The Great Planner Debate: Digital Calendar vs. Paper

The Planning Debate: Why I Use Both a Digital Calendar and a Paper Planner

I’m biased—I’ll admit it. I’ve always been a paper person. My brain just processes things better when I write things down.

And guess what? Science agrees.

Research shows that physically writing things down stimulates different areas of the brain than typing. It enhances creativity, learning, and memory in ways that typing just doesn’t.

Now, I’m not here to guilt you into buying a paper planner using science (although it’s tempting!). What I really want to share is how my mindset has shifted over the last year.

Historically, I revolted against digital tools like a digital calendar. But my husband convinced me it’s not an either-or situation. Instead of replacing my paper planner, my phone’s calendar has become a complementary tool.

After using both for a year, I can confidently say this: they’re apples and oranges. Both are valuable, just in different ways.

What I Love About My Phone’s Calendar:

1. Collaboration: Sharing my schedule with family and having access to theirs makes life so much easier. It’s perfect for keeping track of everyone’s appointments, activities, and events in one place.

2. Reminders: Without notifications, I’d miss half my appointments. My phone’s notifications can definitely be a lifesaver.

While I’m sure there are other functions I’m not using, those are the two reasons I use a digital Calendar.

It excels at scheduling, but it doesn’t fulfill my creative needs—or help me track my wellness and long-term goals.

That’s why I still rely heavily on my paper Nourished Planner.

What I Love About My Paper Planner:

1. Creativity: My ideas flow best with pen and paper. The Nourished Planner is designed with this in mind—ample white space, bullet journaling pages, and project planners give me room to brainstorm, dream, and make plans.

2. To-Do Lists: Writing tasks down makes them tangible, and checking them off feels even better. The Nourished Planner helps me take my big dreams and break them into actionable steps I can accomplish daily.

3. Wellness Tracking: Life isn’t just about tasks—it’s about energy, health, and balance. With pages for meal planning, movement goals, and habit tracking, the Nourished Planner helps me stay on track with my health, which ultimately fuels everything else.

4. Reflection: Digital calendars don’t encourage reflection. The Nourished Planner includes space to look back at accomplishments, reevaluate priorities, and carry forward what matters most.

5. All-in-One Simplicity: Perhaps my favorite perk — no apps, no logins, no endless tabs. Everything is in one place, integrating work, home, health, and life seamlessly. It’s a one-stop shop!

I could keep going, but the list could get long.

The Verdict:

It’s really not a competition—it’s collaboration.

My Phone’s Calendar handles my appointments, but my Nourished Planner is where I create, dream, and grow.

I know, no one likes a tie. I feel you booing me on the inside. So, if I had to choose, I’d for sure pick my paper planner every time (bias fully admitted!).

Want to see what I mean?

Try it out for yourself! We’ve created a Nourished Planner sample for December 2024. Print it out, test it for a month, and see how it works for you.

Don’t Miss the 25% Off Sale!

Now’s the time to make 2025 your year of wellness! For a limited time, 25% off your Nourished Planner, PLUS get 50% off all accessories.

The sale ends Wednesday, December 4th, at 11:59 pm.

🛒 Shop the Nourished Planner and Save

I’d love to hear from you! Are you Team Paper, Team Digital, or Team Both? Reply and let me know.

Here’s to planning—and living—well!

P.S. While you are picking out your planner, be sure to get 50% off all accessories as well! The Shopping List Stickies are perfect to keep in your planner and take with you when you’re ready to go to the store.