Am I over-planning or under-planning to protect myself?
In this episode, we explore the role of self-protection in our relationship with planning.
I’ll break down the patterns of over-planning and under-planning, share the valid reasons behind each, and offer practical strategies to help you move toward a more balanced approach to planning.
What does anti-capitalist goal-setting look like?
In this episode, we reimagine goal-setting through an anti-capitalist lens, giving the traditionally icky SMART goal framework a more compassionate and well-being-centered twist.
I share examples of how to set goals rooted in care, while reminding you that your worth is not measured by what you achieve.
Want to practice setting Anti-capitalist Goals and Plans with me? Grab the Holistic Cylical Planner now: https://www.theholistictimecoach.com/cyclical-planner.
Why does identifying and claiming what I want feel difficult?
In this episode, I talk about the vulnerability of claiming what you truly want.
While goal-setting can stir up fears of failure, judgment, and disappointment, I share personal stories and 4 practical ways to build resilience when facing these emotional challenges.
Frustrated Because To-Do List Tasks Take Too Long? Here's What To Do.
How many times have you said, I'm going to finish something in 30 minutes and it ends up taking all day long?
You end up completely frustrated with yourself, you blame it on yourself…
What if you had the magic secret to estimating how long all your tasks will take you so you don't have to feel behind and flustered ever again?
In this blog post, I'm going to give you the magic secret that you're looking for when it comes to estimating how long things will take for tasks in your business!
Become Aware
First, it's super important to just become aware of, is this problem is happening to you? Do things take way longer than you want them to? It's important to become aware of how you spend your time and what you end up spending your time on for estimating how long things will take you.
When you're not paying attention to how long writing that blog post, scheduling out content for your Instagram or Facebook, interacting with potential clients, then you will continue to be unrealistic about what you put on your to-do list, therefore your output in your business. Which is really the real reason you feel behind, scattered and overwhelmed.
Without becoming aware of how you spend your time, you're going to continue to think that you can send an email newsletter every single week, post every single day on Instagram and Facebook, still have time to polish your offer, attract clients AND do all the other things that actually make your business a business.
How to do that? I would say simple activity, get a time tracker app, get a piece of paper, get an Excel spreadsheet going, whatever fuels your fire. Just pay attention to how long things take you in your business for a week or two.
1.5-2X Rule
The next thing I want to ask you is, are you taking the time to estimate how long things will take you?
For example, a blog post, are you putting that into consideration when you are making a to-do list? OR are you flying by the seat of your pants thinking that you can finish eight things on your to-do list today when in reality, each of them takes HOURS to get done?
If you're saying Becca, I don't know how to estimate how long things will take me... That's why we go back to just becoming aware and keeping track of how long these tasks take you on a normal basis and then you'll have a better idea of it.
But, I'm going to share with you some things that you can do to estimate now without taking the time to track and analyze your time over the span of a week or two.
I want to flip that question on its head, so instead of asking how long will that blog post take me, ask yourself is how long do I want to spend on that blog post?
How long do you want to spend on that task?
When you flip that question on its head, you can't say I don't know anymore!
You have to get specific, do you want to spend eight hours on one blog post? Do you want to spend hours, days, weeks, months, maybe years on a task?
No, probably not. You want to get things done efficiently and effectively so you can continue to grow your business.
Things are going to take eight weeks, months, maybe even years, if you are continuing to pile on more and more and more under your to-do list without estimating how long you want to spend on them.
This is where I share with you my magic trick. After I became more aware of how long things were taking me and I did the whole time tracking activity… I realized that things took me about one and a half or two times as long as I wanted to spend on them or how long I thought they should take.
Thanks to my engineering brain!
So when I'm planning my week, I write my to-do list just like you probably do, and then next to each task, I write how long I want to spend on each thing and then I multiply it by one and a half or two.
For example, since I create YouTube videos, I would love to script a month's worth of videos in an hour but, I think that is a lofty goal. It still takes me a little bit longer than an hour to script four videos, so I'll multiply it by two. Then, I schedule in my calendar two hours to script my YouTube videos for the next month.
