Today I was sat in Pizza Hut having a nice chat with my wife about a few projects going on in our life. Over the course of this conversation several ideas occurred to me, a couple of thoughts came up and I was reminded of a few tasks I’d forgotten about. Slight problem though. I didn’t have a pen or paper to capture any of them down. It was a nice meal though…
But this post isn’t about Pizza Hut (otherwise the blog would be called Organize Hut and not Organize IT). It’s about the simplest thing you can do to become more productive and just generally live a more chilled life. Here comes the revelation:
Carry a pen and paper around with you!
Ok, it seems obvious but how many of you do it all the time? Not many I bet. I’ve been doing this blog for nearly three years and write productive-themed musings regularly, but I still forget this simplest of tips. It’s not just about carrying a pen and paper with you when you go on a long trip or travel to a meeting, it should be with you when you nip to the local store for a bottle of milk. It should be with your when you go to the cafe during lunch or when you go for a stroll with the dog. Thoughts rarely happen at times convenient to you (like when you’re sat staring at your laptop or Moleskine), so you need to be prepared, like a thought-ninja, to take down those ideas and to-do’s as soon as they appear, regardless of your situation.
Don’t underestimate just how much more simple you can make your life by simply jotting down your thoughts as they occur. It really is like one less weight on your brain everytime you do it. Not only will you genuinely stop forgetting things, but you free your mind up to think about important stuff, creative stuff, or even no stuff at all if you want to chill out and relax. Either way, it puts you in control.
March 25, 2009 at 06:59PM
Sometimes it’s a pain to carry it around all the time, but I’ve been burned too many times when I didn’t have my pocket Moleskine with me. Strange though, how whenever I throw it in my purse along with a pen I know that works, I never seem to need it. But, once in a blue moon, when I forget it nowadays, that’ll be exactly the day that all these greatest ideas come to me. Then, because I don’t have anything to write them down on, I think more and more about the ideas, developing them more than if I would if I merely jotted them down. Then some truly great thoughts come. So, maybe it’s not always a bad thing to forget my little Moleskine? Nah! It’s my security blanket now…
March 25, 2009 at 07:34PM
I carry a Hipster PDA with me (a stack of index cards held together with a binder clip). Whenever something hits me, I can just write it down. No forgetting. When I have a space moment, I can look over the stuff there and crank out a task or combine multiple errands, etc. It’s more like a brain annex.
March 25, 2009 at 07:50PM
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way a few times, and now I don’t go anywhere without something to write with (and on). I even have a dry-erase board next to my shower. I’ve been known to write in margins of books or magazines in a pinch, too. If nothing else, sticking a single folded piece of paper in your back pocket with a pen is enough to capture most thoughts.
March 25, 2009 at 09:16PM
I always keep a pen and paper on me. I use a Moleskine Volant and a Zebra F-301 compact pen. I store it in my Urban Tool hip holster. Never leave home without it!
March 25, 2009 at 10:53PM
Actually, I’ll put it even more simply, all you need to carry with you all the time is a pen. You can find paper to write on everywhere. Napkins, receipts, small pieces of paper you find on shops, tickets, etc. If your purpose is to jot down quick notes, the simpler the better.
March 26, 2009 at 12:38AM
I agree that this is a great idea. If you’re stuck without pen and paper, why not text yourself a simple message?
March 26, 2009 at 01:46AM
You might not have a pen and paper but surely you’ve got your cell? Text yourself the ideas!
March 26, 2009 at 04:20AM
I use a leather note jotter. I bought some at Staples – and there are leather note jotters that come with a pen holder built into it too – although I didn’t find one on a quick search online, but they’re out there. Travel and luggage stores usually carry them.
March 26, 2009 at 10:44AM
Levenger has some great tools for this, and small pens too. Sure you can text but writing is always quicker. You can even sketch a thumbnail if needed.
March 26, 2009 at 04:50PM
Wow, lots of comments. Thanks!
Shanel, you make a very interesting point there. Can’t say I’ve ever come across that scenario but it wouldn’t surprise me. My ideas tend to develop on paper. I doodle and scribble away until they take shape.
Mirko, you can certainly get away with a pen. I’ve scribbled notes down on napkins and old receipts many times. Only problem is keeping them organized and processing through them when you get home. Because all my work comes from a notepad it makes sense to put my thoughts straight into it.
It’s interesting the amount of tools people are using specifically to do this. Levenger, Hipster PDA’s, even an holster. Shows this simple idea does get the attention it deserves.
March 26, 2009 at 04:58PM
It’s funny. I looked for my note taking gear thinking, “I need a pen and a small notebook”. That simple search ended up turning into half a day of research on compact pens alone. It surprised me how many options there were for such a simple item.
March 27, 2009 at 02:33PM
I always carry a Moleskine Cahier notebook with me. Durable cardboard cover and tear-out pages make it a win for me.
March 29, 2009 at 02:49AM
I always have a pen and a little notebook in my handbag because I constantly need to write my to-do list. Things that need to get done, things that I cannot afford to forget, things that I need to buy, people I need to call, etc.
And I am glad the pen-and-paper concept is working so well, because if I hadn’t discovered it, I would be struggling with loose pieces of papers and whatever else. So yeah, I’d definitely recommend it to anybody who needs to be ahead of their bosses.
March 30, 2009 at 04:07PM
I’m partial to my phone’s notepad. I rarely ever forget my phone and my notes are always with me stored digitally. I guess it also has an environmental benefit too!
April 2, 2009 at 06:42PM
Haha, cool to see so many responding to this post. It truly is a great way to increase your productivity. I second the Moleskine Cahier, but mine is tricked out. I also use an Inka pen on my key chain.
April 10, 2009 at 04:02PM
I have notebooks all over my house for such occasions. It’s so true, a lot of my best writing came from a thought I simply jotted down. Excellent reminder.