how i got into digital planning

During childhood, I used to keep a journal which I wrote about the boys I had crushes on. I had several thick notebooks now safely kept from my husband (haha). Then I was introduced to Friendster, and I learned the concept of blogging - basically doing journals online. I did not have any prospects of anyone reading (I just did not realise people would want to read anything I wrote). That was it, I suddenly switched my journaling method to blogging, and never looked back since. (except the Happy Planner phase, but that was more scrapbooking)

Hence this blog.

But then when I got myself an iPad last few years, I realised people are now switching to digital - even journals. Not blogging, but the usual scribbling, doing day-to-day activities jotted down to a paper, only that doing so digitally means you use an app as your paper.

And boy, am I glad I found it!


The concept is the same, just that instead of chugging a thick planner around, you use a tablet. And of course you'd need a pencil too. 


So far, I'm loving this. It's been a few years of doing this digitally and I did not miss my paper journals at all. Maybe for memories' sake, I do miss it sometimes - but I don't find the need to buy a paper journal now, so that's saying a lot coming from someone who used to keep thick notebooks as journals.

At the moment, I'm using Goodnotes app to use the digital planner. Got my planners from Etsy mostly - and my favourite shop is Good Mondays planners; they're simple and uncomplicated enough for me to do my scribbling! (this is not sponsored lol)

Believe it or not this was one of my good handwriting days😌

What digital planning does for me these days - I find myself more focused in day-to-day tasks. I'm not a perfectionist but keeping my activities (even boring, mundane ones) in line somehow improves my overall mood for the day. With this planner, I can swipe out my iPad in the middle of the day (since my iPad is always by my side) and scribble anything I want to in my planner. I can plan out something in advance and not have anxiety whether I will be unprepared. I like scribbling because it relaxes me. Sometimes I wonder if it's a form of therapy for me, but it definitely feels like the world is whole lot better after I've done my daily routine of journaling.

Back in 2021, I came back to office after 3-month maternity leave, giving birth to Rayfa. I remember my work was in a lot of uncertainty - I was off-duty for 3 months, not knowing who took over my tasks, what I'm supposed to do after 3 whole months not working, and the amount of tasks I need to catch up on - and my planner saved me. Then I moved to a whole new department, learning new tasks. A whole lot of work to catch up on, and once again I was glad I had my trusted digital planner slash notebook to dump everything on. Then after an amount of time at the new department, I realised my planner's "goal of the week" section has been stagnant for a few weeks, so I went to my new boss asking for more KPIs to fulfil, because I feel like I need to checkmark more things at work. I didn't like the feeling of stagnant, what more seeing it spelled out week after week in my planner. I realised it has helped me so much in aligning my objectives and achieving them.

Have not looked back since then. Granted, my KPIs now involved making dinners and bentos for the boys and shopping for groceries, but it also includes the list of trainings I want to attend to fulfil my time while being unemployed and upgrading my skills. Whatever you do, if you do it efficiently - your life is much more fulfilled, I feel.

Yes, I know, I sound like a geek. Because I am. *tears

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