Paper Planner vs. Electronic Planner: Which Is Better?

One question I get all the time from parents and students is:

“Is it better to use a paper planner or an electronic planner, like Google Calendar?”

My answer is simple:

It doesn’t matter.

I honestly don’t care which type of planner my students use.

Now, I do have preferences when working with students who struggle with executive function. Those preferences are often different from what I would recommend to someone with strong executive function skills. But ultimately, the specific planner isn’t the important part.

What matters is this:

Does the student actually use it?

And more importantly:

Are they developing the skills necessary to plan effectively?

The real question is:

Is it an effective and reliable system for tracking the tasks and responsibilities a person needs to manage in order to achieve their goals?

I’ll say that again because the wording is important.

Is it an effective and reliable system for tracking the tasks and responsibilities someone must manage in order to accomplish what they need to do and move toward their larger goals?

That’s what matters.

The Simplest Planner I Use

The simplest planning system I’ve ever recommended is a single index card.

Seriously.

Sometimes I’ll have a student carry one notecard in their pocket and write down everything they need to do that day.

This can be a great way to ease into planning.

There are a lot of details about how I make that work that I won’t cover in this video, but it’s a surprisingly effective starting point for some students.

Different Planning Systems

Other students use:

• The planner provided by their school

• A monthly paper calendar

• Google Calendar

• A combination of paper and digital tools

The monthly calendar is often where I start many students, although Google Calendar can work well too.

Once students begin using either a paper planner or a digital calendar, the focus shifts to teaching them how to plan effectively.

How do we make the system reliable?

How do we make sure important tasks don’t fall through the cracks?

How do we build habits around planning?

These are big skills that take time to develop.

About Me

By the way, if we haven’t met before, my name is Seth Perler.

I’m an executive function coach based in Boulder, Colorado. I help struggling students learn how to navigate school more successfully.

If you haven’t visited my website, SethPerler.com, I share a free blog every week along with many free resources for parents, teachers, and students.

There Is No Perfect Planner

Many people want a simple answer.

They want someone to tell them:

“This is the best planner. Use this one.”

But I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer.

Some students use paper planners.

Some use digital calendars.

Most end up using some combination of both.

What matters is not the tool itself—it’s whether the system works.

Student Ownership Matters

Another critical factor is ownership.

Students should be involved in creating their planning system.

The more ownership they have over the process, the more likely they are to use it consistently.

Planning isn’t just about writing things down.

It’s about building a personalized system that makes sense to the student and supports their success.

The Real Answer

People often want a quick solution.

They want to know:

“Should I use paper or digital?”

My honest answer is that neither option is automatically better.

The real answer is that effective planning requires:

• Time

• Patience

• Persistence

• Practice

Most importantly, it requires building a system that is both reliable and effective at tracking the responsibilities that matter.

Whether that system is on paper, on a phone, or a combination of both is far less important than whether the student actually uses it successfully.

Final Thoughts

So when someone asks:

“Paper planner or Google Calendar?”

My answer is:

Use whatever helps the student consistently track responsibilities, stay organized, and achieve their goals.

The tool is not the solution.

The skills behind the tool are what truly matter.