Paper calendars and planners are making a quiet comeback

Paper calendars aren't obsolete.
(Image credit: iStock)

Don't write the paper planner off just yet. Despite the rise of to-do apps and digital calendars, sales of printed appointment books and planners grew 10 percent from 2014-15 to 2015-16, to $342.7 million. Sales of decorative calendars increased 8 percent to $65 million in that time.

The ability to personalize and color-coordinate these organizing tools accounts for a lot of the draw, The New York Times reports, as does a desire to minimize screen time. "Having to open another tab, fire up another piece of software, or launch another app to access my calendar amounts to one more onscreen thing vying for my attention," one productivity blogger said of the trend. "Suddenly a paper planner starts to make sense."

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