
Reasons to use a paper-based task manager - domainkiller
http://blog.icorbin.com/why-i-use-a-tiny-paper-based-task-manager/
======
lvs
4 reasons to use a candle-based desk lamp:

1) You have to go to sleep when the candle burns out.

2) You can always get more wax from bees.

3) Gives off a pleasing aroma.

4) Take it anywhere you go!

~~~
Aardwolf
1) Nah, the glow of my monitor will keep me going

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bdunn
I've tried just about every web/mobile/desktop todo list out there, and always
end up back at pen and paper.

Every night, I list out the things I want to get done the next day. I strike
these tasks out throughout the day as I do them. At night, I destroy the list
(burn it if we have a fire going) and make a new list. After writing out
"Setup split test experiment on blog CTA" a few nights in row, it becomes
painfully obvious that it either needs to get done ASAP or it's not worth it.

With software-based todo apps, it's too easy to overload your list, which
leads to starting each day depressed over how much you have to do that day.

~~~
dangoor
I've tried just about every todo list app, too. I keep ending up back in
Things.

I think it's a very personal choice. It's just a matter of finding a style
that works for you.

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1qaz2wsx3edc
> 1\. Forces brevity

> 2\. It's always available / It never crashes

> 3\. Awesome Weekly Summary

> 4\. Take notes anywhere

On 1.) This is something ultimately up to oneself, I could have a larger
notebook, or use multiple pages. Brevity more over is about self-discipline in
accurately describing tasks. It can also be double edged in that not enough
information or vagueness may increase effort require. This is something
digital tools can help alleviate by allowing for additional information
(todos, comments, etc).

On 2.) Sure, paper beats the redundancy of digital or online tools, but let's
not forget about the power and utility they can provide as well.

On 3.) Digital tools by contrast can work around this exceeding well and in
detail (calendars, weekly iterations, etc).

Finally on 4.) Sure, I won't argue against papers innate redundancy, but I
feel like digital services convenience me just as well with mobile & web apps
(as long as I can get the full site though :P).

Anywho, my long drawn out point is : these strengths can be applied elsewhere,
and just as well. For instance, I use Trello as a scratchpad about various
things I have going on. I've got about 11 or so person boards. Writing things
down and applying a method to limit work in progress is really the corner
stone of getting things done in my opinion. Just my two cents.

~~~
to3m
I agree about the brevity. I don't personally see it as terribly important. As
the article points out, once you're in the habit of tracking things, it does
mean they absolutely will get done! But to my mind this suggests you should
have more space, for keeping track of as many items (large or small) as
required, rather than less.

(I just maintain an A5 notebook with a list of tasks. I let them build up as
required, cross each off once done, and clip the edge of a page once all its
tasks are resolved. Makes it easy to find the remaining items.)

~~~
deathspin
It really depends on the individuals learning style. For me, more room for
more stuff is not better.

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jkscm
Probably an ad hominem, but why would someone who has over 7000 tweets and who
appears to be tweeting every 3 hours need to carry an additional pen + paper.

Wouldn't he have his phone anyway? I wonder why are so many "digital natives"
still preaching the advantages of pen an paper over digital texts today.

~~~
jmduke
I mean, that's answered directly in the article: phones run out of battery,
Twitter isn't as each to reach for as a notebook.

I don't use this guy's specific method, but I've spent the past few months
using pen-and-paper as well, and it just works very well for me (using the
Bullet Journal technique: bulletjournal.com). I suspect this kind of thing
varies wildly from person to person, though.

~~~
_delirium
The other aspect for me is that I can write better on a book with bound paper
pages, than I can on a smartphone. I can _type_ much better than either of
those input methods, on a proper keyboard. But if I don't have a proper
keyboard, I'm more skilled with a pen than with a simulation of a QWERTY
keyboard on a 4.5" touchscreen.

~~~
jkscm
But if you go to a meeting somewhere and you would have to choose between
pen/paper or a smartphone which would you choose?

Typing speed may not be an advantage of phones [1] but your colleges will not
see what you have planned. I could write these thoughts I'm writing right now
on paper for myself but I'm "thinking" with you.

Maybe it's hard to argue about it because these two things seem superficially
similar. But like paperless offices, paperless note taking/planning will win
in the end.

[1]: to be fair, you have been writing with a pen since you're 5 or 6. Most
people never wrote anything on touchscreens bevor 2007.

