal.com/ http://www.bulletjournal.com/

INTPenis 13y ago

For myself I think paper might work better at remembering the task. Because I've always remembered things better if I write them down with my own hand.

jamesbritt 13y ago
Anecdotally, I find that I think differently if I am just thinking thoughts in my head, vs writing them down on paper, vs typing on a keyboard, vs writing them on a whiteboard while standing, vs speaking to someone, vs speaking into a recorder.

dimovich 13y ago

I find that keeping a ziplock with pieces of papers (one task per piece of paper) solves most of my task planning.

trengrj 13y ago

I made my own task manager this weekend: https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus I think that the problem with digital task managers is not that they are worse than paper-based ones, but that a task manager is a very personal thing. Unless you are a programmer it is hard to find one that suits your needs entirely.