This little trick will help you estimate how long things will actually take you so you don't have to feel shame about not getting everything done and being super unrealistic about your to-do list.
Again, this is super individualized so I want to encourage you to go back to the exercise of tracking your time. Maybe writing a blog post or scripting YouTube videos will take you three times as much. Or three and a half when you're just starting out and there's nothing wrong with that.
Try not to get caught up in the hustle culture mindset or mode. When you're just starting your own business, you're learning a ton of new things on the daily! Your brain is on overdrive and so when things take a little bit longer, it's okay.
You just want to estimate realistically so you don't stress yourself out and think that you should be doing more when in reality we're learning, we're getting amazing work done on the time frame that we can. Time management just got a whole lot easier!
Want the exact steps showing you how to curate a calendar that works and feels amazing for YOU?
Check out Soulful Scheduling - a self-paced course for busy adults with limited time.
The perfectionist-procrastination cycle
This leads me into the next topic, which is the perfectionist-procrastination cycle. They are super connected. You might have both, one, or the other but it's really important to talk about this when it comes to estimating how long things will actually take you.
I'm bringing this up because it's a huge cycle that I see with my clients and, while these two topics can be talked about in completely individual videos of themselves, about going into why they're there and how to fix them.
But if you're spending hours writing something because you're a perfectionist and you're pouring all of your heart, energy, and soul into this thing, then you probably are experiencing some sort of perfectionism. You probably want to add that into your magic trick right? Things will probably take 3.5 to 4 times longer. Unless you do the work to figure out why perfectionist tendencies are coming out.
The same thing with procrastination, if you tend to put things off and off and off and you don't end up starting until like an hour or two later, then maybe add that in the time that it takes, so you know what you are spending your 24 hours on.
Granted, those are band-aid solutions. I am NOT talking about how to get to the root of them, lovingly solve them and work through them. These are just simple tips that you can use to estimate and be more realistic about your to-do list. I will be doing a video on both of these things because I used to have both of them! However, if you do want to do a little bit of self-coaching around perfectionist or across procrastination tendencies, feel free to just get out a piece of paper right now, stop reading and just write down. Ask yourself, why do you think that you are being a perfectionist when it comes to this task that you are taking hours and hours on? and why are you procrastinating starting things? Just ask yourself why. That's like the greatest question, how to get down to the root and get closer and closer to healing.
If you feel guilty about pushing your tasks back and back, then you need to check out this other post, “3 things that you miss when you write your to-do list” because that blog is really going to get to the root of why you keep pushing your tasks back and why you feel so overwhelmed and overworked all of the time!
If you love this blog post and you got a super awesome tip from it, feel free to comment that tip below. I would love to get to know how this post helped and how are you going to start implementing this!
What to do when you get frustrated
When faced with the frustration of not finishing tasks on time or struggling to accurately estimate how long tasks will take, it's essential to recognize the interplay between your energy levels and your capacity for focus. Especially for individuals with ADHD, a boring task can induce a state of hypofocus, where dopamine levels plummet, making even simple tasks feel insurmountable.
Rather than berating yourself for not meeting deadlines, consider giving yourself grace. Acknowledge that your brain's innate wiring affects how you engage with tasks, and it’s more than okay to find certain activities draining. Allow yourself to take frequent breaks or switch to a more stimulating (or fun!) task when you notice your focus waning, as this can help recharge your mental energy.
When you get frustrated, I also recommend using it as an opportunity to strengthen your confidence, even if that feels impossible in the moment. Building confidence in your ability to manage your time effectively involves reframing your self-talk. Instead of succumbing to negative thoughts like "I can't do this" or "I'll never finish," challenge those narratives by focusing on small, easily achievable steps.
Remind yourself that progress often comes in increments and that it's perfectly acceptable to start with just a few minutes of focused work. For instance, telling yourself, “I am willing to engage with this task for just ten minutes” can shift your mindset from feeling overwhelmed to one of possibility, potential, and hope. This positive self-talk not only helps lift your confidence but also helps to create a more optimistic environment for task completion.
