Any thoughts as to why Paper. . . .

gtdstudente

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Despite all of the wonderful Digital Tools available, do any fellow GTDers have any ideas, theories, thoughts, etc. as to why Paper continues to be a choice/resilient tool of some of the most proficient GTD enthusiasts?

Why some return to Paper after being all-in Digitally.
 

TesTeq

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In my opinion Paper has a feature that all Digital tools lack: persistence. Or our feeling of its persistence.

Lists appear and disappear on computer screens at our command but where are they when they disappear? The database concept is so unimaginable. And our lists are reconstructed from a database just before they are displayed. They aren't persistent for sure.

On the other hand when you turn the page your list is being covered but you know that it still exists below intact.

@mcogilvie @Longstreet @John Forrister
 

mcogilvie

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Absolutely. Some digital tools do a better job of conveying that each item in a database has a home location, while others do nothing to disguise that your data is just a set of random bits with pointers to other bits. Consider the modern digital spreadsheet, for example.
 

dtj

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Paper is qualitatively a better "experience" for many. It's the difference between reading a book by a lake, waves softly lapping, versus reading the exact same book, sitting on a bucket in the basement. Reading the same book, totally different experiences. But it's a matter of scale. If someone hand makes nice apple pies, thats cool, but if suddenly they need to make 100 apple pies, then you have to fundamentally do things differently. I use a hybrid system where digital is the strategic tool, and paper is the tactical tool. It scratches the productivity itches that I have.
 

mcogilvie

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Paper is qualitatively a better "experience" for many. It's the difference between reading a book by a lake, waves softly lapping, versus reading the exact same book, sitting on a bucket in the basement.uck. Not my experience at all.
Yuck. Not my experience at all. I love my iPad. Paper and I have a history, but we never clicked as a couple. Thank goodness we didn’t get married. The kids would have had a rough time.
 

dtj

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Yuck. Not my experience at all. I love my iPad. Paper and I have a history, but we never clicked as a couple. Thank goodness we didn’t get married. The kids would have had a rough time.
Ya, it's not for everyone. More people should give it a legit go and see if they like it. I've been all in on computers since the late 70s, but the slowing down and tactile experience is pleasing to me, atleast at a tactical level. I have thousands of items in Omnifocus, but use paper or brightly colored index cards for my weekly task sheets. My penmanship looks like I had a stroke, but I still consider it fun AND valuable to write the stuff out. Perhaps its the slowing down that internalizes it better or something.
 

FocusGuy

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I use paper and digital. Everyday I use my paper note book. I jot thinking and notes... But digital is now difficult to avoid. Mobility, search and so on make difficult things to do and what about calculation and databases... However, I tried making a GTD system in a binder. I lost information and at one point it became a huge mess even if everything was well organised. Personaly I need information everywhere. I have all on my iphone. Task and projects with omnifocus and my personal notes on apple note with tags. I also use evernote sometime for stuff I just want to archive.
I could not get rid of digital.
 

Ger80C

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Despite all of the wonderful Digital Tools available, do any fellow GTDers have any ideas, theories, thoughts, etc. as to why Paper continues to be a choice/resilient tool of some of the most proficient GTD enthusiasts?

Why some return to Paper after being all-in Digitally.

I think there are several reasons why paper is still a good - excellent - choice and many return, in parts, and some even fully, to paper for central components of their GTD system.

One aspect: Paper is resilient and easy to use. There is no learning curve to use the tool (or a very flat one at least). This can be helpful for beginners in GTD practice but also for everyone who wants to re-orient fresh and free themselves from a dominant digital tool that maybe sets different, less flexible rules than GTD itself. I used a full paper system for a few months when I switched firms for that purpose, and paper remains an important part of the system.

Second aspect: Some steps of the GTD control and perspective phases (horizontal and vertical) lend themselves to paper in a special way. There still is nothing as easy and ubiquitous as capture on some scrap of paper with some pen you just have lying around. Even if you have one great app on the phone (like Drafts, for example) that does quick capture very well, you still have to find and use your phone. While you have one phone, you can have many notepads and paper blocks. Likewise, some people like analog tools for high-level (or: higher-horizon) thinking: Post its on boards, hand drawn mind maps, journaling, mood boards... There is something missing in the digital when you value a very tactile, direct interaction with your tool

Third aspect: Strategic medium change. This is something of high value to me. I now use paper for certain aspects that I also do digitally, e.g. for the planning and review of the day and the week, and for writing down and recapitulating central parts of my higher horizons maps. The fact that the *rest* of my main lists is digital again helps me to stay alert and shift my mode to review and reflection once I interact with paper. Likewise, when I still had lists on paper, switching to my binder to review the list meant switching (literally, analog, phsyically) away from the computer, with the email frenzy going on. That was very valuable.

