Keep Your Mind Clear With A Notebook

WHAT is a notebook and WHO is it for

This article is about the great assets of keeping a little notebook with you at all times. By ‘notebook’ I mean the old-fashioned paper type - my ideal size is 8cm by 12cm. It is, in essence, your short-term working memory - a place to document things that come to mind to clear your brain of clutter.

People of all ages are returning to using little notebooks in their business, professional and personal lives. It is a fantastic way to keep the mind clear. I have used them since my teens. It is kept with me at all times, including by the bed when asleep, as explained later!

You may well have your entire professional and personal life on your laptop. You may already be using specially designed software, or your mobile phone, or organizational tools like electronic calendaring, instant messenger, SMS and other communication services. I have used Psions and other gadgets in the past but have not yet come across any technology that beats plain old pen and paper for ‘clearing my mind’.

This article is about the huge benefits of using a little notebook alongside your other technology and gadgets.


WHEN to use it

Remember the occasions when you needed to quickly write down someone’s phone number and scribbled it on your palm with a biro or on the back of an envelope? Or when you wrote important things on a napkin at a restaurant?

Get rid of scraps of paper completely. Vow NEVER to use them again. You want clarity in your life and mind, not bits of paper everywhere you look, not to mention the amount of time that is wasted looking for a particular piece.

Keep your notebook with you at all times, especially by your bedside so when you wake in the middle of the night with a creative thought or a solution to a longstanding problem, you can jot it down immediately. You will be quite surprised when you read what you have written in the morning, and seen what your amazing brain has been up to.

Being organized is a learned behaviour and the use of a paper notebook will transform your life.


WHAT to write in it

List everything that comes to mind. At first it will mainly be things that you have to do in your hectic life. The brain thrives on simplicity. If it overloads this can cause frustration, confusion, despair, health problems, breakdowns and more. If you use a notebook to clear your mind of all your racing thoughts, you will find that once on paper they actually disappear from your mind producing all sorts of benefits. List both ‘simple’ and ‘deeper’ things such as:

* Replace the old soap on the sink
* Sort the gas bill
* Get the car serviced
* Take the washing out of the drier
* Collect John at 3pm
* Take the dog out
* Things to tell your spouse, child, friend, etc.
* Items to repair at home
* Sheet music or CDs to buy
* Books to read
* Films to see
* Restaurants to try
* Wording for a new poem
* Thoughts on your next article
* Meeting agenda
* People to phone
* Creative thoughts

In a nutshell, document anything that enters your mind.


WHY use it

The ultimate ‘why’ is that it declutters your brain. The more free you keep your brain, the more space it has for ‘creative thinking’. Other advantages include:

* You do not need to rely on your memory so you never forget to action something

* Everything you need to do is in one place

* Increases productivity (work and social)

* Keeps you focussed and on track - contributes highly to personal, professional and business success

* Organises your thinking – this in turn helps you achieve your goals

* Improves your reliability - you always remember items to take to a meeting, promises you made, etc.

* Saves energy and time – with everything on one page, e.g., items to buy from shops, you do not do wasted journeys because you have forgotten something

* Adds greatly to your self development and personal growth


HOW to use it

Be strict with yourself. Do not have lots of notebooks all over your home or workplace. Just use one and allocate a separate page for different categories. Keep it with you all the time. Items that need transferring to your computer can be done the next time you are there.

For items that have to be actioned by a particular time, use your notebook in conjunction with a date-diary. Decide which are urgent for a particular date and write these ones straight into your diary for that day.

If you have a page entitled ‘Things to be done’, as you action them put a line through the item. If you just tick them off, your brain will re-read them as you scan down the page. Having a line through them allows your brain to ignore them as items that do not need reading.

If there are people you regularly liaise with and need to remember things to tell them, have a separate page for each of these people. Then when they phone or when you meet up, simply go down your list.


In summary

Computer programmes and other technology have great flexibility for keeping projects and records organized but there is a trend of returning to paper notebooks to use alongside your other gadgets. The beauty of keeping a notebook with you at all times is that it keeps your brain clear, producing a more relaxed state of mind and allowing space for creative thinking.