A few years ago, I decided to get into digital planning. I didn't realize that this new way of doing things would become more and more popular. At the same time, it's not that surprising, there are so many benefits to using an iPad for planning! That's why I'm giving you all the tools to learn how to use a digital diary.
What is a digital diary or digital planner?
These digital products for iPad or tablet, whether notebooks, diaries or notebooks, are essentially files in PDF format . These are files designed to look like paper diaries.
Digital calendars have hypertext tabs to allow you to use your calendar intuitively. This allows you to move to the different sections of your diary quickly and conveniently. The best digital planners are those that offer dividing sections or Contents . Sections help you get to the pages you want without having to scroll through everything. With just one click, you find yourself on the section you want. To make optimal use of your digital diary, you must import it into a note-taking application.
What are the benefits of using a digital diary?
If you have come across this article, it is because you are looking for an organization method that suits you perfectly. You will find many reasons to switch to a digital planner. I would like to share with you the 3 main reasons that led me to digital diaries.
First essential reason: eliminate clutter paper diaries and office accessories. Personally, I have always been a fan of paper diaries and notebooks, but I also love having a well-organized and minimalist space. So, for me that was the first reason to get started with digital planning.
What I also love about going digital is the possibility of having my diaries and notebooks always with me. I also have several different digital planners to suit different needs, professional, personal, educational and they are always on hand. That said, having agendas easy to access and portable is extremely suitable for my traveling and nomadic lifestyle.
Thirdly, digital diaries and notebooks are easily customizable , promote creativity and are flexible. So, these templates allow me to rearrange my tasks, change pages, add pages, change the order, add and remove stickers or photos easily. I tell you, it’s a paradise for creatives and perfectionists.
I'm passionate about digital planning, so I wrote a dedicated article to talk in detail about the benefits and advantages of adopting a digital planner .
What tools are needed to get organized with a digital calendar?
To get started with digital planning, you will need the following:
- A tablet with a note-taking application (like GoodNotes or Notability);
- A stylus compatible with your tablet;
- A digital calendar file
For my part, I started with digital planning with an 11-inch iPad Pro , the Apple 2nd generation stylus and the Apple keyboard . I love my iPad, it's one of my best purchases! This product remains absolutely practical to help me both in my working days and for my leisure. They are work and leisure tools light enough to be carried anywhere! Also, I can easily synchronize all my files and applications with my MacBook Air and my iPhone. It's excellent for being very productive in my work days.
I also use the Paperlike screen protector that I purchased from Amazon. This helps immensely in giving a paper-like appearance to my iPad screen. My writing improved significantly when I started using the screen protector .
Note that you can also use your calendar on your computer and type text from your computer keyboard. However, you risk ruining the main reason to use this type of planner, handwriting. Being able to view and edit your calendars on the computer or on your mobile phone remains very practical.
I leaned on how to use a digital diary with the GoodNotes application in a very comprehensive article. There you will find all the information on the tools as well as the steps to import your digital calendar and start personalizing it.
GoodNotes, the note-taking application
GoodNotes 5 note-taking app is the most popular among iPad users for digital planning. This thanks to the many features of this application . You can import your PDF files in diary format, your course documents or create your own notebooks.
The GoodNotes 5 app lets you take notes by hand (using your stylus) or with an input box for keyboard-typed text. You can also add images, move or copy and paste elements from one page to another and much more!
What I love about GoodNotes 5 is the ability to still be very creative in my note-taking. To help you personalize your documents and to make your note-taking even more productive, I wrote an article with all the features of GoodNotes.
Personalize with digital stickers
As I already mentioned, creativity and personalization of notes are among the main aspects of digital note-taking with iPad or tablet. To make this even easier and fun, you have the option of using digital stickers.
This type of image in PNG format with a transparent background was designed to imitate the traditional stickers used on a paper diary. You have many possibilities with these stickers that you can easily import or copy onto your page.
I have a very detailed article about digital stickers to help you step by step to use them for your note taking. This is a short, practical guide to help you integrate digital stickers into your daily notes .
Which predefined templates to use in digital planning?
Various styles of digital planner and notebook models are available on the market. This diversity helps you transition to planning on iPad. These predefined templates also allow you to meet your various planning and organizational needs.
The two main categories of planners are the dated and the undated . THE undated planners let you use them year after year. All you have to do is duplicate the base and add the dates yourself. Those of type dated are linked to a specific year or period. Dated planners have the advantage of helping you stay motivated and keep your diary there for the entire period.
Digital diaries can also have two different orientations: vertical or horizontal . The choice depends on your personal preference, some prefer to use their iPad in portrait orientation others with landscape orientation.
Each creator or brand of digital diaries chooses one style for their products. That said, you will find diaries for all tastes, from the most colorful to the most minimalist.
The various models also vary in content. That is to say, besides conventional digital planners with yearly, monthly, weekly and daily pages, you can get templates with other types of Useful layouts . In particular, you can find pages for financial trackers, meal planners, goal setting and habit trackers.
The digital planner can also be used for specific projects such as planners for social media, for travel, for bloggers, for students, among others.
Are you ready to move to the digital agenda?
There you have it, what you need to know to move to the digital agenda. Again, there are many tricks to learn and that's part of discovering something new. If you're just getting started with digital planning and you're having a little trouble leaving your paper planners behind, this is completely normal. I assure you that it is worth trying planning on an iPad or tablet.
I believe that planning and journaling gives us the motivation we need to accomplish our projects.
I created this digital stationery brand to offer us French-speaking models with a focus on design and content. Our products help you both definitively adopt digital planning and support you in your professional and personal life . You will have all the structure to motivate you as well as the freedom to customize your diary to your personal style.
If you want to get ideas on how to use your planner on a daily basis and creative ideas, you can reach me on Instagram . It's the perfect place to meet in a community of digital diary enthusiasts.
