A Notebook for my Notes
It feels like notebooks are having a moment right now.
Maybe I’ve been spending too much time in the stationery world, but I’m hearing a ton about notebooks.
I’ve been journaling with the Bullet Journal method for 12 years (holy moly). My writing practice been far from consistent, with some journals spanning three years and others three months, but I’ve fallen into a steady rhythm in the last year.
Currently I use an Apple Note to capture my daily fleeting to-do’s and reminders, but I usually try to copy those things down into my notebook.
Recently, I decided that I want more of my digital notes in notebooks. Here are a few reasons why I’m leaning that way:
Notebooks feel better. I’ve always been a really tactile person, but notebooks just feel nicer. My handwriting is improving. Kinda. I tend to write faster than necessary (cue Hamilton soundtrack), and I’m learning to slow down my breathing and my hand. It’s slowing getting more legible.
- I can pick cute ones. There are way too many cute notebooks out there.
- They look super nice on the shelf. It’s pretty neat to see a stack of notebooks on the shelf that I’ve filled up. I can take one down and immerse myself in the chapter of life I was in.
- Digital notes are faster but I don’t feel as accomplished. I had hundreds of digital notes but never felt like I was absorbing the information or remembering what I needed to. It’s been documented that writing by hand increases retention and I could definitely use that.
Like I mentioned, I have a Monthly note on my phone where I catch everything in case my notebook isn’t nearby. When I have a few moments, I try to migrate those thoughts and tasks into the correct journal.
Here’s where my notebook system is currently.
My Notebook System
Bullet Journal
This is where most of the magic (ahem, my work) happens. I use a plain dot grid notebook, typically a branded Bullet Journal Leuchtturm1917 notebook. It’s here that I track my daily tasks, plan my months, get down my thoughts on what I’m doing day-to-day. I don’t do a lot of the typical bullet journaling and it’s far from artsy, but it gets the job done.
My layouts have varied wildly over the last several years, but I’ve been pretty consistent with a daily page and the original Bullet Journal method. Mostly points for tasks, events, and thoughts. But I also like to write more long-form thoughts for each day.
That’s it. No washi paper, no fancy markers and calligraphy, not even many stickers. I’m a creative person (I’m a designer by day), but I don’t want to spend too much time on my daily planner. It’s mostly utilitarian.
Blog Journal
My go-to notebook when I want to think through some article ideas. I get some of my best stream of thought writing done this way, way before I open up this app to start drafting.
Also this notebook is super cute. It’s velvety and soft and I like the spiral binding and it even has gilded edging? Ugh I love writing in this little journal.
Book Reviews Journal
This is the first notebook I started for writing down and documenting my book reviews. It’s a mess and it works just fine. It gives me space to experiment with writing reviews, trying out different formats, deciding on which books to read in the next year. I haven’t been consistent with this notebook, but I’ve slowly been moving my digital book reviews into my notebook and I’m excited to keep going with this one.
I’ll try to share some of my spreads from this in the coming weeks.
Book Notes Journal
This is a new journal I just started. I have difficulty remembering key moments in the books I’m reading, and I recently saw a method that would help me track where I’m at in a book, character names and relationships, important scenes, questions I had, etc.
This particular notebook is one that has been sitting around for a long time. It’s a Field Notes pocket notebook from like, ten years ago (just checked, it was 2014. So eleven years ago). The cover is made from cherry wood veneer, so it has a wooden cover. Kinda cool. I’ll let you know how this one goes.
Commonplace Notebook
Also a relatively new journal I’ve been keeping. This is my Commonplace Book. A commonplace book is a central place to write down ideas, quotes, anecdotes, anything you might find interesting or want to remember later.
I’ve been using mine to jot down notes and thoughts about library books (since I can’t highlight in those), notes on interesting Youtube videos, interesting things I find online. I heard someone once say that they pull theirs out to reference whenever they think about pulling out their phone, and I love that idea. Rereading my notes and new ideas will help solidify them further in my brain.
Journals I Want To Start
Home Journal
I’d love to have a dedicated notebook to start keeping track of home things. Stuff I’ve learned while gardening. Pet-related appointments. Names and numbers of my neighbors. Projects I want to do around the house. These have scattered note documents on my laptop, but I want to have them written down on paper somewhere.
Kids Notebooks
Kids have a lot to keep track of. Health and doctor appointments. School schedules. Milestones. Summer camps. Funny things they say. I haven’t decided yet if each child gets their own notebook of my notes, but it’s an idea I’m playing with.
Clients Journal
I work with neighbors to help them digitize their physical photo collections, and I want to start a notebook to take with me when I visit clients and learn about their photo projects. It just makes sense to have a place to write down notes about their deadlines and motivations.
Recipe Box
Not actually a journal, but I’m really excited about the idea of keeping our recipes on notecards in a little box in the kitchen. Currently they’re housed in shared notes that I share with my husband on Apple Notes, which works great if one of us updates a recipe, but I want to pull a small, wooden box from the cabinet and flip through it with my kids. I want a physical cards with my favorite recipes to pass down.
I’ve gone through many phases of note-taking over the years, mostly digital, but I’ve been particularly drawn to notebooks again. I’ve kept my typical tasks in my Bullet Journal and that has kept me on track for many years, but I’d like to build out a bigger library of my thoughts and dreams. My hopes and fears. So that I may look back on it and see the patterns where life has taken me, and plan my next steps forward.
Thanks for reading! I’m going to try to get another article in before the holidays and the turn of the year.
Here’s what I’ve been up to:
- What I’m reading: Dune has been a wonderful read so far.
- What I’m watching: Pluribus!! I’m obsessed.
- What I’m doing: So much job searching. Decluttering the house. Playing Baldur’s Gate 3 with my husband!
- What I’m listening to: Charlie Parr - especially this version of Cheap Wine. There’s something so deeply moving and emotional about it. I’ve listened to this song a dozen times since discovering it.