Paper or Pixels? Choosing A Productivity Preference

It’s the productivity-junky’s chicken or the egg dilemma; digital vs. hardcopy organizational tools.

As I work on my own organization, I’ve found myself struggling with the decision… should I structure my time and information electronically, or with old fashioned pen and paper?

Digital tools are reaching an amazing point of refinement, more flexible, portable, and intuitive than every before. Electronic organizers encourage logical processes, and the step by step development of thought. Searchable and easy to edit, I can locate and reorganize information in a blink. They don’t collect dust, don’t fall behind the bed, and best of all? I don’t have to try and decipher my handwriting.

But when I need to work out creative ideas, I almost always reach for paper and pen. I tend to remember things I’ve written by hand, a lot more than those things I’ve typed. Having a variety of paper around helps me with sorting ideas, frees up my blocks, and ups creativity, too.

• Spiral notebooks (for jotting down creative ideas)
• Note cards (for throw away lists and reminders)
• 16×20 pads (so I have plenty of room for thoughts and mindmaps)
• Tracing paper (the concept of transparency seems to inspire me)
• Behance Action Pads (for project development/action items)

These uses aren’t codified into rules - in fact I never really thought about how I use these different types of paper, until now.

So which is better? How in the world can I choose? and why should I?

LifeDev beat me to the posting punch with the Paper vs. Digital Tools series, debating the topic and concluding that a combined system is probably the answer for most of us.

After considering the issue? I whole-heartedly agree, and thought I’d spend some time exploring the idea. So read on… but first, the obligatory tweak:

MindTWEAK: Things are rarely black and white.
Don’t forget option C…. All Of The Above

Related Links:

• Paper *AND* Pixels: Combined Productivity Methods In Place
  
• Paper and Pixels: Tips for Combining Methods