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My Own Pocket Notebooks

I've been really interested in writing on paper again, especially as a place to put my ideas.

Recently I made my own little pocket notebook, and it's been a really cool experience. You can see it in my Higgsfield video, at 4:47.

Those are the ones I've been using. I still like them a lot, and I think they're probably still the most aesthetic version.

Everything on Index Cards

Then there's the other method: writing everything on index cards.

What I like a lot about it is that you can discard the cards for the day that aren't worth saving, and digitize anything that needs to be digitized.

You can store the good thoughts, the ones worth preserving, and you can also use index cards as a task management system.

A System That Works on the Go

Prototype Number One

The only problem is that I really like having something that works on the go, not just something that works when I'm at my desk.

So I'm experimenting with a foldable system for these loose index cards. In an ideal world it would be something like leather.

But right now I'm doing prototype number one, made of hard black card, which looks pretty cool. I'm making it a threefold system.

The whole point is to have a nice way to organize what's a to-do, what's a new card, and where I can grab more cards whenever I run out.

Cut to Measure

I've been cutting these cards myself as well, which is pretty cool, because I can make them to measure. Yes, you can buy them pre-made.

One of the next things I'd like to buy at some point is a corner rounder. There are machines for that, and technically, the more cards it can do at once, the better.

But even a cheap one would be better than what I do right now, which is cutting the corners with scissors. Sometimes I do it well, and sometimes I can't be bothered and just make them not pointy.

Start With a Mess

At first I was really trying to number everything Zettelkasten style, or categorize everything by date and by which card I'm on that day, with a decimal system for continuation cards.

But I've realized one of the best ways I approach these things is by making an absolute mess. Then, out of that mess, you can bring simplicity and order.

Instead of trying to design the perfect system from scratch in theory, put it into practice.

Make a system that looks absolutely crazy. If someone saw you with all these pieces of paper, asked what you were doing, and you tried to explain it on the spot, they'd think you were crazy. So context matters a lot.

I'm definitely testing this system. I think it's got merit, and I'm still experimenting. I'm liking it so far, there are good advantages to it, so we'll see how it goes.