THIS Made Me Use Pocket Notebooks Again
It’s amazing how one simple change was all it took for me to begin using this consistently multiple times a day.
I’ve been journaling in some fashion for 16 years, and I’ve always preferred larger notebooks because there’s more space.
Pocket notebooks were something I had only really used consistently during my competitive weightlifting years, where it served as a training log for all my reps.
Whenever I imagined carrying a notebook around during the day, I always found myself returning to larger journals.
I would do my Morning Pages and think, “This feels so good. I want to do this again today, not tomorrow. I’ll come back to this later.”
But as I moved through my day, those larger notebooks felt clunky.
They weren’t easy to keep with me. And it would just slip my mind.
Everything changed when I came across a video from Ryder Carroll, founder of the Bullet Journal Method.
He shared a simple trick from his father.
Instead of using a pocket notebook in the traditional orientation, he rotated it.
That one change transformed the notebook from a narrow writing surface into something much closer to the size of an A5 page.
Being able to write across the notebook instead of down it completely changed the experience for me.
It was such a simple idea, but I had to test it for myself before I believed how much of a difference it would make.
I’ve now gone through 5 Field Notes-sized notebooks.
They last me about 6 to 12 days each.
I go through them much faster than my larger journals, but I also use them far more often.
I actually carry them with me.
I pull them out.
I write in them.
Most of the ideas that once lived inside Apple Notes now end up in these notebooks instead.
Some of the most important ones eventually get cataloged back into Apple Notes, but the lengthier process is worth it.
How Smaller Notebooks Improved My Thinking
One unexpected benefit is how often I revisit what I’ve written.
Because a notebook only contains 6-12 days of thoughts, it feels easy to review.
I can look back and ask:
What was I thinking two days ago?
Five days ago?
Ten days ago?
The short time horizon creates a natural experiment.
What can I improve over the next 6-12 days?
My first notebook was mostly filled with to-dos and routine thoughts.
But by filling up the second and third notebook, something changed.
My thinking became clearer.
Instead of logging easy thoughts, I started spending more time working through projects, decisions, and problems.
Taking ideas out of working memory and placing them into a physical notebook reduced the number of open tabs in my head.
I don’t get the same feeling from a digital task manager.
There’s something powerful about having a notebook and pen sitting next to your phone.
After a few days, you become hooked on the habit of capturing thoughts.
Another feature I underestimated was the index.
I used to include indexes in journals and never use them.
Now I use them in my review/reflection process over time.
If I write something important, like quarterly goals, I simply add it to the index and create a map for future reference.
The notebook becomes searchable without being digital.
What surprised me most is that I used to dislike soft cover notebooks compared to hardcover.
Now I love them.
I’ve even started keeping a separate notebook dedicated entirely to rituals, routines, and repeatable processes.
It’s essentially a physical SOP manual for my life.
A Better Capture Tool for a Digital Era
A notebook is a single-purpose tool.
It gives you a dedicated space to think without switching tabs or getting pulled somewhere else.
When you encounter a difficult problem and don’t immediately have the answer, a notebook allows you to sit with that discomfort a little longer.
Those moments of struggle are often where the most growth happens.
It’s similar to the final repetitions during a workout.
The reps that burn are usually the ones producing the greatest adaptation.
I’ve found myself returning to pocket notebooks throughout the day far more often than I ever returned to larger journals.
I still use larger notebooks for journaling and morning pages.
But the pocket notebook has become my primary capture tool.
The founder of Bullet Journal calls this rapid logging.
The ability to quickly capture to-dos, project ideas, observations, and thoughts before they disappear.
My ability to capture ideas has improved dramatically because the notebook is always available.
I also timestamp a lot of my entries.
That allows me to revisit what I was thinking at different times throughout the day.
The notebook becomes a record not only of ideas, but of attention.
What continues to surprise me is how refreshing something analog feels in a world where nearly everything is digital.
You don’t have to be a writer to benefit from it.
Developing the habit of noticing when something is interesting enough to capture is valuable on its own.
Training that skill alone is worth carrying a notebook.
Maybe this one simple change of rotating your pocket notebook will change everything for you too.
Have you found a notebook system that actually sticks?
I'd love to hear what you're using and what has worked best for you.
In your corner,
Misbah Haque
Founder, Habit Chess, Pod Mahal
Co-Founder, LapList
