We live in a digital world, with an abundance of incredible digital resources to help us organise our lives. There are so many apps and devices available that allow us to take digital notes these days, but many of us still enjoy the tactile experience of writing with a pen on paper, and what’s better than a brand new notebook to do it in?
There’s something about physically writing things down in a fresh new notebook as it helps to solidify our ideas, feelings, and emotions. Writing by hand enhances our ability to recall and comprehend information and improves productivity. According to a report published in the Journal of Psychological Science, people who take notes on their computers retain significantly less knowledge than people who take notes by hand.
The blank page of a notebook is full of possibilities, it gives us a chance to think, develop, and articulate ourselves leading to bursts of inspiration, fresh ideas, and creative thought. So, if you’re ready to put your notebook to work and give your creative thinking a boost, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of suggestions for filling up those blank notebooks.
1. Start with Doodling
It’s always a good idea to keep a notebook close by to allow your imagination to run free. Doodling is almost meditative, it puts your mind somewhere between awareness and daydreaming, creating space for clearer thought, and bringing forward the brilliant ideas buried deep in your mind. It’s a perfect activity while taking notes in long meetings, as it doesn’t prevent you from listening, in fact it can be particularly helpful when brainstorming new ideas. Doodling is also a great stress release, so just flip open a new page and let your pen run wild.
2. Use it for Planning or Time Tracking
A new notebook can be easily converted to a customised daily planner by designing your own preferred layout. A daily planner is a convenient way to record your day-to-day plans and helps you to stay focused on them.
3. Record your Favourite Recipes
If you’re the kind of person who gets their recipes online you know how frustrating it is when you can’t find one you loved again because you forgot to bookmark it (or you have a million disorganised bookmarks). Why not create your own record of favourite recipes in a notebook? This allows you to, not just record the ingredients and instructions but also take note of tips and learnings from the first time you cooked the dish. Keeping notes of your recipes can help to improve your cooking skills as it improves memory retention, plus your previous notes will keep you from making the same mistakes twice.
4. Turn it into a Gratitude Journal
The secret to gratitude is to keep your mind focused on the positive aspects of your life. Keeping a gratitude journal is a sure-fire way to ensure that you are doing exactly this. Writing down what you are thankful for (even small things like “I’m thankful there was a parking spot at the supermarket today) can help keep you positive, even when things may be a little tough.5. Start a Health Log
An empty notebook is perfect for when you need a little inspiration and motivation. When we have health and lifestyle goals it helps to keep a list of objectives, sources of motivation, and the all-important “how-to”, keeping a record of all of this helps you to keep a track of your progress. An additional benefit of keeping a notebook is that you can share your daily health log with your doctor and have a clearer conversation on the next steps.
6. Invest Your Time in an Inspirational Journal
For the creative, and even not-so-creative types there are huge benefits to keeping an inspiration journal, especially if like many you’re attempting to cut down on screen-time. Pasting images in a new notebook from magazines, photos, doodling, and writing down song lyrics, sayings, phrases, or even just words that you enjoy or inspire will fire up your creative spirit and give you some productive time away from your devices. At times, when you’re out of ideas, you might find this sort of notebook to be a great source of inspiration.