Finally, it’s vital to cultivate an understanding of your own unique rhythms and limitations. Keep a journal to track your energy levels and how they correlate with different tasks. This would help you gain insight into when you're most productive and feeling the best. And then don't forget to celebrate your successes, no matter how small, to reinforce the positive feedback loop that fuels motivation and focus. By treating yourself with kindness and compassion, you can navigate the challenges of effective time management. Remember that it's not about perfection but about progress.
Want the exact steps showing you how to curate a calendar that works and feels amazing for YOU?
Check out Soulful Scheduling - a self-paced course designed to help you take back control of how you spend your valuable time every day.
What helps me continue despite overwhelming hate?
In this episode, I share how I keep going when faced with the overwhelming political hate that impacts our world.
If you’re feeling exhausted, scattered, or defeated by the weight of it all, this episode is a reminder that your fight for justice, compassion, and authenticity is worth continuing.
10 Best ADHD Tools For Time Management, Productivity, & Organization
Most people talk about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a limitation or problem to fix.
And I get it. Organizing things, planning your day, focusing, and simply time in general can feel overwhelming, frustrating, or impossible.
But I just want to say that you are not a problem. You are not bad or wrong. You don’t need fixing because nothing is wrong with you.
The real problem? Traditional time management tools and strategies weren’t built for your brain. It wasn’t built for the majority of us.
Instead of spending years looking for tools that’ll actually help you, I’ve spent hours scouring the internet for the top 10 ADHD time management tools currently out there.
While I haven’t been officially diagnosed with ADHD, I have had to do quite a bit of work on my relationship with time and productivity. I personally use many of these tools to help me accomplish what I want while maintaining my well-being.
If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD or you have an inkling you may be neurodivergent, these tools and apps are for you. With them, you can strengthen your time management skills and take solid steps toward meaningful, lasting change.
1. Google Calendar
The central, foundational, pivotal ADHD management tool: a planner.
People spend hours and hours trying to find the perfect planner. Once they do? It’s used for a week or two and then completely forgotten about. Many of my time management coaching clients struggle with keeping track of post-its, papers, and their tasks. What do they always have with them? Their phones or computers. That’s why I recommend Google Calendar as #1.
Google Calendar is a free and amazing time-management and scheduling app that will help you visualize the passage and allocation of time and break down big projects into smaller tasks. Time blindness no more!
For someone with ADHD, it’s important to know you have to customize it and use it for your unique brain. After that, you’ll be unstoppable.
Pros: Free, intuitive interface, integration with Google Meet, publish calendars to the web, subscribing to other’s calendars, multiple calendars, ADHD-friendly features like color-coding, focus time, and customizable notifications.
Cons: Need to know how to set it up and use it in a way that works for you, doesn’t integrate with other video conferencing platforms, multiple calendars and mobile can get visually overwhelming.
Price: Free with your Gmail account.
Overall for someone who is always multitasking like me, Google Calendar is a lifesaver and it helps me to manage my routine and time more effectively.
I love how my computer, iPad, and phone have my Google Calendar on there. The syncing is very seamless and it helps me keep track of all meetings and events. You can even sync your Google Calendar with your Apple Calendar!
2. Focus@Will
Music is extremely important to me and my workflow. Instead of heading over to Spotify and taking the time to pick the perfect station, Focus@will does it for me.
Focus@will is a music service based on human neuroscience designed to help you concentrate and reduce distractions. Studies show a 200-400% increase in focus time. On their website, they say that the average productivity in a one-hour focus@will session is 75%.
After logging in to their website, all you do is set a timer, choose the type of music and pace you want, and work until the timer goes off. Once your session is done, they’ll ask you how productive you were. Over time, you’ll be able to see your stats.
They also have this super cute quiz to help you find your ‘perfect flow tunes’.
Pros: Not having to think about what music to put on, tested by scientists, tracks productivity progress, channel specifically for humans with ADHD
Cons: Not that many channels, costs money, time can fly by because you’re super focused
Pricing: $7.49/mo or $52.49/year with a 1-week trial.
