You may ask what note taking is and what does it have to do with motivation? Well it has a lot to do with motivation, in that we all have ideas and thoughts, that when not written down are often forgotten. We also need to be reminded at times what we need to do. To-do lists help focus us on the tasks at hand and to prioritize. I also suggest to you that notetaking software is not the answer for many people.  Certainly not for me, and I am a total techno geek, gadget freak. I find that a pad of paper is my most effective tool in this area. So, I have three things to share with you: what is note taking,  my thoughts on notetaking software, and why I use a pad of paper.

Note Taking

(Really, what do I mean by note taking?) This is not the boring note taking we all associate with school. It is also not like keeping a journal where you write your thoughts and feelings down once a day (not to say that is a bad thing – it can in fact be VERY helpful to people.) Rather, I am talking about having a way to record ideas as they come to you. When you are walking down the street or first wake up in the morning or while riding in the car (as a passenger), any time. This way you forget nothing (unless you have a photographic memory) and can refer back to your brief notes on your idea, break through, or whatever came to mind while you were too busy with something else.

Notetaking Software

OK, I personally do not think that notetaking software is the way to go. It means that you need to have your device with you all the time and charged. Fine I can probably make that happen. More importantly, Ijust find it difficult to get my ideas down quickly while fumbling with a phone, trying to find the app, typing on the tiny keyboard, etc.  It just does not do it for me. I have tried quite a few products. If you want to go this route here is a link to the best site I found for reviewing those notetaking software products.

Pad of Paper

OK the pad of paper (notebook) is my favorite. But this is just my personal preference. I can take it anywhere. It is easy to whip out and jot some notes down QUICKLY. And it is easy to flip through pages to find recent notes. I favor the moleskin notebooks. They tend to be a little more expensive, but they also last a long time, are small, and are flexible. They seem to be just the correct size, not too conspicuous or heavy. When I was a grad student and poor, I did use composition note books, you know, the ones with the black and white speckles. I think that Richard Branson used these when he was running Virgin Records.

Where can you keep your pad of paper? Well, if you are a woman with a purse…in your purse. If you are a man (without a man purse) or a woman without a purse…I keep it tucked under my shirt and held in place with my pants. Most people don’t see it there. You can also carry the notebook in the open. Some people think this makes you look like a geek (in a negative way). I don’t tend to hang out those people or listen to them much.

So, take your choice. But get into the habit of writing down  in your note taking device any idea or thing you see or hear that is important to you. Finally, you need to review those notes every day to ensure you take action on the things you noted. This will help enormously in your efforts to Jar the Ground every day!

If you have other ideas or suggestions, please post a comment.