The Benefits of a Physical Planner to Write Goals Vs. Using a Digital App

by Guest Writer Nicole Garrison

Technology has slipped in every crack of our daily lives, and we often forget that there are other choices. With so many apps for writing goals, people rarely think about getting a physical planner. But is the digital app such a must?

Despite the lucrative benefits of digital planning and goal-setting apps, the physical planner still hasn’t lost that battle. It still has so much to offer, but unfortunately, the advantages of physical planners are insufficiently discussed.

We want to give you a fresh perspective on the whole “physical planner vs. digital app” situation. Here are a few reasons why physical planners can be the perfect place for writing down your goals.

Step Away from the Screen

Studies have shown that excessive screen time damages the brain. Should we even ask how much time a day you spend staring at a screen?

Mobile phones, TVs, laptops, tablets, and other digital devices have become a regular part of our day. Some people spend more time looking at a screen than giving their eyes and brain a rest.

Maybe you can’t protest against using a computer at work, but you can decrease screen time in other aspects of your life. Goal setting and planning are two examples.

Allow your brain to take a rest from the screen. Let the physical planner be your escape from the gadgets.

Decrease Stress

Writing about positive emotions can help with reducing stress and anxiety, according to a study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. What are goals other than positive thoughts about improving your future?

There is something about writing that shuts down the thoughts that cause you to stress and makes you focus on what you want to write about. When you have to focus on your hand movement, on how to organize your writing, and what you plan to write, there’s little room for stress.

Writing in a physical planner can be some sort of meditation. You’ll be mindful of that moment and release the tension.

Keep the Distractions Away

When you take a planner in your hands, there are just you two at that moment. Your focus is solely dedicated to the goals you want to write down.

“Using a digital app can’t provide you with a kind of tranquility. On the other hand, writing your goals on the phone comes with notifications, messages, or calls that can easily disrupt you,” said Diana Adjadj, a writer at TrustMyPaper and devoted fan of physical planners.

A simple push notification that a friend liked your photo on Instagram can lead to hours of scrolling your feed. But didn’t you plan to do something else? Oh yeah, you were supposed to be focusing on your goals.

A physical planner allows you to take time off from all the dings and rings that come with using a phone.

Improve Your Focus and Memory

You might have heard that writing things down helps with remembering things, and beware – this is not a myth!

Writing stimulates brain cells that help you with increasing focus and memory. This is something that typing can’t provide you with.

Why not train your brain muscles and build your focus on your goals at the same time?

Writing is a much more engaging activity since handwriting demands more movements, so it “leaves a motor memory in the sensorimotor part of the brain,” says Dr. Virginia Berniger, a professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Washington.

Have Unlimited Flexibility

Digital apps are pretty straightforward. You have lists, and you type your goals within those lists. That’s it.

On the other hand, a physical planner gives you all the freedom in the world. Customize it to fit your personality.

Write wherever you want and however you feel like. You can make lists, create tables, or write short stories about your ideal future. Moreover, you can draw or add pictures that will give you a motivational boost for accomplishing your goals.

Maybe you have some papers or memories you want to tuck in your planner to serve as a reminder of what you want to improve.

If you feel like it, you can even team up with writing services such as Supreme Dissertations that can help you come up with great quotes or edit your goal ideas. This kind of professional touch is something that perfectionists can find very appealing.

A physical planner lets you play around and express yourself. There is no strict form like with digital apps.

Have a Consistent Reminder

A planner can be a timeless keeper of your goals and achievements.

Phones can break down, apps can bore us with time, but a planner will always be physically present to remind you of your goals.

It’s so easy to forget to use an app. You skip one day of revising your goals, then another, and another. Before you know it, you’ll be uninstalling the app since you haven’t used it for months.

However, if you keep your planner on your bedside table, it will always be there to remind you to use it. With time, it will become a healthy habit and an inevitable part of your life.

Final Thoughts

The best way to evaluate the above-mentioned benefits of using a physical planner is to give it a try. You have to experience that feeling of writing down your goals to know what we are talking about.

Allow a physical planner to prove to you that there is still something about old-school writing. It still has a charm that digital apps can’t provide you with.