I need to listen to Focus@Will right now to work on Computer stuff that I don’t particularly enjoy! And then I’ll have it for Monday morning. I even cook with it. It feels as if it helps reduce my stress levels all day. I really love it and don’t want to live without it. I have tried the 60 beat per minute channels for Concentration and Study on YouTube, but I find this is much better for concentrating, focus and calmness. I am telling everyone about it…. my son has ADHD so I will try to get him on it at least when he’s doing paperwork. Thank you so much for this great programme… we all need it.
This product was exactly what I had been looking to find for years! I had attempted curating my own playlists, downloading my own music and looking up the best study music… but this hands-down is the best piece of software I own! focus@will is an integral part of my small business staff!
3. Memtime
ADHD often affects a person's sense of time, causing someone to struggle to estimate how much time has passed or how long a task should take. Becoming more aware of the passage of time is extremely helpful. That’s why time tracking is often recommended. However, this presents a whole new problem.
Remembering to track your time. And remembering what you did during that time.
That’s why I love Memtime. As an ADHD-friendly time tracker, Memtime records the exact time spent in every program, file, browser tab, or email for you. Then it’ll summarize and display your working day, saving you 75% of your time spent on time tracking.
Pros: Automatic, able to track any program or page you use, offline tool (tracked activities don’t leave users’ devices).
Cons: Fairly expensive, fear of data breaches, and not available as an app on phones or tablets yet.
Price: Free trial for 14 days, after that $14/mo.
“It takes the sting out of time tracking.”
Time tracking was like a part-time job. Now it only takes seconds.
4. Forest
Forest is a fun app that helps you stay focused. Whenever you want (or need) to focus, you plant a tree. Your tree will grow while you focus on your work. If you leave the app to check social media or other distracting apps, the tree withers and dies.
Over time, you turn your accumulated focused moments into a gorgeous forest, unlock new species, and even plant real trees through Trees for the Future. One of their newest features is planting trees with friends, if anyone uses their phone, everyone’s tree will die. Talk about external motivation!
They too have a short quiz to help you find your personal flower. (Maybe you can tell I’m a sucker for cute quizzes!)
Pros: Gamified focus support, supporting a mission-driven organization, personalized ‘Allow Lists’, sharing your forest with friends.
Cons: Need to remember to open the app and use it, only available on iOS and Android, designed for single-task focus.
Price: $3.99 with additional in-app purchases.
"It's great because it works like a phone game, but it's a phone game that gives you time rather than taking it away."
I am someone who struggles tremendously with studying due to my ADHD. This app gives me a time limit that has a tangible consequence for breaking, because the flower or shrub I’m growing will die if I break the rules of the app, and will remain on my forest record forever. I don’t want that to happen, so I follow the rules and do what I set out to do originally. It’s so hard to do things of my own volition, but this app helps. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing at all, so I think it’s worth the download.
5. Cold Turkey
I don’t believe in using my limited capacity to stay off sites and apps that are designed to steal my time and attention. I’d rather use a site like Cold Turkey to block them and use my energy on the things I want to be doing.
That’s why Cold Turkey is my new BFF! It blocks anything from specific websites and applications to the entire internet with a few exceptions. You can even use it to schedule breaks from your entire computer.
They also have two other products, Writer and Micromanager. Writer turns your computer into a typewriter so the only thing you can do is write. Micromanager only lets you use specified work apps and blocks everything else.
Pros: All of your settings and statistics are stored locally on your computer so everything you block is kept private, Donates to the World Wildlife Fund each 10-minute break you take, uses motivational quotes for positive reinforcement.
Cons: Some users may find the interface and settings of Cold Turkey a bit complex or overwhelming initially, primarily operates on desktop platforms (Windows and macOS), if you’re computer savvy you might be able to find a way to override the system.
Price: Free version or Lifetime Pro at $39.
I no longer feel the itching need to check Reddit or Facebook. I feel as if I've been unshackled from my computer.
This is the only thing that finally made me start writing and stop procrastinating and getting distracted all the time on reddit and twitter. I don't use the common website blocker, but the writer one that won't let you get out of the program unless you write certain amount of words, or for some minutes.
6. Chirps
Chirps is an app that will chirp to remind you of whatever you want–what time it is, medicine, meetings, and more. You can schedule 'chirps' to run every x minutes/hours at any time of day.
