Keep a notebook!

This is probably the most exciting topic I'll ever post about.

I've been keeping a notebook to record thoughts, feels, ideas, and intentions. Here's why I think they're worth your time

(edited): ring binders are good with thick paper :-)

My notebook

On its pages are no full recollections of stuff that happened so it's not quite a diary. It's a summary of good stuff you might need later. When I write in my notebook I try to stick to some simple rules that make life a bit easier for future-me. 

1. The first few pages are reserved for a table of contents (I counted the pages and to make sure I left enough space)
2. Do not use more than one page in one day (my notebook is A5 sized fyi)
3. At the top of each notebook entry there's a page number, a date, a sort of header that describes my setting, and a title. 

There's some other habits I'm into: using different colours, drawing pictures when I need to, making the best bits bold.

The first entry. Purdy

What's good about it

Restricting myself to one page a day has one major positive effect: I'm forced to use concise language. There's no beating about the bush. Future-me can get straight to the point when he's reading it back. Sometimes I don't have the concise language in my vocabulary so I'll use a search engine or a dictionary to find the right words (I like learning new words). The information I'm describing with these new words now has a more meaningful existence for me. The idea, the words and I have been on a journey together...

The header at the top of the page helps to identify between pages (they start looking similar). The title, date and page number are self-explanatory. The other bit tries to describe the circumstance I'm in at the time of writing in as few words as possible. "On the train home from Liverpool", for example! This jogs my memory in a weird way - it helps me understand what on Earth I was thinking at the time.

In case it isn't obvious, a table of contents is pretty useful when there's no CTRL-F function built-in!

Table of contents! I wasn't lying after all

Introspection

Introspection is the examination of your own thoughts and feelings. It's not explicitly tied to keeping a notebook, though I have been using the two things together. Now, this may not work for you, but I find that when I perceive a problem, or feel dissatisfied, I question these thoughts and feelings to find the root of my trouble and the path to a solution. I have found introspection leads me to resolutions. I never wrote down where I copied this way of thinking from, but I'm sure it stemmed from another powerful notion that I found about a month ago: "Your perception is your reality". 

Choosing a notebook

I chose a crappy notebook really. It needs thicker paper and a harder back. Since you're keeping your notebook for a few months at least you don't want it to get scruffy have pages fall out.

Thanks for reading, hope it helped!