The Learning Curve

Or should I say, the learning 610 Loop, because I have gone around and around with this digital planner.

This is not, in anyway, to dissuade anyone from going digital. The whole purpose of this planning stuff to find the right system for you. Hopefully, sharing the bumps in my journey can smooth the path of yours. But everyone is different, and we all have to find what works best for us, individually.

With that being said, transitioning from paper to digital can be a task, even for the most technologically advanced of us. I like to think I am very capable of handling most types of devices and apps, but there were times during this switch where I felt like someone's grandmother. Lost. Don't know what to click on.

Here is a couple of early lesson that I learned the first week in this digital world.

1. Patience is key. The frustration set in on day one and got stronger on day two. I cannot tell you how many times I had to start over, redownload, or just quit. How people throw in the towel at this point is very understandable. But, giving this a valid shot is one of the goals, plus I really wanted to learn how to use Good Notes; so each time I hit a wall, I slowed down, gave myself a couple of minutes to process, and went back in it. And yes, it got easier the more I played around with the app, and the more I explored. Plan to be frustrated and plan to be confused, especially the first few days, but as with anything new, patience is the key. Regroup and retry.

2. Let them help you. By them, I mean who ever!! I earned over 100 hours at the University of TikTok, plus some crash Instagram courses. Not to mention, ole faithful Pinterest. But I wouldn't have even been this far without help from my planner buddies. Tasha Kinney (undeniably_tk on Instagram) was always there with a helping hand each and every time I called, along with the girlies from my Facebook planner community. That is the gold level of knowledge. Don't go at it alone, join a Facebook Group, even if you never comment or post, they ask a lot of good questions and give tons of different methods.

3. Start where you are. I sent Tasha a text at nine o'clock at night, "Damn you, Tasha". I was in the middle of downloading yet another digital sticker pack and adding another IPad accessory to my Amazon cart. It was day three, I was knee deep in all the extras and hadn't made one plan. "You have enough to start planning," Tasha refocused me. It is so easy to get lost in all the other things, especially since everything on Esty is less than $4, but none of that stuff is necessary. So, don't feel like you have to own everything to start using your digital or paper planner. Just start.

This is the part of planning that knocks people off, especially if that learning curve is too wide. Just remember, that benefits far outweigh the trials. Be consistent. Be purposeful. Be open. And there may be twist and turns, so plan accordingly.