Could someone explain to me why I’m obsessed with paper notebooks and pens?
I’ve moved just about everything I work on and play on to an online equivalent. For my personal todo list I use rememberthemilk.com and for my work related tasks I use such things as mantis, various wikis, Outlook folders/Calendar, and my iPhone notepad and voice recorder, just to name a few..
I used paper notebooks for years. Starting with the cool brown Physics laboratory/Engineering computation notebooks, and then on to smaller hardcover blueline notebooks and weatherproof mini-notebooks (which I still use at the gym by taping my ID card to the front cover so I don’t forget it). I also bought a variety of 3×5 cards for notes, with monogram from Levenger. But I go for weeks and months without ever using any of them. I’ve had the same notebook for all my CheatCodes work since we opened in 2001 – and It’s not even close to half filled. I put reference items in my wikis, since they’re availble from “anywhere.” RememberTheMilk keeps my todos organized and available at all times (with a great iphone app).
So, why on Earth do I keep buying various paper methods? I can’t go through a store without checking the “notebook” aisle.
My latest is buying Moleskine notebooks of various sizes. I have several right here in front of me, and I rarely write in them – and the reason – they’re too nice and I don’t want to “spoil” them. Seriously. The paper is such great quality I really don’t want to mess them up! Plus, I keep all my notes online ANYWAY.
What kind of idiot pays $19.95 for 192 pages of ruled 7.5×10″ paper and then refuses to write in it? Me, that’s who…