Deciding to carry a notebook with you sounds like a small change, but it has a huge effect. So big that I can’t imagine leaving the house without my notebook anymore.
1. You never know when you will need pen and paper: It happens all the time. You meet a new person and need to write down his phone number. Someone calls you and tells you an address where to go. You go shopping and need to write a list of things to buy. Usually this involves furiously looking for paper. And when the paper is found, there is no pen in sight.
2. Ideas come, ideas go, be quick to write them down: I have noticed that usually the best ideas come when you are away from your desk: out on a walk, riding a bus, driving your car. I used to think that if I don’t remember the idea the next day it probably wasn’t any good in the first place. Lately I have come to understand that it’s the nature of ideas that if you don’t write them down, you will lose them.
3. Reading your ideas helps you when you need inspiration: This morning I was about to panic as I didn’t have much time to write and was still missing an idea for a blog post. I took my notebook, browsed it a bit and noticed that on August 26th I had written a small note: “Things learned by carrying a notebook everywhere you go”.
4. Journaling takes time: I kept a diary for about a month, but it soon dried out. I just didn’t have the time to write my thoughts down after working, blogging and family time. Luckily carrying a small notebook with me all the time gives me some of the benefits of journaling in a more efficient way. Some day when I have more time I will start journaling again, but for now this is better than not writing at all.
5. It feels good when you can help someone else: Having a pen with you all the time means that whenever you see someone in a need of a writing device, you have one to share. I usually don’t share my notebook (except I let my wife write shopping lists in it) but the pen is something that I lend all the time. It makes people happy, and it’s a good opportunity to tell them to carry one with them as well.
http://jarkkolaine.com/2007/09/18/5-small-lessons-learned-from-carrying-a-notebook-everywhere/
1. You never know when you will need pen and paper: It happens all the time. You meet a new person and need to write down his phone number. Someone calls you and tells you an address where to go. You go shopping and need to write a list of things to buy. Usually this involves furiously looking for paper. And when the paper is found, there is no pen in sight.
2. Ideas come, ideas go, be quick to write them down: I have noticed that usually the best ideas come when you are away from your desk: out on a walk, riding a bus, driving your car. I used to think that if I don’t remember the idea the next day it probably wasn’t any good in the first place. Lately I have come to understand that it’s the nature of ideas that if you don’t write them down, you will lose them.
3. Reading your ideas helps you when you need inspiration: This morning I was about to panic as I didn’t have much time to write and was still missing an idea for a blog post. I took my notebook, browsed it a bit and noticed that on August 26th I had written a small note: “Things learned by carrying a notebook everywhere you go”.
4. Journaling takes time: I kept a diary for about a month, but it soon dried out. I just didn’t have the time to write my thoughts down after working, blogging and family time. Luckily carrying a small notebook with me all the time gives me some of the benefits of journaling in a more efficient way. Some day when I have more time I will start journaling again, but for now this is better than not writing at all.
5. It feels good when you can help someone else: Having a pen with you all the time means that whenever you see someone in a need of a writing device, you have one to share. I usually don’t share my notebook (except I let my wife write shopping lists in it) but the pen is something that I lend all the time. It makes people happy, and it’s a good opportunity to tell them to carry one with them as well.
http://jarkkolaine.com/2007/09/18/5-small-lessons-learned-from-carrying-a-notebook-everywhere/
