NEW to Digital Planning? How to get started with a DIGITAL PLANNER!
Y’all know I am a big fan of planning your day so that you ACTUALLY get things done! As someone who’s scatterbrained and is also a digital girl who loves stationery… Digital planning is IT for me. It’s been an integral part of my planning process and my business since I found it! And I’m here to share my tips on how to get started with a digital planner!
NEW to Digital Planning? How to get started with a DIGITAL PLANNER!
Want to watch the video version of this post? I’ve got you covered!
If you’re all about productivity, trying new things, and stationery in a digital world, this is the spot for you!
My digital planning experience
I found digital planning a few years ago. I’m a LOVER of stationery and a lover of all things digital. I am a NATURALLY disorganized person, and if I don’t have something in my hand, I’ll forget to do it. That’s why digital planning was such a great find for me – it’s way more portable than a paper planner!
A few years ago, I had gotten an iPad and randomly stumbled on this thing called digital planning. My iPad is one of the top tools in my arsenal of productivity tools. I plan on it, take notes on it, and do so much. That’s why I’m telling you all about digital planning today!
What is digital planning?
Digital planning is like the baby of a paper planner and an online calendar. It’s a paper planner that lives on your iPad. It lets you flip through different months, plan out different days and weeks, and you can write on it or use stickers! It’s all the functionality of a paper planner but on an iPad.
You can use pages over and over again in a digital planner, which I love! You can move pages around anytime, or even insert extra pages, like PDFs or worksheets you find online! If you get an undated planner, you can literally erase it all and use it for a brand new year. SO much flexibility, y’all!
It’s way more versatile than a paper planner in my opinion.
Can a digital planner sync up with your Google Calendar?
I get asked this question a lot, and the answer is no. A digital planner is an interactive PDF on an app in your tablet, and it doesn’t sync with other calendars. You can definitely use it in conjunction with Google Calendar.
For me, everything that requires me to be somewhere at a specific date and time lives in my Google Calendar. I find my digital planner works best for scheduling out more freeform planning, writing out my goals and to do lists, and stuff like that.
What kind of device do you need?
Digital planners can be used with ANY kind of tablet – it doesn’t matter which one. You can even use digital planners on your phone (just prepare for them to be on the smaller side).
I would HIGHLY recommend that you use some type of tablet that has a writing stylus. It is so much easier to write on and interact with that way! You can check out all of my digital planning supplies right here!
I have the 2021 iPad Pro in the 12 in. size, so it’s a pretty big iPad! There are tons of other tablet options available that would work for digital planning in both the Apple and Android world. (You can definitely use a regular iPad or iPad Air with an Apple Pencil as well!)
The device is up to you and depends on your price range. I always say – use what you have first! You can definitely use your finger to write in a digital planner (it just doesn’t feel as much like paper).
What kind of app do you need?
You can get started with a digital planner on any type of device. But the type of device you’re using will dictate which app you need.
I currently use Goodnotes 5 for all of my digital planners and digital notebooks. If you’re on an Apple device, I’d highly recommend that.
If you’re using an Android tablet, there’s a ton of apps you can use as well. Andriod users highly recommend OneNote. If I wasn’t using GoodNotes, I would DEFINITELY choose to use OneNote! It’s available on Apple and Android, so if you switch back and forth between two different types of devices, it might be the perfect option for you.
The only requirements for an app are that you need to 1) be able to pull in and use interactive PDFs and 2) be able to write with a stylus. As long as the app does that, you’re good to go!
Where do you get a planner and how does it work?
Last but not least, you’ve got to choose a planner! Now that you’ve decided on your device and the app, you need an actual planner. There are TONS of different planners out there in every aesthetic. I have some available in my shop, or there are TONS available on Etsy.
Not all digital planners are made exactly the same. Some of them have clickable dates or tabs, some have stickers, and others don’t. My planners allow some tabs that are customized (if you want to link to a specific worksheet), and come with stickers.
There are both dated and undated digital planner options. And with almost any digital planner, you’ll be able to add in or delete pages yourself. That makes them TOTALLY customizable. Time to create your dream planner!