Pros: Widgets, minimalist interface, fully customizable.
Cons: On Apple products only.
Price: Chirps is a completely FREE app without ads!
Picking up the phone while working from home is risky, there’s SO many distractions. I’m an artist & avid nature lover. It’s absolutely essential for me to track my time and still maintain the flow of my work & immersion. Especially when my hands are covered in paint! This app is perfect for that. It’s also helpful while I hike & workout! This app helps me eliminate that & keep track time so I know when to break for dinner, pick up my kid, or need a break. I never realized how much my grandmother’s wall clock helped regulate my adhd growing up & this is the digital replacement. Thanks for making a simple, polished, user friendly app. Less is truly more—a lost concept with so many developers!
I needed an app to help me drink more water. Everything I looked at wanted to track my water or wouldn’t let me create intervals the way I wanted. This app does exactly what I needed. I set my reminder at the interval of my choosing and I get a little non intrusive buzz to drink water.
Want a calendar that both works and feels amazing?
I got you.
Check out Soulful Scheduling - a self-paced course designed to make getting things done easy peasy.
7. Toby
How many tabs do you have open right now? More than 5-6? Meet Toby. The browser extension over 500,000 people are using to help them organize their tabs.
Toby is a beautifully designed application that can help you search for, quickly identify, and switch between tabs. By grouping your tabs, you’ll decrease cognitive overload (super important!) and be able to focus more on specific topics or tasks.
Pros: Organize and manage your browser tabs effectively, syncs across devices and teams, visual representation of your tabs, making it easy to identify and switch between them quickly, search feature.
Cons: Designed as a browser extension for Google Chrome and Firefox, potential learning curve when initially setting up, requires an internet connection.
Price: Free plan (up to 10 spaces), Productivity Plan @ $4.50 per user/mo, Team Plan @ $6 per user/mo.
Toby has transformed the way I keep myself and my projects organized. I would recommend it to anyone who has endless bookmarks.
Toby is THE BEST at managing numerous tabs, folders, and sessions for your everyday business life. I have multiple businesses and this tool has enabled me to not go insane with all of the tabs and windows that I have open each day. This enables me to have just one window open instead of 5-7 with 5-10 tabs open in each window. Banana's right?! 🤪
8. Goblin.Tools
Guesswork is a huge part of what slows folks with ADHD down. Goblin.Tools is a collection of small, simple, single-task AI-based tools, designed to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming or difficult.
Their tools are delightful. Some are: A Magic Todo list that automatically breaks down tasks into steps, the Estimator that can guess a timeframe for an activity, the Compiler to takes entire braindumps and turns them into actionable tasks, and the Chef, which turns a description of what ingredients and tools you have in your kitchen into a real recipe
Pros: It’s fun, can help take the guesswork out of a lot of things, has a super simple interface.
Cons: Since it’s an AI tool it’s limited in its understanding of some tasks, some of their tools don’t take into account the amount of energy you have at the time, for people who already have a decent productivity stack.
Price: Free and available to all, without ads or paywalls. $0.99 to buy as a mobile app
Neurodivergent folks rave about this app!
Goblin Tools is an AMAZING app for NDs, in particular autistic people and/or ADHDers. I happen to be both (as well as bipolar) and so the struggles with executive dysfunction and social interests are manifold. The app's many tools are all so great, some of which are quite unique. I swear, this is a to-do list app unlike any you've seen. I've tried them all. None of them are designed to tackle executive dysfunction like this.
This is quite literally the best app I’ve ever downloaded on my phone ever and thank you so very much to the developer and all your work, you have really changed my entire daily routine for the better
9. Llama Life
Founded by a human with diagnosed ADHD, Llama Life is an adorable (yet powerful!) tool that supports you in working through your lists.
This app uses a concept called time-boxing, which is setting a fixed amount of time (using a countdown timer) for each task. This creates the mental space to focus on one task at a time. Llama Life has amazing features like soundscapes, templates, and chimes.
Pros: Very nice, clean, simple interface, handy features like presets, shortcuts, and more, and integrates with popular task management tools.
Cons: Only available on web browsers.
Price: $6/month or $39/year with a free 7-day trial.