~~~
_delirium
If I was at a meeting, I'd certainly write on paper; that's one of the easiest
cases! For one, it's more socially acceptable to be writing on a piece of
paper than to be looking at a smartphone. When you pull out a smartphone,
everyone assumes you're just doing something else (checking email, chatting on
IM, whatever).

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hawkharris
The photograph in that article contained such a powerful dose of hipster that
it transformed my laptop into a pair of skinny jeans.

~~~
sitkack
[http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-
hipster-...](http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-pda)

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dclara
It's amazing. It record tasks, notes and ideas, especially it shows the
battery life on the corner to indicate that the week is burning out.
Unfortunately, there are only four days in a week. Depending on how many days
you are working, maybe four days is enough. Or if you work for seven days a
week, you can use the note page for additional days and leave the last page
for notes. This way, we can physically count the number of days in a week
passed, so quickly.

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giantrobothead
Regardless of how much writing I do on my laptop, I am never without a
sketchbook and pen. Indispensable tools.

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Aardwolf
Really, those coffee cup + pair of glasses + partial macbook photos still
haven't gotten out of fashion?

~~~
domainkiller
It might be, but when my daughter showed me the photograph she took - I was
sold. She's 15.

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aymeric
The folding mechanism probably came first on
[http://www.pocketmod.com/](http://www.pocketmod.com/) which allows you to
build your own organizer by drag and dropping modules.

~~~
domainkiller
You're 100% right. However, I wasn't happy with their final product.

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pattisapu
Scribbling my tasks on the back of an envelope or receipt or whatever and
keeping it in my pocket somehow makes the tasks more immediate or urgent
feeling with their physical presence, however small, and the urge to
physically scratch them off (satisfying) and ultimately throw away the scrap
of paper (very satisfying) can occasionally be the straw that breaks the
camel's back to get up and get the thing done!

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edj
I've used Moleskine daily 12-month planners on and off over the years.
Effective & stylish. And then easily archived at the end of the year.

~~~
joemaller1
This makes a lot of sense to me, I'm going to try something similar, thanks.

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trengrj
I made my own task manager this weekend:
[https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus](https://github.com/trengrj/autofocus)

I think that the problem with digital task managers is not that they are worse
than paper-based ones, but that a task manager is a very personal thing.
Unless you are a programmer it is hard to find one that suits your needs
entirely.

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codex
Writing is better than typing in many ways. It engages the mind more, while at
the same time calming it.

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atmosx
I'm 50-50 on this. I try to use the mobile for 2Do, but doesn't work as well
as I would like... Especially the part where you have to _take a note_ on the
run: No matter how fast you're with your mobile's keyboard you can't beat
paper.

~~~
cma
just get a galaxy note =P

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INTPenis
For myself I think paper might work better at remembering the task. Because
I've always remembered things better if I write them down with my own hand.

~~~
jamesbritt
Anecdotally, I find that I think differently if I am just thinking thoughts in
my head, vs writing them down on paper, vs typing on a keyboard, vs writing
them on a whiteboard while standing, vs speaking to someone, vs speaking into
a recorder.

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pgsch
Paper is great for tracking small things while I'm working in some task, but
how do you take paper notes on non-text data like URL's or images..?

~~~
dclara
I think I'd use it as a reminder for time/task management to boost the daily
performance and productivity, not for information capturing.

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skywhopper
... because for all of the advances in computer technology, writing on paper
is still a superior user interface for a multitude of purposes.

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jasonlotito
For those interested in a system:

[http://www.bulletjournal.com/](http://www.bulletjournal.com/)

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dimovich
I find that keeping a ziplock with pieces of papers (one task per piece of
paper) solves most of my task planning.

