Documenting
You should carry a little notebook on your person at all times.
Have you ever heard a word and it triggered a bullet train of thoughts in your mind? This happens to me daily but I tend to forget all about them. If I remember the word, I forget the train’s direction and vice versa. This is why I have resolved to carry a tiny notebook wherever I go. I call it my ‘Documenting Notebook’.
Why Journal
When I’m collecting my surroundings in this notebook, I imagine myself akin to a forager who’s finding food around him, assessing it and collecting it. When you document what’s around you, you’re foraging information and ideas. Just like the food gathered would be ready for the forager to eat, the concepts and trains of thought recorded will be prepared for you when you want to resume them. Imagine yourself like a forager constantly looking out for food. Sometimes you’ll find the sweetest berry of a word or some herbs of thoughts. Finally, you’ll be able to combine all of the ingredients into a hearty meal of information and ideas.
I find that journalling helps me figure out my plan and life. I reason it out like this: If we need paper and pen to write down a simple mathematical problem, why don’t we write to figure out our lives? If I gave someone a sum to work out like 2345+179, most people would prefer writing it down to solve it. This could also be applied to our lives. If we have a problem or thoughts of any kind, we should write them down. In this way, we’ll be able to see the bigger picture and not be so laser-focused that it hinders our reasoning.
What to Write
I initially got the idea from a book called ‘Piranesi’ in which Piranesi, the protagonist, documents his findings and days in notebooks. Over time, he combined volumes and volumes of these notebooks leaving a corpus of his life. Piranesi chose writing as his means of documentation in which the entries resembled a science report but undeniably, the process is fluid and your entries can unfold in any way you want them to.
Take my notebook for example. When you open it, you are met with a page full of sketches. I remember I had noticed a person with the most angelic-looking eyes prompting me to try sketching them. Next is a list of the films I like and want to watch again. I also record words that I meet on my day-to-day and that I would like to use. In my case, I also like to jot down any ideas I have for the newsletter. Here are some other list ideas:
Things to read
To Buy
Questions that come up in your mind
Letters
Stash tickets in it as mementos
mind maps
Doodles
Final Tips
Getting started with this habit is simple. All you need to do is buy a tiny notebook you like and a pen, chuck it in your bag and you’re ready to go. I also liked customising mine, it made it more fun to use. Having a picture or maybe a memento like a ticket or a receipt that reminds you of something fun or someone will add a little sweetness to your day.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to let me know your thoughts on this or on how you found keeping a notebook with you if you give it a go. Please subscribe and share this post!