Nowadays, people spend a lot of time in front of gadgets. As per research, an adult person spends three hours and forty-three minutes on digital gadgets. Neither working hours nor leisure time in front of the TV at home is counted here.
Finding a paper planner and a pen to write it in seems so outdated in this day of apps and software. However, paper and pen have several benefits that digital alternatives don’t. Listed below are five circumstances in which Cross pens and a diary are preferable over an app:
1. When It Is Necessary to Remember Something
The potential to activate the ventral activating system is one of the pen and paper’s best aspects. Learning and one’s ability to attain one’s goals are enhanced because of the improved recall and performance that results from using it. To improve memory, the ventral activating system screens out irrelevant data. Use a notepad instead of a smartphone to jot down notes. If you’re working on a presentation that will need minimal props, such as slides, you may find that writing it down on paper helps you remember more of the content.
2. When It Is Necessary to Save Time
Even though some disagree, working with paper can speed up some tasks. Experts recommend a pen and paper for short lists, basic calendars, and manageable numbers of contacts. It’s much quicker to pull out a pen and paper than to pull out your smartphone, get to the appropriate app, and enter a few phrases. Unlike electronic devices, a pen and paper never have to be charged. Another perk is that even the tiniest gadget can’t compare portability to a single sheet of paper.
3. When Concentration Is of the Utmost Importance
We are vulnerable to a device’s ringing and pinging when we use it. The more we multitask, the more we suffer from mental fatigue and confusion. Here, a pen and paper sway you to concentrate and don’t have any distractions that can decrease your productivity. The best part is that even though you are puffing using your favorite Dupont lighter, a pen and paper is preferable to digital gadgets to catch up on reading or complete a crucial job.
4. When You Need to Attend an Important Meeting
In meetings, the lack of technological distractions presented by pen and paper can lead to greater levels of cooperation. On the other hand, bringing laptops and smartphones to meetings might lead to people becoming distracted by email instead of taking notes. This way, all the time spent checking your inbox is time spent not contributing. It happens too often that we get together a week later and then scratch our heads over why we haven’t made any progress. It’s because we weren’t paying attention at the meeting. Thus, one must adopt a policy of turning off all electronic devices during meetings and switching to pen and paper to take notes.
The bottom line is that even though pen and paper have many advantages over electronic devices, the advancements in how people work will only continue to progress. Thus, experts recommend having a pen and paper alongside electronic gadgets to help maintain a healthy work-life balance.
