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Photo by Jared Weedon, commissioned work
Whether you use pen and paper or rely on digital tools, there will be times a reset is in order. In this post I’ll be focusing on how simplifying the tools you’re most comfortable with can help bring intentionality and clarity to a busy life, and reduce feelings of overwhelm.
I love writing about both apps and the sustainable and creative ways I use paper, but want to be clear that while this is flexible, it’s not a flex. I’m not bragging that my body cooperates with writing on paper, if yours doesn’t.
Some of my readers have vision, mobility, motor control, or pain issues (here’s one, on Medium), and can feel excluded or marginalised by well meaning analog-promoters.
If paper and pen aren’t an option for you, feel free to skip the next section and read the rest for tips that apply to any tool.
It’s good to see my hand drawn weekly planner waiting there, patiently, for its time in the sun. It covers June to December this year.
Each day in the weekly spread begins with space for three main tasks, then the hourly agenda, then space for lesser priority tasks and notes. Tasks for the day draw on my paper notes, project pages in Obsidian, and text files of tasks which currently live in Journelly (capture) and Beorg (organise).
I use my Beorg agenda and weekly paper planner1 to identify and isolate the two to three most important tasks for the day.
On occasion my daily plans are entirely digital, or I might scribble a few guiding words or pictures down on the next page in the wad of scrap paper I always have with me. Some days I don’t plan at all, on paper or otherwise, taking each hour as it comes. The world hasn’t ended because I don’t always have a neat daily plan in one consistent tool, which I take as a sign that it’s okay to let go of the reins every now and then.
Curtis McHale shared some thoughts worth reading this past week on old tools that still work, and analogue2 tools like pen and paper. “I think we should stick with what works,” he says, “instead of constantly looking for something new.” I couldn’t agree more!
He goes on to say that
One of the strong benefits of an analogue system is that it defaults to no in that if you don’t move a task forward it’s not on your list.
True.
Now I’d like to expand on that idea by saying that as good as analogue tools are (in this case, writing plans down on paper), they aren’t the only way to slow down and bring that manual element into play.
Remember that tools which require working eyes and steady, pain-free hands (or feet3), are just one way to step back from the often unnecessary complexity of digital apps.
When paper and pen isn’t an option (and even when it is), a simple text file can function brilliantly as your down-to-earth task list, weekly planner, interstitial journal, or project management space.
You’re looking for an oasis. Things that mean something to you, placed somewhere outside of your brain.
It will be an expanse where you can examine your externalised plans and ruminations, and mentally walk amongst them without any danger of interruption or interference from notifications. If your oasis is in the digital realm, you may need to turn on airplane mode to preserve this kind of peace.
“Plain text” means any file that can be saved with the .txt4 format, that contains only human readable text, with no hidden formatting.
Plain text files aren’t tied to a proprietary format like Word docs are; they can be opened by many applications. It is one of the most accessible, adaptable planning options you will ever find.
The point is not to seek a specific file extension, .txt or otherwise; it’s to create a space with no links, no automations, no badges, popups, or notifications. A wonderful space where it’s just you and what you’re writing, nothing else.
The kind of text tool you choose doesn’t matter, but it can be helpful to pick one that you don’t associate with a particular mindset or work duties.
I love Obsidian and work with it daily, but when I need a reset I’ll reach for Mac’s own TextEdit, or a code editor like Zed. Zed is great here not because of what it can do (I’m not a coder), but because it’s not VS Code and therefore doesn’t subtly remind me that I’m behind on updating my plain text accounting records.
Drafts and Journelly5 are my scratch pads of choice on iOS. Drafts may not store notes in a .txt format, but it’s easy to use for simple planning and it does a great job with being accessible via screen readers to vision impaired people.
Following are some of my favourite ways to use either simple apps or paper (or both) to recalibrate my stress and anxiety meter.
The Top Three Make a list containing only the top three things that need doing today. Don’t refer to any other lists until those are done, or well underway.
The Agenda Review Write out an agenda for the next week or month to map out the overall picture of what’s coming up. Yes, I know you have a digital calendar already. Type or write it out anyway. It’s a good way to see the lay of the land and work out strategies for navigating the path ahead.
The 3-Step Brain Dump
Tools for making manual, non-mechanical marks on paper are, after all, just tools. They aren’t the only portal to a more mindful writing or planning experience.
The important thing is to get in tune with what works for you within your individual mental, emotional, and physical abilities, and reject every notion that there’s a right way, a best way, or only one way to do things.
One last thing: a reminder to always include ALT text when posting pictures online!
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I also keep a digital calendar plus a monthly spread in my paper planner, and a wall calendar for the rest of the (intergenerational) family to refer to. This kind of overlap works for me but will be unnecessary if just one or two can meet your needs.↩︎
Feet writing is a skill some use from necessity (emrrowley) or curiosity (Annie).↩︎
I’ve read this guide and still feel thoroughly confused about when to use analog or analogue! My un approach is to sprinkle both around with wanton abandon in the hope I get it right, somewhere in the world, at least half of the time.↩︎
There are other plain text formats, including .md, .org, .csv, .xml, and .tex. What they all have in common is that if you rename them to .txt, they’ll still open just fine, because plain text is readable no matter the extension.↩︎
Journelly is pricey and there are certainly free ways to keep simple notes in a similar manner, but it’s worth it to me. If you’d like to try Journelly to see if it might be a good fit for you, contact the developer and ask to be added to the Test Flight group. Click here to read my review.↩︎