I’ve managed to finish all my work early today for the first time in days.
I just found out about Llama Life from an ADHD account on Instagram (@ADHDVision) and honestly, it’s a game changer.
10. TimeCap
Why is remembering to work out or floss so hard? TimeCap, also known as ADHD Organizer, Planner: Focus in the app store, is here to help!
This app is a free and easy-to-use habit tracker. TimeCap helps over 10,000 daily users, stay on track with their daily and weekly activities. With many different features, it’s designed with ADHD in mind. You can use it to focus, keep track of workouts, manage diverse passions, maintain essential self-care routines, minimize ‘bad’ habits, and more.
Pro: On Apple and Google, motivating reminders, visually pleasing interface, lots of customization options, easy to use.
Cons: App only.
Price: Free with in-app purchases.
They have great ratings. 4.9 out of 5 on 1.1K Ratings
ADHD approved! I have tried so many habit tracking apps and this is by far the best one. I love the way it looks (simple, sleek, minimalist, but customizable). It doesn’t overwhelm me looking at it. It also doesn’t send me unnecessary notifications”
Download this app immediately. Clean, intuitive interface. Tracks habit building and breaking. Daily task timer. It’s even become my to-do list and reminder app. Can’t speak highly enough of this app and the developer. I had nearly given up.”
How to Actually Get Started Using One of These Tools
Don’t know where to start? Here’s what I recommend: If you need help planning and organizing your day, head over to your Google Calendar. Need help building healthy habits, download TimeCap. If you're trying to nip distractions in the bud, check out Focus@will, Forest, or Cold Turkey. Feeling overwhelmed? Experiment with Llama Life, Toby, or Goblin.Tools. And if you have no idea where your time goes during the day, purchase Memtime or download Chirps.
You can also use more than one tool. I use four of these tools myself. When I’m working with 1:1 time management coaching clients, I recommend starting small and slow. Pick the one thing that you need right now and build from there. It can be really easy to go overboard and have trouble committing and remembering to come back to these tools.
Approaching it this way has greatly helped them feel better about themselves, get organized, and make more space for activities they enjoy.
Remember, we aren’t born knowing how to organize and manage our time. It’s a learned skill for all of us.
You deserve to live your most productive life (WITHOUT feeling burned out!).
Soulful Scheduling is all about showing you exactly how to structure, organize, and run your digital calendar (think Google Calendar). Grab it today!
Paper Planner vs Digital Planner vs Google Calendar: What's Best?
Your time is the most precious resource in the world, and how you spend it matters a whole lot — Whether you have a business, a boss, a kid, a partner, or not.
Every day is filled with different responsibilities and tasks whether you expect them or not. It’s also so important to make space to create, rest, and experience joy.
Hence the need for a good tool to help you organize your time and tasks!
The world agrees – the planning market size is estimated to be worth US $1.3 billion in 2023 and the productivity technology industry is estimated at US $58.88 billion in 2023. Both industries expect high growth over the next 10 years or so.
Finding the right tool to help you effectively accomplish everything you need so you can live the life you want is important.
Unfortunately finding which one works best for you – your unique life, mind, body, and soul is the challenge.
This article will give you everything you need to know about paper planning, digital planners, and digital calendars like Google Calendar so you can make the best decision for your own life.
What is a paper planner? A digital planner? A digital calendar like Google Calendar?
Paper planner
A traditional paper planner is a tangible place for you to put pen to paper and physically write down your plans, long-term goals, and to-do lists. There are a million different paper planners out there. They come in all different sizes, shapes, styles, and types of content.
Digital planner
A digital planner is a digital version of a paper planner. They’re usually interactive PDFs that can be written on using a tablet or device. Again, tons of different digital planners out there.
Digital calendar
A digital calendar is a sort of subset of digital planners. However, the difference is you’re directly planning and keeping track of your to-do’s in your digital calendar. There are a few main digital calendar tools out there, including the massively popular Google Calendar.
All three types of planners have different benefits and can come in daily planning, weekly planning, monthly planning, or annual planning - or a mix of these in one perfect planner!