If you have not tried it, I can only recommend experimenting with a full-on paper system for a while.

Cheers
Sebastian
 

devon.marie

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It’s different for everyone, but I can tell you why I now use paper, after years and years of playing around with digital tools.

COVID was a catalyst for me. I work in a library, so for half of 2020 we were completely shut down. I had zero work to do. I had projects I could tackle remotely, as my job is on the administrative side, and half of my work is virtual anyway. But, because not all of our staff could work remotely, it was all entirely optional, and we were encouraged to focus on our mental health first. So, most of my task and project list sat. And sat. And sat.

When I looked at my task list throughout all of this, it looked completely foreign. I had typed the tasks in myself, and read the list time and time again, but it always felt like I had never seen it before, and I couldn’t remember what was on it if you asked me to rattle it off from memory. I was completely and utterly dependent on the tool to get work done.

And then I realized I never have that issue when I write my daily task list in my notebook. I have kept a work journal for 10 years now, writing out the tasks that must be done each day, meeting notes, etc., and 8 years ago it took on a basic bullet journal format. But I could always remember stuff I wrote by hand. Sometimes years later, when asked, I would remember writing that thing down, on the bottom left of the page, in red ink… etc. It was crazy, the difference between the two.

That, and when writing in my notebook, I had a level of focus and clarity I have never gotten from a digital tool. In a notebook, I can’t swipe and end up on Instagram. I can’t lose myself in emails and surface 45 minutes later, wondering what happened. The notebook only contains what I put in it. And I realized that is what I need.

So for a few years now my tasks reside in a notebook. I use a digital calendar and file storage, but my task lists are all tracked on paper. And I feel so much more in control of my system. It works for me, at least.
 

mickdodge

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I think @chirmer makes a valuable point that I absolutely agree with when she states, "... I could always remember stuff I wrote by hand." I think there is a deeper connection with writing on paper versus typing on a screen (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop/).

Personally, I found that because paper is tangible and exists in our three-dimensional world, it seemed a more finite and valuable resource than a never ending digital scroll. While this may seem disadvantageous at first, for me it created a desire to write only what was essential and had the most value. It felt like I had to use paper in a more frugal way, and that what was written on paper somehow carried more weight. This forced me to think more deeply about what I was doing and why I wanted to do it.

Paper also made me less likely to ignore tasks or procrastinate, since I hated the idea having to re-write the same task more than once (laziness working to my advantage in this case). And crossing out a completed task on paper felt more gratifying with a subjectively larger hit of dopamine. :)

I'm still digital for now, but I added the idea of returning to paper to my someday/maybe list several months ago. I started my GTD journey on paper to learn the fundamentals before I went digital. Perhaps I will return to those fundamentals... someday... maybe?
 

Oogiem

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Yuck. Not my experience at all. I love my iPad.
I'm with you on that.

I do like to hand write notes as I am scribbling but on paper I'd get upset because I'd have tostart over then drawing and stuff idn't fit once I figured out more to add. So my solution for the occasional handwritten items are to use GoodNotes on my iPad instead. And the handwriting recognition to get notes into Obsidian is actually pretty good.

I can't imagine working my GTD system on paper though. I'd be going through reams just tokepe it all updated!
 

cfoley

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I bet everyone on here uses Word (or some other word processor) and Excel (or some other spreadsheet). They are just so incredibly versatile that they encourage creativity in a way that most specialised software doesn't.

Both Excel and Word can be used for creating: books, letters, posters, tabular data, lists, art, project planning, first aid logs, business applications, games, and much much more. I bet if your favourite list manager went away, you could reproduce it in Word or Excel.

I think the reason they are so ubiquitous is that they provide minimal structure and a set of useful and fun features. They then let you do what you want without further constraints. Word gives you a page and allows you to put text and other things on it. Excel gives you a grid and allows you to put things in that grid or on top of that grid.

Paper is similar but even more powerful. You get a sheet of flat stuff and you can do whatever you want with it. You can
  • write
  • draw
  • rip (there is at least one video of David Allen showing how he tears paper as part of his processing)
  • scrunch
  • fold
  • combine with other pieces of paper
  • spread out all over the desk or floor
  • pin to the wall
  • attach stickers
If you need a little more structure, you can buy paper pre-prepared with lines, dots, squares, holes, crosswords, colouring pictures and prose.

You can write books, letter, tabular data, lists and all the rest of the stuff you can do in Word and Excel too.

