Planning to plan?

By Garrett Pirretti     9/17/24 11:12pm

The firm conviction that this year is the year that you finally get organized hasn’t yet been crushed by the cruel realities of the semester. What better time to think about planners?

Google Calendar (or whatever calendar you use) 

Pros: They are efficient, effective and can hound you about your obligations. They work with everything.

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Cons: Whether it’s lacking an ongoing task list or overall vibe, online calendars lack a certain je ne sais quoi.

Notion

Pros: You can brag about how aesthetic you are while being productive. Notion has artificial intelligence features, so you can do a task in five seconds instead of seven. Included in Notion are pre-made templates, goals and wikis if you are feeling freaky.

Cons: There isn’t a half-way commitment (Notion or nothing), as the set-up process is complex. 

ClickUp

Pros: The only system on the marketplace that gives corporate baddie (sorry, not sorry Asana!) and is the ultimate all in one productivity solution –anything your heart desires, ClickUp probably has. Integrating with everything from Google Calendar to GitHub, ClickUp doesn’t play.

Cons: Even though the system incorporates AI, it’s not really helpful. The learning curve to use ClickUp is higher than the Physics 101 curve, but it can be done. 

Bullet Journaling

Pros: Bullet journals work for you, as you build them from the ground up.

Cons: Making a good or even semi-decent bullet journal is time-consuming and, rather unfortunately, your life ends if you leave the journal at home.

Paper Planner from Indie Bookstore

Pros: You can start the day with pithy sayings and/or cool graphics while getting your life organized without sacrificing your entire Saturday to set up (see Bullet Journaling). Paper planners have been around since the dawn of the industrial ages, helping you show off the money you have to spend on glorified notebooks.

Cons: Paper planners are essentially bullet journals without the personalization.

None

Pros: You can terrify everyone with your preponderance for chaos.

Cons: Everything.

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