The pros and cons of a paper planner
Pros of a paper planner
Tech and screen-free. You don’t need any tech know-how or additional time on your screen. Simply open up the planner, pick up your pen, and write.
Range of customization. Some planners, like bullet journaling, are essentially blank pages for you to completely make yours. Other paper planners don’t allow for much customization, so you’ll want to make so the content works for your life.
Creativity. If you love to be creative and artistic, using a customizable paper planner may be a creative outlet and a great way to use beautiful pens, tape, stickers, and more.
Better memory. Writing things by hand (versus typing) improves memory and learning.
Strong dopamine hit. When you physically cross off a completed task on paper, it feels really good! It may just be stronger than crossing things off in your digital planner because it’s tactile.
Keepsake. A tangible way to celebrate your progress, look back at how you spent your time and reflect on the kind of person you were at the time.
Cons of a paper planner
Inconvenience. A planner is an additional item to remember to bring and carry around with you, which you have to do if you want it to be effective. It means you also need to carry a pen and other stationary tools if you use them. It can also be bulky if you like to separate work and life into two planners, plus journals and other books.
Lack of reminders. You’ll be responsible for regularly checking your paper planner throughout each day to make sure you are doing what you planned to do. Reminders are really important for people with “time blindness”, often folks who are super busy or are neurodivergent.
Not collaborative. Paper planners can’t be integrated into company workflows and other apps or shared with others you need to communicate your plans to.
Range of customization. As much as it is a pro, it’s also a con. If you buy a planner designed by someone else, the content or vibe might not work for you.
Time-consuming. It takes a lot of time to make a paper planner look nice to you, find the information you need, and migrate information across months or years.
Un-editable. It’s difficult to correct mistakes that will inevitably happen. Especially if you’re using pen or markers.
Expensive. You need to buy a new planner each year (or quarter depending on the planner). And quality planners and stationery cost a decent bit of money.
Not eco-friendly. Paper is made from trees, and pens and markers are plastic. And you have to buy a new one each year (or quarter).
Damage-able. If you lose your planner or it gets damaged, there is no backup. Some pens and highlights can ghost or bleed ruining pages.
The pros and cons of a digital planner
Pros of a digital planner
Range of customization. You can create, design, and even sell your own digital planning tool so it meets all of your unique needs.
Save money & the earth. Digital planners are either free or come at a one-time cost, and there is no need to replace a digital planner.
Highly editable. It’s super easy to fix mistakes, edit details, and reschedule things as life comes up.
Efficiency. Once you have a page set up that works you can just copy and paste it within minutes to reuse each week/month. It’s also easy to find information using hyperlinks and search features, as well as migrating information.
Backed up. A digital planner is often backed up and saved on the interwebs.
Aesthetic for the less creative. If you don’t like handwriting (or your handwriting), you can pick really pretty fonts. You can also add aesthetic details like colors, themes, and digital stickers.
Shareable. You can easily share your plans with other people.
Mobile. You can access your planner whenever you have your phone or another device on you. If you like to use separate planners for work and personal it is so easy to have both on your device.
Cons of a digital planner
Tech requirements. Need an electronic device. Often for digital planners, you’ll want to use a tablet with a digital writing tool.
Can be expensive if you don’t already have a device (most used is a tablet and stylus). Also, most people selling digital planners have a no-return or refund policy.
Learning curve. If you aren’t familiar with the tech, app, or program behind your digital planner, there will be some time spent learning it. Also, writing with a stylus can take some practice.
Distractible. Can be easy to get distracted when on a device with social media, emails, and other apps.
Battery. If your device isn’t charged, you can’t access your planner.
Wifi. Depending on the technology, you might need wifi to access, edit, or use your planner.
Screen time. It’s adding to your daily screen time which can affect your physical and mental health.
Technical issues. If you are not a fan of tech, digital planners can feel like a challenge. For example, you’ll want to make sure the devices you use (if you have more than one), you’ll want to synchronize them or things might fall through the cracks. You’ll also need to update apps/tech and back up your files.
Privacy. Personal details, plans, goals, and schedules may be vulnerable to data breaches.
