5 Reasons a Paper Planner Can Make You a Better Blogger
We all know that a content plan is essential to succeeding as a blogger, but too many bloggers struggle with how to make content planning really work for them. In an age of digital technology, it can seem counter-intuitive to buy a paper planner. What can a simple piece of paper do that a well-designed app can’t? Where do you find the hours to create and maintain a whole book dedicated to tracking and planning your content when most bloggers are already strapped for time?
BlogPaws power-blogger, Carol Bryant, makes a strong case for why tech can make blog planning easier, and in a lot of ways, she’s absolutely right. A planning app can be an amazing tool for help you remember what is on your to do list and to help you organize your thoughts.
However, a well-maintained paper blog planner can be so much more. Not only does it help you more effectively manage your time, it can monitor post themes to ensure your content is on brand, keep track of blog stats, record and develop new content ideas, and actually make you a better, more consistent blogger.
5 Reasons You Need A Paper Blog Planner
- Unlike an app, a paper planner can be highly personalized. With an app, you are stuck with the functions they’ve built for you. Usually, set an appointment, add a reminder and include some notes.There are a ton of different paper planner brands out there. With so many options, everyone can find a design and setup that works best for them. Paper planning is becoming a huge mainstream industry, and now you can also buy custom paper punches for almost every system, so you can add extra pages and sections that capture exactly what you want out of your planner.Beyond the layout, there is so much you can do to personalize a paper planner so it fits the way your brain best processes information. You can use stamps, stickers, highlighters, coloured pens, and other elements to draw your attention to important tasks and to create a visual representation of your content at a glance. It’s also super easy to add motivational elements to your planner. (See the bottom of this post for a BlogPaws freebie for your paper planner!)
- Paper Planners are distraction free.The best part of a planning app is that it is always with you in your pocket and you can access it at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, that’s also the biggest challenge. Right alongside your planning app, you’ve got text messages, incoming phone calls, Facebook notifications, Instagram comments, game pop ups and more. One wrong click and you could lose an hour or more in the digital abyss. For many, it can be counter-productive to keep your best work tool in the same space as all the best ways to waste time procrastinating.A paper planner has one purpose: planning. When you’re working on your blog plan, you can silence your phone, power down your laptop and just focus on what you need to do to make your blog the best it can be.
- Not completing tasks is inconvenient. With an app, if you don’t get something done today, you can tap the appointment, change the date and BAM! It’s like nothing ever happened. Get a reminder while you’re at the grocery store? It’s so easy to tap “snooze” and reschedule the task for a later date and time. For a lot of people, the ease of delaying a task can lead to procrastination.In a paper planner, you have to acknowledge what didn’t get done and write it down to schedule it for another time. The desire to not migrate tasks because it looks ugly on the page and is inconvenient can be powerful motivator.
- Paper planning helps you to better focus and remember your plans. Research shows that when you write your ideas down, you actually focus your full attention on them. It’s much more difficult to write out your thoughts while you’re already formulating the next one. This forces our brains to better examine the tasks at hand and how to address them.You are also more likely to remember information that you have written out by hand. In any given month, most bloggers have tons of great content ideas, but if you don’t have a system to capture and develop those ideas, they may never make the jump from inspiration to existence.
- It’s harder to ignore a paper planner. Our smartphones have become a staple of our lives and for many, are a constant companion. Since our phones are already storing so many functions, it is really easy to forget to check yet another app. A paper planner can be a great visual reminder that planning is an important key to success. It’s hard to ignore your plan for the week when it’s open next to your computer.
While an app can be a great tool to help you with productivity, a good paper planning system can help you refine your vision, achieve your goals and develop better content. There’s no right way to paper plan, it’s all about doing what works best for you, finding the things that motivate you to get more done and turning your thoughts into action.
To customize your paper planner, download the first of our custom sticker sets to help with reminders.
- If you participate in the BlogPaws News and Boost Group daily boosts, here’s a boost reminder sticker set.
- Never forget a #BlogPawsChat with this weekly chat reminder sticker set.
Simply download and print. You can print on computer paper, cut them out, and glue them into your planner. Or, you can print them on sticky paper to DIY planner stickers.
Your Turn
What do part of planning do you struggle with? Could a paper planner help you overcome those challenges?
Jodi Chick is a lifestyle blogger from Vancouver, BC (That’s in Canada, eh?) who believes anyone can have a pet-friendly home that doesn’t feel like it’s gone to the dogs. When she’s not arguing with her sassy puggle or snuggling her sweet rescue dog, she can be found in the kitchen, the craft room or on the couch, binging on Netflix and putting stickers in her many day planners.
Image: bookzaa/Shutterstock.com
