2013 Watch: Paperless? Think Again.

One of our favorite activities at PGL is ordering a new, paper calendar for the new year.  Something about the crisp, blank pages of a paper calendar makes hope spring eternal (and, then, of course, reality sets in...).  Each year around this time PGL buys a calendar refill for the planner that she purchased years ago.  She takes an hour, pours a glass of wine, and transfers the information from her prior paper calendar into the new one.  This ritual -- which she has been engaging in in some form or fashion for more than a decade -- is a quintessential part of waiting for the new year.  PGL thought that everyone had such rituals, but recently was made to feel as if she was a bit of a luddite by a hipster who, when she saw PGL working in a paper calendar, said "You still use paper when you have a smart phone?  Don't you feel bogged down? Why would you go to the trouble to keep a PAPER calendar?"

In moments such as these when a essential part of PGL's existence is called into question by an unsuspecting observer,  PGL normally takes a deep breath, channels her inner Julia Sugabaker, and composes an extemporaneous soliloquy about, in this case, why paper is essential to civilization.  Such a soliloquy would extol the virtue of anything handwritten and how her life would be less meaningful if she wasn't able to read through her old paper calendars and reminisce about the events etched on their pages: her first date with the Husband, her last scheduled coffee with a good friend before her unexpected passing, her first trip to Paris, or the poem that she scribbled on the side of one of the pages along with last holiday's grocery list.  (I mean who goes back and looks at their old Outlook calendar entries when they want to talk a walk down memory lane?). But, on this particular day, she was in hurry and did not have time for such a moment, so she just flashed the hipster a smile, said, simply, "I prefer paper" and went about her business.  The question, however, stuck with PGL and caused her to question whether she was just being ridiculous by hanging on to her paper calendar in the new e-world of tweets and electronic calendar notifications.  Why keep a paper calendar in the days of iPhones and e-tablets? Is PGL some type of luddite in blogger's clothing?

Decidedly no.  A key part of the Good Life is mixing the old with the new.  Sure, PGL uses her Outlook calendar and relies on the conveniences of electronic notifications as much as the next person. She loves making an Open Table reservation on the fly or calling up an Uber town car when the cab line is too long.   However, she also finds it useful to keep a written record of key information (birthdays, anniversaries, special events, frequent flier numbers) in the event that something happens to one's electronic repository of information (note: spilling wine on an iPhone can ruin everything) or when one is bored during the 15 minutes of a flight that electronic device use are not permitted.  While PGL has started moving to more of a paperless life, she believes that some aspects of old papered organization are still useful.

How does this work, in practice? Do you just duplicate everything on you e-calendar on paper? Don't be ridiculous. Of course not.  Here are some of PGL's tips of mixing paper and electronics to manage one's calendar and key information.

• Record on paper dates of major events (weddings, travel, birthdays, key meetings such as job interviews or major presentations). 
• When recording travel or other events, write the details (confirmation numbers, etc.) in the paper calendar so that you have them at the ready if you need them and cannot access them electronically. 
• Record on paper the names of good restaurants that you may have visited on a trip or other notes for future reference. Make your paper calendar like a travel journal. 
• Use your e-calendar for hour-to-hour scheduling: the impromptu coffee invitation that comes in at 10am  or the routine office meeting. 
• It also can be helpful to record "major events" on your e-calendar too -- but it is always nice to have a duplicate of these things on paper. 
• Keep your paper calendar with you in your car or desk and always tuck it away in your suitcase if taking a trip.  This can be an invaluable resource if you lose your phone or if your electronics otherwise become unworkable. 

Of course, personal calendaring and organization is just that, personal.  So, we understand if you are an "all paper" or an "all electronic" person -- but, for 2013, PGL will be mixing old with new -- using her paper calendar, while, at the same time, enjoying the modern conveniences of electronic organization. How else would she have a record of her random thoughts and doodles or of major events that she may wish to remember while filliping through crisp pages?  Happy calendaring.

Have a topic that you want addressed? E-mail us at projectgoodlife@yahoo.com.