I often miss the paper system that I started with.
 

mcogilvie

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I bet everyone on here uses Word (or some other word processor) and Excel (or some other spreadsheet). They are just so incredibly versatile that they encourage creativity in a way that most specialised software doesn't.

Both Excel and Word can be used for creating: books, letters, posters, tabular data, lists, art, project planning, first aid logs, business applications, games, and much much more. I bet if your favourite list manager went away, you could reproduce it in Word or Excel.

I think the reason they are so ubiquitous is that they provide minimal structure and a set of useful and fun features. They then let you do what you want without further constraints. Word gives you a page and allows you to put text and other things on it. Excel gives you a grid and allows you to put things in that grid or on top of that grid.
That’s a really interesting perspective to me, because my use of conventional word processing and spreadsheet programs is very limited. I use Pages a few times a year, for letters of recommendation, and Numbers twice a year for final grades at the end of each semester. Instead of a word processing program, I use Markdown a lot now, across multiple apps and platforms. Plain text is just so much easier and more flexible than messing with a word processor. I use TeX for both teaching and research writing. I know I’m not typical, but Microsoft should pay you to be a brand ambassador. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Word described as “fun” before.:)
 

cfoley

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I actually agree with you. Plain text is wonderful and formats for printing and display can be exported. I think people like us are in the minority though and you can't deny that people do all sorts of creating things with office software. You kind of proved my point by listing the things that you still use word processors and spreadsheets for, despite not liking them.

Any reason you don't use TeX for letters of recommendation? I remember using pdflatex a lot at one time.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard Word described as “fun” before.:)

Steady on! I said fun features. I was thinking of things like the drawing tools and word art.
 

FocusGuy

Registered
I have kept a work journal for 10 years now, writing out the tasks that must be done each day, meeting notes, etc., and 8 years ago it took on a basic bullet journal format. But I could always remember stuff I wrote by hand. Sometimes years later, when asked, I would remember writing that thing down, on the bottom left of the page, in red ink… etc. It was crazy, the difference between the two.
There is something strange with digital I also totally forget what I type and put in Omnifocus or what ever. On another hand I also alway remember what I wrote. However I still use Omnifocus. It helps me for organizing my information and make call for following them. I also use a bullet journal. I tried to put everything in it but it become a real mess even if I did my best for organizing and structure my lists and projects. Finally I use it as an inbox and a reporting tool.
 

mcogilvie

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I actually agree with you. Plain text is wonderful and formats for printing and display can be exported. I think people like us are in the minority though and you can't deny that people do all sorts of creating things with office software. You kind of proved my point by listing the things that you still use word processors and spreadsheets for, despite not liking them.

Any reason you don't use TeX for letters of recommendation? I remember using pdflatex a lot at one time.
It’s not really like vs. dislike, just utility. I do hate the tiny icons Microsoft adopted for common operations. I set up a template years ago for rec letters with letterhead and signature, so I continue to use it. There have been lots of apps I’ve discarded. I used to use OmniOutliner, but it was and is a complicated program, and there are simpler, faster alternatives, so I don’t anymore. To return to the thread topic, there‘s nothing more flexible than paper except that I suck at managing it.
Steady on! I said fun features. I was thinking of things like the drawing tools and word art.
Noted. I know certain members of my family think unicorns can make any document more fun.
 

Gardener

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I fairly frequently make a list of thoughts in a notebook, but I never actually work actions directly from that paper. The paper seems to clarify my thoughts, and then some of those things end up in OmniFocus--sometimes as a result of my transcribing them from the paper, sometimes just because the hand-writing solidified the thought and I remember, later,to add it to OmniFocus.

Once I realized this I stopped getting bound notebooks. :) Now I use Rollbahn spiral-bound notebooks that make it easy to rip out the pages when what I wrote no longer has value. The notebook shrinks and shrinks until it's just two cardboard covers (and some lovely clear page protectors at the end, that I never use) and then I throw it out and get a new one.
 

dtj

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I fairly frequently make a list of thoughts in a notebook, but I never actually work actions directly from that paper. The paper seems to clarify my thoughts, and then some of those things end up in OmniFocus--sometimes as a result of my transcribing them from the paper, sometimes just because the hand-writing solidified the thought and I remember, later,to add it to OmniFocus.

Once I realized this I stopped getting bound notebooks. :) Now I use Rollbahn spiral-bound notebooks that make it easy to rip out the pages when what I wrote no longer has value. The notebook shrinks and shrinks until it's just two cardboard covers (and some lovely clear page protectors at the end, that I never use) and then I throw it out and get a new one.
The "paper first" for ideas is a good way to insert a deliberate percolation phase into the process. Let the idea build a bit before committing it to your digital lists.
 
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