I’ve had an unusual affinity for school supplies for as long as I can remember, which really helped me cope with the end-of-summer blues because I knew it meant I was that much closer to my annual Office Depot trip. My level of excitement for this was as extra as it gets and probably freaked my parents out. But I didn’t care what anyone thought because I had my eye on the prize – a new collection of clean and crisp notebooks. I had a notebook for everything. Literally everything. Obviously the basics like each class subject. Then there were separate notebooks for my personal to-dos (because every 10 year old has a laundry list of very important things to get done) and school to-dos. And a notebook for things I wanted to ask my parents for, like a bigger allowance and another new notebook. Then there was my favorite notebook. The one I used to write down my daily random thoughts. You know, like all of the brilliant ideas I had and all the ways I could accomplish my goals. Normal pre-teen things, right?
Here we are, 20 years later, and I have yet to give up the obsession. My co-workers make fun of me endlessly because just like my adolescent self, my life is still run by an endless amount of notebooks. I can’t function without them! And I stand by it! Don’t get me wrong; I use my laptop when I have to take extensive notes and for bigger writing projects like press releases and bylines. But when it comes to to-do lists, organizational stuff and quick notes, I’m a notebook girl through and through! I have separate ones for each client, a separate one for my to-dos and just like 10 year-old me, a separate one for my random thoughts and ideas. There’s just something about hand-written notes that make me feel like I have my shit together. And this recent article on Inc.com totally has my back. According to the article, new research shows that you’re more productive and remember more by opting for pen and paper note taking as opposed to a laptop.
The article makes some pretty valid points, specifically about notebooks vs. laptops in the business world, stating that our laptop might be causing us to remember less of our important discussions in meetings. You might be super disciplined, but it’s hard to avoid checking email or multi-tasking when you’re face-to-face with your computer screen. It also says that even if you are a great corporate citizen who commits none of those sins and is trying to diligently take good notes on your laptop, ironically you might be noting too much. Research showed that more words didn’t translate into better retention.
And there you have it. The old school method prevails! Who’s laughing now, guys?! I get it. The notebook system doesn’t work for everyone. And there are situations where a laptop is the better option. But for me, my pen and paper process got me this far so it doesn’t look like I’ll be changing my ways any time soon. So here’s to you, my handy dandy notebook collection! Keep on keepin’ on and don’t let technology push you around. You’re as valuable today as you were 20 years ago. Just look at what we’ve accomplished together! Sky’s the limit, old friend!
