The Importance of Putting Pen to Paper in the Digital World

To prove the title of this post true… ya know, that we’re really not joking around about the importance of this post, I wrote it out by hand before I typed it. It felt tedious at first. A little finger crampy. Do I even know how to spell words like committee or entrepreneur on my own, I wondered. (Not a proud thought.) It was tricky, tricky, but yes. 

Because look, the irony of typing a post about the importance of putting pen to paper, was not lost on me. Typing is definitely faster, easier to share with colleagues, but it’s not necessarily better. 

Here are some reasons why, and our friends at Blue Sky are no stranger to this concept:

Slow Down, You Crazy Child.

 
If you caught on to our Billy Joel reference, you might also know that Vienna waits for you. What does that have to do with writing, pen and paper? A lot! We are TIED to our computers and our screens. No matter what kind of “healthy” relationship you have with your tech, humans aren’t meant to always move this fast. It’s crazy. The internet can wait for you while you make notes *gasp* in a notebook. 

Writing slows you down, makes you think about what you really want to say, instead of what comes flying off your fingertips at 90 WPM. 

The challenge: Next time you go into a brainstorming meeting, leave your computer closed. Take notes with your colleagues on paper and see what kind of magic you come up with. There’s so much note-taking variety out there – from personalized notebooks (in small, medium, and large sizes depending on your preference), to grid notes, lined notes and more. The options are virtually ENDLESS. (And if you don’t believe us, virtually (literally) personalize your very own here.) The ease of planning can start online – but the act of writing, pen to paper, is where you’ll see the benefit.

The Mid-Sleep Ah-HA! 

It used to be common to wake up in the middle of the night and scribble an idea down on a piece of paper by your bedside. In the morning, when you awoke, it would be there, staring you in the face. More and more we hear of people doing this with their phones. However, there are two reasons this isn’t the *best* way to 2am brainstorm. 

First, all of the science proves that the blue light from your phone disrupts good sleep. Opening your phone in the middle of the night to jot something down, is way more disruptive to sleep than a pen and paper. 

Second, a note taken in your phone in the middle of the night is essentially buried. It’s buried beneath texts, IG scrolling, checking the news and your email. However, a note on your bedside table smacks you right in the face in the morning. That idea gets to be the first thing you consider upon waking. It might be the best consideration you have all day. 

The challenge: Instead of writing a note on your phone and disrupting your sleep, write in on a pad of paper or notebook beside the bed. The personalized To-Do notebook by Blue Sky makes this feel like second nature for those thoughts that just need to be jotted down – at any hour, any day. Literally: just write your to-dos, must-dos and have-tos all in one reliable spot, and stop. your. worrying.

There’s a reason we like notes on the fridge.

A handwritten note or goal gives us clarity and focus. Typing goals is fine, dandy, and speedy, but by handwriting goals, you might slow down (see point #1) and find new insight. Writing down goals gives you a kind of direction that a laptop can’t.

The challenge: free write your goals--speed write if possible, and see what ends up on the bottom of the page. It might totally surprise you! The benefit of a Blue Sky personalized notebook? You have tons of white writing space for all of the goal-setting and forward-thinking you want. And the best part? Don’t just hit the ‘delete’ button when you’ve reached a milestone. Cross off each goal (literally) when you’ve accomplished it. And remember, Blue Sky was with you on the journey to that moment.

Have reasons you like handwriting vs. typing? Share in the comment section below!

MORE FROM OUR BLOG