Notes as a Work (and Life) Organization Tool!
I start this article imagining the song of the Dragon Ball generic that opens the stage for the narrator: “In the last article, we watched our heroes learn new techniques/ teachings from Master Vitor, working hard to survive the remote work, with countless hobbies and hygienic walks with neighbors’ dogs and iguanas… After several weeks, we will see the state of our heroes…”.
Well, if you thought that what I had for you was an isolated sharing of suggestions/ theories, you were wrong! I promise, however, that this time the article will be more useful! Shall we get started?
Notes, notes, and more notes
We live in an increasingly digital world, where everyone spends the day in front of screens. Cell phones have become that gadget where we keep everything, including notes about what we have to do. I believe, however, that it is good to put the digital aside sometimes and use our old friend paper for certain situations – the first good reason I can give you is that paper doesn’t run out of battery when we need it most!
Taking notes is something so simple and it can also become a very effective productivity tool. During the pandemic I realized that I needed something to support me in managing my work and tasks, something that would help me organize myself and avoid forgetting things. Among the various options that we can imagine and explore, the most direct, simple, and effective is to simply grab a paper and write some notes, these can go from the most basic kind of notes: making random lists of ideas/tasks, to the most professional organization systems.
Basic level
“Doing the basics is the principle of excellence” – Fredjoger
This first level is often something we learn from a very young age, probably during elementary school, and which is always available to us. What does it consist of? Taking a sheet of paper and writing a simple list of what we have to do during the day. As we go on with completing our tasks we cross out, erase, or simply throw away the paper once our tasks are finished. Adding on to simple sheets of paper, there are also the pocket notebooks, which serve the purpose of always being there by our side to point out ideas at any place or occasion.
This is a very simple method but cultivating the habit of writing down our notes and having them always by your side definitely helps us organize our day(s) and avoid forgetting things. And in the end, when the paper with the precious notes has finished its purpose and we don’t need it anymore, we send it to the recycling bin. Yes, boys and girls, let’s recycle!
Intermediate level
“Your notes don’t show who you are, they only show a small part of your knowledge, your notes never define you.” – Lemilesi
This is possibly the most commonly used system, fitting different people and preferences and allowing for innumerous customization, the famous checklists!
Yes, checklists are notes, but with that little box on the back where we put a sign when it’s done, being simple, easy, and effective to keep a daily history of what we have in mind to do, what was actually done and what remains to be done.
My daily checklist system is simple, it contains the date as a title, followed by the information that defines whether the task is professional or personal and a line for each goal I set for that day. My suggestion is that you also leave an extra space to put some notes that might be important. Easy example on this: something that was supposed to be done that day, but for some reason it couldn’t be completed, it is important to point out the reason.
It is crucial that we are realistic with the number of topics we attribute to each day, after all, the day only has 24 hours, and we have a limit to what we can actually do. At the beginning I would put more tasks than I could finish and over time I started to manage that aspect better.
What I noticed with this system was that I felt more mentally available, organized, less worried and work began to flow better not leaving anything behind.
As a rule, I use colors to differentiate the “states” of the goals. I find it easier to refer to later.
Advanced Level
“Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. (…) Be water, my friend” – Bruce Lee
This is my current level, although I’m taking my first steps, I can already see the advantages over the previous system. Like Bruce Lee’s quote about being “water”, this is that point where “taking notes” can adapt as we wish, and we transform our notebook into an infallible machine that will drive our day, week, month, or year at its best.
So, I would like to introduce you to the Bullet Journal system, also known only as BuJo.
The BuJo system was created by Ryder Carroll, who from an early age had trouble learning and concentrating. After trying out all the existing systems and techniques that wouldn’t work for him, he created his own technique, which allowed him to control the tasks to be carried out, the extra subjects he could ramble on, and thus slow down, calm down and have time to learn, do what he had to do and not forget anything in the process. I would suggest this, this, and this video on YouTube to learn more about the method.
The funny thing about this system is that with such a few “rules”, they just serve as the basis for a set of almost infinite possibilities on how to create and manage our BuJo as we see fit. Once again, YouTube has countless videos of other people who, using this method, have adapted, and created their own way of managing their personal and professional lives! You will find examples that are true works of art along with quite simple ones!
I’m still in an exploratory phase of making my BuJo exactly as it fits me, but I already see its potential and I am very keen to share this with you! For now, my BuJo starts with a cover with the meaning of all the keys I will use, followed by the homepage, the index, where I put the various important pages that will be present in the notebook, followed by a page called “Future Log” where everything that has gone from more urgent (which could be on the weekly map) to less urgent and a future date is placed. Finally, a page that for now is divided into two sections, “Brain Dump” and “Goals”. “Brain Dump”, is where I put everything, I think is important to point out to research later. This way I avoid stopping what I’m doing, and I can dedicate myself to that on another time of the day. “Goals”, is where I put my goals for the year, for example, to participate in at least one race.
After these main sheets, comes the section I currently use the most and that consists of two weekly pages. The first one has my week, with the title of the week, for example “Week six”, with the start and end date, which I divide into 6 days – I don’t plan my Sunday yet! Eheheh! Each of those days has space for me to put everything I want to happen that day. I mark everything that is being done and everything that remains to be done, it is defined at the end of the week if it is to be transferred to the next week or if it has changed importance and dates, thus being transferred to the “Future Log”.
On the second page, the tasks page, I check the ones I do and the ones that need to be done during the week, but without a specific start or end date. In the header I have a column for each day of the week, followed by an empty space. Under each column with the day of the week, I put a bullet with the day I started the task, and depending on its status, I’ll put another bullet for the day it was finished.
With this method, I’m able to measure my weekly effort, what is expected and should happen during the week, not having to rewrite every day, what was left undone from the previous day, as with the traditional checklist I used before. This method also allows me to have an overview of the week and I don’t have to think about the tasks I have to do later and its content, which allows me to be more productive and effective in the tasks I am currently focusing.
There are online examples of people who, with this system of notes, manage projects of some complexity, without the use of extra digital tools.
Conclusion
Of course, all this is just my opinion/suggestion, and everyone should take notes, in the way that is most convenient for them! However, I believe that we should always be open to new approaches, which may improve the way we are used to working, detecting, and overcoming our shortfalls.
For me it has been effective, it has increased my productivity, leaving my brain freer and at the same time I have had time for myself and to be able to invest more of my daily live in future personal projects.
Even if you may not be considering that last level, I advise you to check out Ryder Carroll’s videos, because knowledge doesn’t take up space and learning something that can help, never hurts.
I hope that this article will be useful and that you can improve your day-to-day through the notes!
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