digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: keep a paper "scratchpad" notebook on your desk, dated by day, to capture quick ideas, tasks, and reminders, and use digital tools mainly as the output system for finalized tasks and long-term storage. Carl Pullein says the paper scratchpad lets you jot things down without taking your eyes off your screen, and that dating each entry makes weekly reviews faster.
Key Points
- Carl notes that many studies suggest pen and paper is better than digital for planning, and shares his personal experiment convincing him to keep certain parts of his work on paper rather than going back to digital.
- He uses a Maruman Nemosine B5 composition notebook (a fountain-pen-friendly paper, with thirds marked out) instead of the A5 Rhodia notebook he used earlier this year, because the A5 notes became too random and hard to distinguish.
- Each day's notes are separated by a vertical margin line with the date written in it, so during the weekly planning review he knows how far back to scan for anything not yet entered digitally.
- The workflow is paper first, digital output second: scratchpad notes are moved into a planning book, planned there, and then become digital outputs such as finished videos or tasks.
- Carl says the scratchpad helps him stay focused on screen work, because a request can be written down quickly and reviewed later.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Keep a notebook on the side of your desk opposite your writing hand (Carl is left-handed and keeps it on the right; a right-handed person would put it on the left).
- Use fountain-pen-friendly paper if you write with a fountain pen, or the notebook will look poor.
- Draw a vertical line down the side of the page and write the date in that margin at the start of each day's notes, then keep that day's notes on the other side of the line.
- During your weekly planning, scan back through the dated entries to find anything not yet captured in your digital system.
- Move scratchpad items into a planning book, plan them there, and only then convert them into digital tasks or outputs.
- When interrupted while working on a screen, jot the request on the scratchpad and return to it later rather than switching tasks.
- At the end of the day, review the scratchpad to make sure everything was captured.
- He notes that the scratchpad is for random, quick thoughts, while digital systems remain better for task management and long-term note storage because of their small footprint and searchability.
- He says he has not yet developed a full method for adding margin notes, indicating the system is still evolving.
Bottom Line
A dated paper scratchpad works as a low-friction capture tool that keeps you focused on your screen, and it complements rather than replaces digital systems for final tasks and storage.
