Technology is moving at an incredible rate. Who would have thought 10 years ago that over 100 million people would have a Facebook account and that 140 character updates would prove such a global phenomena.

Advances in the digital age also present the opportunity to carry technology around with you. Thanks to the smart phone we are able to access our emails, order takeaway, book a holiday and bid on an online auction wherever we have signal and a minute to spare.

This presents a new world of possibilities but there is one problem. Due to the accessibility now on offer we never, literally and metaphorically, ‘switch off’. Instead we are caught in a cycle of checking Facebook, Twitter and emails over breakfast, throughout the day, and just before we turn off the bedside light.

Paper-based personal organisers , such as the Filofax, are making a comeback and are now a surprising addition to many wish lists. Much like collecting vinyl records, this flounces new technology for more traditional media – but why?

Firstly there is the aesthetic. For all the benefits of a Blackberry they all look the same! The personal organiser offers a host of opportunities to personalise and decorate your planner. From choosing the planner at the start (you have to consider style, fabric, size…) it is then up to you how everything inside is organised. Some users even go to the extent of matching their inserts and tabs to handbags and purses for the complete package!

All this devoted attention often leads personal organiser users to just replace the diary inserts every year and by doing so, an affection is created to the organiser that you have now been using for, wow, 20 years! This is an affection that is lost when your smart phone is upgraded every year or replaced by a new model.

Another important element is it’s tactile nature. Rather than the hard, plastic shell of most mobile devices, your personal organiser is likely to be lined with leather or soft fabric.

The personal organiser can be used for many different purposes which attracts a wide audience of fans. As you might expect, a diary planner is the most popular but they can also be used as an address book, for account keeping, note-taking, doodling…. In fact the possibilities are endless. With additional pockets and slots for small change and loose documents like a Filofax business card holder you may very quickly find that your whole life is in it!

It isn’t hard to appreciate why the personal organiser has become a necessity for so many people. And, despite this seemingly ‘dated’ approach to organisation there are a few advantages over digital alternatives.

Your personal organiser won’t go off in a meeting, it won’t run out of battery and it doesn’t take any time to load! For an instantaneous tool to keeping organised you really can’t beat the paper-based personal organiser.