Developing a Logbook, Recording Ideas, and Sticking to the Plan!

Something new to 2015 that I have never done before is keep a logbook. I have become fascinated by this idea ever since I read Austin Kleon’s post as well as in his book Steal Like An Artist.

I am stealing his idea.

I bought a Moleskine Colour a Month Daily Diary/Planner to make this happen.

These are twelve little books for each month. They are small, compact, and short on space.

I have thought this through because I don’t want them to become anything but a logbook. This is not a diary or a to do list. Both of these I already waste endless hours doing. This is more of a snapshot of things I actually did each day.

I think this will be fascinating to go back and read and see what I was doing when I actually felt and was productive vs. the unproductive moments.

One more step to clarity and focus in my life!

Below is a video explaining how I plan to use the logbooks to make sense of everything.

After using it for one month I am proud to say it was easy. I wrote every single day. Often times it was just little notes of ideas or actions, but enough that it kept me thinking about my goals and where I want to be.

They are small enough to keep in your pocket or bag. I am now finding myself with that naked feeling if I don’t have them with me at all times.

One thing I have found to be helpful is to label each day with one word at the top. This allows me to look for trends.

Last, anything that pops in my mind that is worth remembering I jot down in a small Field Notes book. It lines up perfectly with my month logbook and is small and easy to travel with as well.

Additionally, I am also using the Moleskine Evernote Weekly Planner as well to keep me on track. I am finding the paper calendars and notes to be more helpful than my Google Calendar. I use the Google Calendar for my school events, but anything in my life or really important things go in my planner. The whole notion of writing them down makes them stick to my brain. With Evernote stickers I can set up reminders if needed.

Last, I use on of the templates from Moleskine to keep me reminded of my year goals. These are free and more people need to be aware of these. So many great templates to use.

Coming soon will be guidance on how I use the Smart Stickers to organize my notes and ideas as well as how you can use the planner to set up reminders on your computer.