My Best Productivity Tool Costs £1

Using a notebook aids retention and idea collection.

This week, I picked my five-year-old up from school and was told she was a math genius for her age. My children are gifted in math, which is no coincidence because I am a math teacher. Not that I have sat them down for an official lesson, but it is constantly around us. We always ask them how many sweets they have left and how many each sibling gets.

This constant presence has helped them and can be used in your writing and idea creation. If you constantly write down ideas as they enter your head, it becomes second nature, and you never struggle for an idea again. Many have read this advice several times, yet few have followed it.

Why?

Is it the stigma of looking stupid pulling out a notebook? Most people pull out their phones without a second thought when talking to someone, so why should we, as writers, feel embarrassed at pulling out a notebook?

Are you worried that you might lose them? This can easily be overcome, and I use cheap notebooks from the supermarket to lessen the worry.

There are so many advantages of notebooks

When you write by hand, you must know where the sentence is going. This thought is a vital skill to learn and helps you develop your writing skills. Many studies have been conducted that prove that writing by hand aids retention.

Jackie Collins would write her first draft by hand. The fantastic Roald Dahl would go into his writing shed, sharpen several pencils and write in a notebook. I find it easier to plan articles on paper. There are many fantastic programs for mind mapping, but they all contain much more friction than paper and pen.

The other main advantage of a notebook is it is cheap. You don't need to buy an expensive pad and pen; I would advise against it. If you have expensive materials, you worry about losing them. None of us need more worry. Instead, buy a cheap notebook and personalise them. With young children, you can imagine how many pictures I accumulate that they have drawn me; I stick them to the book's cover. It will be a lovely memory of their progress, as well as my thoughts.

How I Use Mine

I always have a notebook and write down anything that comes into my head. For example, 90% of this article comes from a line here and there written down.

Every night, I place my notebook on my bedside table, and I note it down if something comes to mind. I don't even have to turn the light on, and I certainly don't have to pick up my phone.

Of course, this system is not perfect. The other night, I wrote the word hamster, and although I can remember writing it, I have no idea why or what it means. However, more often than not, it helps with idea retention.

Famous Notebook Users

Despite all this and a movement towards notebook carrying again, people are embarrassed to pull out a notebook but not a phone. This is mainly due to the time we spend together. Go back in history; you would be considered strange if you did not have a notebook. Sherlock Holmes is often seen to place something in his pocketbook.

Darwin wrote most of his Origin of Species in several notebooks whilst he travelled the world. He didn't just write. He drew pictures and connected ideas. Shakespeare would have been taught note-taking at school; he created little from nothing; instead, it was reworked passages he had saved.

Dickens mentioned that Mr Pickwick carried a notebook to record 'discoveries noteworthy', and so was the habit of carrying a notebook part of Victorian society.

Modern author Donna Tartt is an extensive notebook user. She wrote some of The Goldfinch in her notebook whilst travelling to promote The Secret History. In an interview with the author, she admits feeling lost without her notebook beside her.

I am not suggesting that you replace your phone with a pad, but I am suggesting it as a valuable writing tool. Aim to strike a balance by reaching for a notebook rather than your notes app. It will also stop you from disappearing down a rabbit hole of notifications and endless scrolling.

Buy a notebook this week and take a step in the right direction towards effortless productivity.

If you enjoy this email, please share it so more readers can find it. If you need advice or writing tips, I would love to hear them. Drop them in the comments or email me by hitting reply to this newsletter.

Until next week, stay safe

Sam 😊

And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss. - J. K. Rowling