Why still use paper notebooks?

Mobile notes are searchable, sync across devices, and never get lost—but paper notebooks offer something digital can't: when you flip back, you reread parts you never intended to revisit.

Deselect

Search is precise. You bring a question, get an answer, and leave. It's efficient—but it means you'll only see what you're already looking for.

Paper notebooks are different. If you're looking for a passage from March, you might get sidetracked by a line from February. That line may be completely unrelated, yet it suddenly takes on a new meaning.

Serendipity is a design feature.

Items in the notebook

My notebook is a mix of to-do lists, shopping lists, half-finished thoughts, weather notes from an afternoon, copied poems, and poorly drawn diagrams.

• Do not erase misspelled words; simply strike through them and continue writing.
• Important sentences are enclosed in boxes.
• Write the date on the last page after each use.

The Cost of Slowness

Paper notebooks are cumbersome: no search, rewrites for errors, and you always need a pen when out.

But precisely because it's cumbersome, what we write down gets curated. Note-taking on a phone is too easy; we end up recording everything, which means nothing matters.

Purpose of keeping

I don't expect these notebooks to serve any future purpose. They're unlikely to be read by anyone or turned into articles.

Writing grounds what floats in the moment, leaving a tangible mark on your day.

By the time you close your laptop, urgency has usually faded.