How to Notebook (Recent Variations)

Adam shares some of the fleeting changes in his notebooks.

My notebook typically contains all of my life: notes on the taxes, a drawing of a ghost-dinosaur hybrid for my son, a mind-blowing concept overheard on a podcast, the family sushi order, and the family Sushi Go! score.

All of these things will come and go. What’s in the notebook changes over time. Here are a few recent changes.

Where My List Lives

I hacked the new Field Notes Heavy Duty with some magnetic tape so it can live on the fridge next to the Viarco Magneto Pencil. Tape goes on the inside front cover. Made this 4-second video to demonstrate 

Grocery List Transfer

Recently the grocery lists have been composed in my wife’s Rollbahn notebook and then transferred to my notebook with washi tape.

What did you do today?

As far as what I’m writing, I’ve taken Billy Collins’ suggestion from his Masterclass and made a list of “ten to twenty” items I’ve done each day. He suggests very short statements and tells his students that the links between a couple of items can be the basis for a poem.

Refer Back to the Back

If there’s something I need to return to, usually a list that I’ll update, I place it in the back of the notebook. My last page is always the same. The lists get added from the back. Recent lists include: Names from We Cast A Shadow, discussion points for the podcast, books to read, picnic menu, and items for this blog post.