A Pocket Notebook Can Change Your Life

Get stuff done without your phone

There’s a rectangular object that fits in your pocket. No notifications. No algorithm. No doomscrolling. Just you and whatever you decide to put into it.

That’s right... a pocket notebook.

If there’s one tool I can’t live without, it’s my Field Notes.

You might be thinking, “You can do everything a notebook does on your phone!” And you’d be right. But a phone comes with all sorts of distractions that lead to doomscrolling and wasted time.

A notebook only has what you put into it. A phone leads to more distractions.

Grabbing the phone to remember something or grab a quick idea leads to 20 minutes you will never get back. The problem is that the phone never just does the one thing.

But a pocket notebook can make you more focused, joyful, and organized. Here’s how:

Improve your memory

I’m trying something new in my notebook this month. I glued a printout of a poem into it, and I’m memorizing it. Two benefits: it improves my memory, and it gives me something to do other than look at my phone. I carry my notebook everywhere and now pull it out to review the poem instead of scrolling.

Be more organized

One of the biggest reasons I use a pocket notebook is that it helps me to be more organized. I have a master to-do list at the front of the notebook, then a weekly to-do list, and finally, I write down the tasks I need to get done each day.

Experience analog joy

Everything is digital these days. There is something incredibly satisfying about carrying a notebook around with you. Rebel against technology a little bit and use a pocket notebook.

Be more grateful

Every day, I write down something I’m grateful for in my notebook. It takes 30 seconds, and it reminds me that a lot of parts in my life are pretty amazing. It’s easy to focus on the negative things in your day, but this helps bring the positive to the front.

Increase your creativity

It’s hard to be creative when you’re constantly distracted. Slowing down to write something by hand changes how you think. The ideas that come out of a notebook are different from the ones that come out of a Notes app.

You’ll always have a pen

You’d be surprised how often this comes in handy. Just the other day, a friend needed to write something in a birthday card and had no pen. I did.

Less screen time

If you’ve read anything from me before, you know screen time is a real problem in my life. My notebook helps me look at my phone less. That alone is worth it.

Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is use the less productive tool.

If you’d like to see what I actually write in mine every day, check out this post.

And if you want to give a pocket notebook a try, I’m giving one away to 3 subscribers. Reply to this email or comment on this post with the word NOTEBOOK to be entered. Winners picked on March 24th. Must be a subscriber to win.

-MFR