Paper or digital notes? How to get the best of both worlds
I am always trying to optimize my work processes to make them faster, more reliable, and yield better outcomes. One of my key processes is how I take meeting notes and store them for later retrieval. From a top-level perspective, you can either do handwritten notes on paper or digital notes in some sort of note-taking system. Both have their advantages and disadvantages — this article describes how to mix them to get the best of both worlds.
Paper notes vs digital notes
There are several key aspects in any note-taking system worth considering before settling on a preferred approach.
Writing text-only notes
Typing speed on a keyboard is for most people significantly faster than writing in hand. It is also more readable and the imminent digitalization of your notes allows editing on the fly. In contrast, hand-written notes take more effort to write and it is harder to add additional text in the middle of the note. Handwritten notes may be easier to recall due to the motor skills employed in the writing process. It is unfortunately also easy to get distracted on a computer or tablet if the meeting does not call for your full attention. Regarding paper vs digital, I would call it a draw on this point.
