Classics are back - 5 Reasons to Use a Handwritten Diary at Work

The classic handwritten diary isn’t dead. Digital may have secured a place in time management, but its conquest isn’t total, and it can never offer the benefits a real paper diary still can.

Maybe it’s a nostalgia thing or a craving for the tangible that has caused the resurgence in traditional forms of time management like diaries and calendars. Paper diary sales have experienced an increase for two successive years now with sales equivalent to the nineties. Whatever the source of this upswing there are many reasons to use a physical diary planner at work.

1. Starting a fresh

There’s something special about using a new handwritten diary at the beginning of the calendar/financial year. Whether it’s the fresh, new diary scent or the simplicity of folding that very first uncreased page, or perhaps the bare and untouched pages that seems to fill us with such optimism and motivation, waiting for us to seize the day.

2. Overwhelmed?

Everyone processes information differently. Some enjoy viewing their week all at once, whilst others prefer the day-to-day view layout. Unfortunately, fewer electronic diaries and apps account for this. Instead they tend to bombard us with the ENTIRE ‘to-do’ list (for the next week or two) all at once. This can be overwhelming and deflating, particularly when we don’t achieve this mammoth list. Diaries allow you to choose how you wish to view your day/week/month. With of course the added satisfaction of physically crossing something off our to-do list.

3.Write in in your brain

Studies suggest that when we write something down, we are more likely to remember it. By forming the letters with a pen, we are connecting to what we write, activating neural circuits and stimulating our brain. Let’s be honest, there’s nothing more satisfying than physically crossing off a task, one by one (it’s the simple things in life).

4.For your eyes only

When you buy a handwritten diary, you own it outright. It is yours to use as you like, take where you want, and keep forever. What many people don’t realise is that "buying" an app doesn’t make it yours. You have only purchased a license to access and use the digital platform. Anything you store here is at the mercy of the supplier.

5.Cloudy days

A non-digital diary’s contents aren’t stored in the cloud, giving you secure data back-up. No hacker’s going to access a paper diary and you won’t experience interruptions due to site maintenance.

Using a paper diary doesn’t mean that you’re some sort of technologically challenged individual. At the end of the day you have to figure out what works for you. If you prefer to use a paper diary, remember that you’re classic, and that never goes out of style. .