The pen remains one of the best tech tools I have at my disposal. While I take my tablet to most meetings, I can still more fluidly draw pictures and take notes with a pen. And I'm guessing you can as well. There is a reason for this. Studies show that when you write things down with your actual hands, you are better at remembering and executing your ideas or things. A Forrester Research survey of business professionals found that 87 percent of them supplement technology tools and gadgets for taking notes and almost 50 percent of them thought that their personal and company efficiencies would improve if everybody took better notes. Handwriting will always be with us and it's a good thing because the studies also show that there is a smoother path from your brain to the printed word from your hand. Moreover, it helps eliminate task switching and generally helps us make the best to-do list. Eliminate what you will, but don't take away a to-do list and certainly not a calendar. Calendars are handled best digitally because they can be in many places at once. However, somehow that to-do list that ends up with us in all places, including the nightstand, continues to work best with a pen or pencil.

We communicate really well with ink, lead and wood. The main reason that I think we should all be on the bandwagon for using a writing tool and paper is the fact that it is cheap and easy. No matter where you are, whether it is the repair shop waiting for your car, the airport or the doctor's office, anyone who cares about being efficient finds that the most fluid way to get something out of their head is to write it down. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my voice-activated tools that let me dictate my thoughts whenever and wherever possible. But sometimes I'm just not willing to save my thoughts out loud in public places and so a pen and paper, a scrap of paper inside page of a magazine or the proverbial napkin is the way to go. Sometimes technology creates a little too much friction and gets in the way. I also like that when I'm writing things down I can use my own personal form of shorthand and not get distracted by any underlining for misspellings, improper punctuation or spacing. And I have to admit, I'm one of those who makes on-the-spot corrections when those things pop up. I know it seems silly because they're just my notes.

Science is on our side. Studies show that as our hands create each stroke of each letter, it activates a much larger portion of the brain's thinking, language, and "working memory" regions than typing on a keyboard. I love to try to do things from a sustainability standpoint and minimize paper wherever possible. However, scientific studies show that paper provides a visual cue that persists because it doesn't disappear behind a computer screen. It's more "in your face" so to speak.   It seems that the smart folks who conduct these studies understand that paper allows for deeper thought and focus. Of course there's the fact that there are ways to digitize your paper thoughts once you've nailed them down and so it's worth taking a look at Livescribe, Evernote, ScanSnap and other "smart pens" and scanning tools.

Lastly, a great pen or pencil can make a statement just like a technology tool can and hey, sometimes it's a good idea to do just that. A friend gave me a beautiful short, stubby pink crystal pen that I have more fun pulling out than I ever did my Mont Blanc. Both say something without me having to. I have to admit that I am a huge proponent of a pencil with a giant eraser on the end of it. I like the idea of erasing and starting over again in a very rudimentary way. As much of a gadget girl as I claim to be, sometimes the gadgets that don't become obsolete after a year are the coolest. What I recommend is you use whatever tool works for the job at hand and in many cases pen and paper win hands down.