Planner versus laptop: who wins?

When I decided to start Rama Publishing, so many people tried to dissuade me. Their main argument was that people use their phones or laptops to jot down notes rather than a notebook or diary.

Although I will never argue against the fact that the digital world has made our life so much easier, I am a huge believer in the power that lies in using pen and paper. Here's why:

1. A planner helps you focus

When you use your phone or laptop to jot down notes, you are easily distracted. The world is at your fingertips - as soon as your mind wanders you can be opening tab after tab after tab. Before you know it, hours have passed and you are no closer to completing the important work you sat down to do.

2. A planner does not limit your creativity

You can doodle on your laptop but it is usually much easier and quicker to use a pen and paper. You can write text, draw a picture, do some maths - all as quickly as you can think and write. Trying to do the same on a laptop would take much longer, even if you know how all the different programs work.

3. A planner helps you memorise

I always write out my workshops or talks because it helps me memorise my key points. There is something special about the connection between writing and memory. When you write you learn.

4. A planner is a beautiful accessory that can empower you

If you walk around the city of London on a weekday you will see people carrying their notebooks on their way to meetings. I remember my boss choosing her notebook carefully from a wide range before an important meeting. A notebook says a lot about who you are and how seriously you take your work.

5. A planner is personal

Everything you do in your planner is unique to you - it is your handwriting, drawings, and thoughts expressed how your brain thinks them. With a laptop, you are constrained by fonts and programs that present everything in a similar way to everyone else.

Those that know me know that I am never without my planner. There is something magical about the process of thinking and writing that a laptop will never match. Although laptops are great tools, I will never stop using my planner.