The pros and cons of a digital calendar
Pros of a digital calendar
Time awareness. Writing out a plan or to-do list is good, but we often add too much to our plate because we aren’t estimating how long things will take us. A digital calendar will help you plan and create to-do lists more realistically because you’re attaching a time container to it.
Time-blocking. One super popular time management technique, time blocking, is the easiest to do with a digital calendar. That’s because you can quickly carve out chunks of time for certain tasks, making it easy to see them visually, easy to change if need be, and easy to stick to.
Accountability. You can use your digital calendar to hold you accountable and strengthen your follow-through muscles.
Some customization. You can customize your digital calendar in terms of colors, event names, and views. There are also many features and settings that make your digital calendar feel more custom.
Collaborative. Not only is it shareable across your devices and with others, but you can also collaborate with family members, team members, or clients on your schedule or appointments.
Increased focus. You can use your digital calendar to block off time (either for yourself or for your team) to focus on priority tasks without interruption.
Save money & the earth. Digital calendars can be free if you’re using the calendar that comes with your email address (there are some that cost money out there… an article on this coming soon). There’s also no need to replace a digital calendar, you just keep using it! While devices are using earth’s resources, you most likely already have a phone and computer.
Highly editable. It’s super easy to edit details, reschedule things as life comes up, and fix mistakes without leaving a mess behind.
Efficiency. Once you have a schedule that works or an event that regularly happens, you simply repeat it. You can also add useful attachments and links to elevate scheduled events.
Backed up. A digital calendar is backed up and saved on the interwebs without thinking about it.
Mobile. You can access your digital calendar whenever you have your phone or another device on you. If you like to use separate planners for work and life it is so easy to have both on your device.
Reminders. Setting up alerts and reminders for important events will help you stay on track and worry less if you’re late or you over-scheduled yourself.
Already using it. You’re most likely already using your digital calendar for some events whether your clients or appointments with others. If you’re already using Apple Calendar or Google Calendar and want to sync them, that’s easy!
Views. You can see your time from a day, week, month, and year allowing you to see a lot much further ahead into the future. Additionally, you can add everything into your calendar for your work and your life in one place but toggle on and off the calendars.
Planning to use a digital calendar like Google Calendar, but don’t know where to start?
Take it from an expert - you don’t want to go in blind!
Check out Soulful Scheduling - a self-paced course designed to help you curate a calendar that both feels and works amazingly.
Cons of a digital calendar
Tech requirements. You’ll need an electronic device and an email address to access a free digital calendar. You can use a computer or phone.
Can be expensive if you don’t already have a device (the most used device is a computer).
Distractible. Can be easy to get distracted when on a device with social media, emails, and other apps.
Battery. If your device isn’t charged, you can’t access your planner.
Wifi. Depending on the technology, you might need wifi to access, edit, or use your planner.
Screen time. It’s adding to your daily screen time which can affect your physical and mental health.
Technical issues. If you are not a fan of tech, digital calendars might feel like a challenge. For example, you’ll want to make sure the devices you use (if you have more than one), you’ll want to synchronize them or things might fall through the cracks.
Privacy. Personal details, plans, goals, and schedules may be vulnerable to data breaches.
Which one will work best for me?
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding if a paper planner, digital planner, or digital calendar is best. Instead, it’s all about which option will work best for YOU – your unique life, mind, body, and soul.
My recommendation is to pick the 3 most important things for you, read over the pros and cons, then pick ONE place that you believe will help you keep your good habits going, easily stay organized, and accomplish your tasks and goals.
For example, the most important things for me are reminders, edit-ability, and being realistic with my plans. Going back through the pros and cons, the digital calendar checks off all of these.
You can, however, find a way to collaborate with both paper and digital planning as long as you’ve chosen one central place to store things. If you use both, it will be entirely too time-consuming and won’t make you feel more organized.
Personally, I regularly journal so I’ll use paper to mind map projects and write lists when I’m particularly overwhelmed. Aside from that, I use my digital calendar for everything and recommend it to everyone no matter who they are or what they.
I no longer operate from a to-do list, which 5 years ago me would’ve laughed at. 🤣
Use your Digital Calendar like the complex, beautiful human you are. Start living the life you want.
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