photo credit: ShutterCat7

Planner Investment
$$$- As far as dollars go, the paper based planner can definitely be a lower risk investment. And you have the most flexibility. You can purchase a very inexpensive planner at your local office supply store for under $20 or if you consider yourself a ‘paper-snob’, you can browse places like Franklin Covey, Levenger, or FiloFax.

Time- Again, take some time to make a plan. If you need to account for small increments of time, then a daily planner is for you. Consider turning your simple appointment calendar into an overall planning system. This can ensure that you are spending your time doing what is most productive for you.

What You’ll Love
You can find planners in many formats or combination of formats according to how you use it. They come in so many different colors, shapes, sizes and materials. You can also find calendars or appointment books that incorporate a detailed planning system and time management strategies, such as the Compass Planning System from Franklin Covey or the PlannerPad.

There are also planners that facilitate a healthier lifestyle, like the Prevention or Diabetes Management Day Timers. And, of course, there are tons of accesories to choose from like dividers and pockets, photo, pda or business card holders, etc. Finally, since my planning system helps me manage my actions, tasks and appointments or events, I find that planning with paper supports the process of goal writing and project planning.

Challenges
Many people like to view their appointments in the context of the week but if you want to see it in a month format, you need to write appointments in two places. If you have ever done this, I don’t have to tell you what can happen when you enter information on the wrong date or worse, forget to enter it and wind up double booking- ugh! In addition, if you would lose your planner, you don’t have a back up copy. Paper planners are not easily shared- if you are not the only person responsible for scheduling, one planner can be annoying and two can be detrimental.

photo credit: Matthew Oliphant

When choosing between computer and paper-based planners, here are a few things to consider:

How often are you on the computer? If you use a computer or smartphone for most of your daily tasks and activities a software based planning system is an option for you.

Are you willing to invest?
Software Investment
$$$- There are tons of great freeware options available but many of them are standalone. In other words, they only provide one function like calendaring, or email or tasks, etc. If you are a small business owner that relies on your planner, email and to-do list, I highly recommend investing in an integrated personal information manager like MS Outlook, Entourage, or Sage’s ACT. The stand-alone price for MS Outlook 2007 is $109.95 and the MS Office Suite ranges from $149-$679 (you could probably do well with the comprehensive small business version which includes word processing, spreadsheet, personal information manager, presentation, desktop publishing and accounting programs). There are also industry specific tools like Top Producer for real estate agents.

Time- I highly urge you to invest some time into learning your system. If you don’t understand it, it won’t facilitate the process and in a few months your software or smartphone will have become another expensive item in the gadget graveyard. I guarantee that if you take the time to learn what you need, you will get a high return on your investment.

Smartphone Investment
$$$- If you are going to use software to manage this information, consider where you do your scheduling. For example, if you work a 9-5 job and mostly schedule appointments at your computer at work and events and limited appointments at home, it makes sense to use software at work and a paper calendar at home. However, I find that it is not frequently the case any longer that our work and home lives don’t overlap. And if you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, or real estate agent, there is constant overlap. You may also want to invest in a smartphone that can sync with your computer, which can range from $99- $400 depending on features, service, discounts and area.

Time- Take the time to MAP it out, Make A Plan! Believe me, I am familiar with the urge to just jump in and do it- and I believe it is a recipe for disaster (ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic here). If you don’t take the time to research your options and make the right purchase for your lifestyle, personality and preferences, you will be in the red on this investment. What features do you need? Which ones would be nice to have? Ask friends and family about there software and smartphones, but dig past emotions and get the facts. What features and functions do they like and dislike?

What You’ll Love
I love the fact that you can easily see your tasks and appointments in the context of a day, week, month, year, or desired date range. If you receive an email re: an appointment, you can simply drag it into your calendar and create an appointment from the email. Then, when you are on the road, you can view the details of the email from your smartphone. You can link appointments to contacts for quick and easy access which works great for conference calls, etc. Of course, you can set up reminders for appointments and tasks which will sync to your smartphone. You can also easily set up recurring or repeating events, i.e. first monday of the month, every 4th thursday, every

Challenges- One of the challenges to using a computer based planning system is mobility. Syncing with a smartphone will help alleviate this challenge. However, mobile data entry can pose a problem for some, especially when information is thrown at you quicker than you can enter it. It is helpful to note that not all smartphones offer the same features. If you haven’t already done so, checkout my free Productivity Toolkit E-course (Look for the signup in the orange box in the top right corner…). In session four, I provide a more detailed overview of smartphone and functionality. For example, some have touchscreens and a stylus, while others like the Motorola Q does not; some have QWERTY keyboards; some are pc based, and so on.

Check back for more info on paper-based planners…

If you haven’t already done so, you will want to choose your planner for 2008 very soon but before you do, here are a few things to consider in the software vs. paper-based planner battle.

Everyone probably assumes that I am going to recommend a computer based planner for all. I admit, I am a big fan of automating things, especially calendaring and managing information. But I have also found that I need to utilize paper for my weekly planning because it supports the creative planning process for me. And overall, I am big proponent of finding what works for you and your lifestyle, personality, and preferences!

Benefits of Automation

• With one click, you can view your calendar in day, week, month, year formats which can help put appointments and tasks in context when scheduling. This eliminates the need to enter appointments in multiple locations as well as the instance of forgetting to input an appointment.
• You can utilize an integrated personal information management system which can allow you to manage email, tasks, calendar and contacts all from one program. Less task switching means higher productivity.
• You have the ability to sync your calendar with a pda, smartphone or online calendar sharing tools.

Benefits of Paper

• Paper has its purpose and is especially good for creative planning.
• It’s easily mobile and doesn’t require syncing.
• It takes no time at all to enter appointments and tasks and there is virtually no learning curve.
• It doesn’t need to be booted up or turned on for easy access.

Either way…

Regardless of which way you decide to go, choose a planner, make it yours and make it your only planner. There are not many individuals who acutally invest in a planning system. Whether on paper or on the computer, you need a planning system that works for you. It doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact, the simpler the better. A system is simply a process that saves you space, time, energy, money, and stress.

Make sure whatever method you choose, you make it simple to store and retrieve information. If you don’t have it handy when you are in the position to schedule an appointment, you risk forgetting about it or double booking.

Check back on Monday to read more on software-based planning systems…