How to Use a Pocket Notebook

 

When I made my first three-stapled pocket notebook and started writing in it on September 24th, 2020, it was a cathartic experience for me. All kinds of thoughts that had been whirling around in my mind finally had somewhere to go. I could write them down, see them and record them, and get them out of my head. I think that's the first major usage of pocket notebooks:

1. Use a pocket notebook as a place to record your thoughts and ideas.

Over time, after months of pocket notebooks, and ample time to get all this stuff out of my mind, I found that the flow of information began to slow down. While thoughts and ideas remained a fairly regular part of my notebooks' content, the pages became more filled with day-to-day happenings than ponderings. To-do lists, reminders, important notes, and key information: this was the one place to write them all down.

      2. Use a pocket notebook to manage your day-to-day life.

However, I found that a further evolution began to take place in time, an evolution away from the day-to-day management. I found that a spreadsheet, not the notebook, was the ideal place to store my to-do list. I found that a Google calendar was the superior location for dates and times. Now, the day-to-day management aspect of the pocket notebook has become lighter for me, though it's certainly still there. My new principal usage for the pocket notebook has been as a tracker. I use it to keep track of things that I want to work on or accomplish each day - and it suits this purpose so well because I almost always have it with me.

      3. Use a pocket notebook to track actions during the day.

Today, I am writing less than ever in my pocket notebooks. It can easily take a month to fill up a little 48-pager, while it once was common for me to fill that kind of space in 12-16 days. This blog has taken its place as the primary outlet for my thoughts and musings. Other tools have replaced some of its productivity uses. But even after more than two years, I still find the tool indispensable. Not a day goes by that I don't want to keep track of my habits and rituals. Not a week goes by that I don't have to write down a phone number, put together a little hand-drawn map, or give someone an address. 

The pocket notebook remains useful, flexible, and ready to record thoughts, manage life, track actions, or whatever else you may need a pencil and paper for.