Boost Your Productivity with a Pen and a Notepad

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Boost Your Productivity with a Pen and a Notepad

Increase your productivity by keeping a pen and notepad with you to jot down ideas, notes and to do's

In our digital age, we may feel that increasing productivity is wholly based on the newest software program, hand held digital device, or even web-based programs to keep track of your notes and daily ‘to-dos.’ These methods do add to your productivity but shouldn’t be the only solution to your needs. If you’re like me, you spring for the latest productivity software because they seem easy to use, but end up only using them for 3 days before it becomes a hassle, eventually ceasing to use it completely. Although software and digital devices are extremely useful, I feel that the best way to keep your notes and ‘to-dos’ are by combining both digital and analog solutions to further increase your productivity. The simplicity of a pen and a notepad can be the solution when you don’t feel up to turning on your computer to just make a few notes.

Get yourself a pen and a nice notepad. I’ve noticed that BIC and Paper Mate® pens that can be had for only a few cents write pretty darn well. If you prefer to get a nice pen and notepad, by all means, get the one you’ll stick with. You may not care for a nice pen or notepad, but if you feel you’ll stick to note taking if invest in a nice set, hack your psychology and invest in one. Moleskine® notepads are quite the rage, and I have invested in a palm sized one for on-the-go note taking. To me, the verdict is still out to if it is any better than a notepad you can get at a convenience store.

On your notepad, write down all the tasks you want to complete by the end of the day. Some may want to write one or two main goals for the day, while some may want to write down a lot more smaller tasks that need to complete the main goals. Unless you are an accomplished productivity guru, one or two main goals per day is a good pace. Write each task or goal on a separate line so you can cross them off one by one. If you’re new to setting tasks and goals, try writing anything and everything you need to do on that particular day. The reason I suggest writing many small tasks that lead you to your main goals in the beginning is because you can get the satisfaction of crossing off a task often. Write down that you’ll eat a healthy lunch, walk to the grocery store, get laundry done, etc. You may also take it a step further and write self-improvement goals such as giving the gift of a smile to a stranger or waking up early. You will want to graduate from this method as soon as you get a hang of completing your goals. You’ll also want to make sure that you don’t get dependent on just crossing off trivial tasks that don’t necessarily contribute to your major goals of the day.

Going ‘old school’ and writing down your tasks and goals for the day will help ingrain and strengthen your motivations. The physical act of writing may also get you involved deeper in your goals, while crossing each small task will give you proof to your mind that you are progressing towards your daily goals.

You’ll want to set your daily goals early in the morning or the night before. You will also want to create a broad weekly goal checklist to guide you along each week. This is all dependent on you and what works best for you. You may prefer to set your goals early in the morning, while others may be more productive in setting their goals right before they go to bed. Keep in mind though, that what works best for you may not necessarily be the easiest.