My Notebook and My Checklist

Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

A couple years ago I began to worry that I was reaching my mental capacity. I felt like I was spending all of my mental energy trying to remember things that I had to do, things that I had read, and things that I wanted to remember from great conversations. This stressed me out and limited my ability to think creatively. It terrified me that I was forgetting things that I thought were important. To combat this issue, I did some research on ways that people organize their lives.

There were a lot of interesting tools and strategies that people used, but I still had trouble finding one that worked perfectly for me. After trying a few over the course of a couple of weeks, I landed upon a solution that suited me. I began carrying a pocket notebook and downloaded an app called Wunderlist.

My Notebook

My pocket notebook is always with me. It is a 3x5 composition book that is accompanied by a small pocket pen. I use it to write down interesting thoughts I have throughout the week, key points from books and podcasts, compelling arguments from speakers and professors, and important takeaways from conversations with friends and mentors.

If I do not write things down in the moment, I pause for a few minutes after the event and take the time to write down the things I want to remember. Immediately, my mind is set at ease. I am no longer worried that I will forget anything of importance because I know that I have it written down. In some ways my notebook serves as an external hard drive for my mind. 

I love my notebook for three reasons. First, it allows me to find peace and not constantly be worrying about trying to remember important insights, pieces of advice, and moments. Second, it clears my mind of the burden of remembering all of those things. I am free to enthusiastically seek new insights and wisdom. I do not have to doubt my ability to take in more information. Third, it creates a history of my mind. In every entry into my notebook, I write the date at the top of the page, and I include any necessary information for finding the original source I am referencing. It is fun to look back and see what I was thinking about, who I was talking to, and what I was reading at different points in time. It also is interesting to see how my thinking evolves over time. I enjoy seeing how I attacked problems and whether or not my tactics or the advice I received worked.

My Checklist

Despite all of the positive impacts of my notebook, I still felt like I was lacking some vital aspect of clearing my mind. I realized that I did not have a great system for tracking my to-dos, and I was wasting a lot of time trying to remember what I had to do and when I had to do it.

I experimented with a few different checklist methods and calendars before landing on Wunderlist. Wunderlist is a free checklist app that syncs between all of my devices so that I can create or check-off a to-do at any time. One of the features that I love is its categories. I have categories such as School, Work, and Personal that I can place my to-dos into. This helps me to organize my days and focus on tasks that are associated with each other instead of hurriedly jumping from unrelated task to unrelated task.

Another feature that I enjoy using is the “Today” tab. When I click on that tab, Wunderlist presents me with all the to-dos that are due today from across all categories. This helps me to effectively prioritize the things that are most urgent. Throughout the day I refer back to this tab often to make sure that I am accomplishing everything that I need to.

My checklist gives me the freedom to focus on one task at a time because I know that all my to-dos are on the list and will not be forgotten. It also organizes my to-dos which helps me to actually check them off instead of getting overwhelmed by how many things I have to do. Over the last couple of years, I have found that it almost always seems like I have more to do when it is all in my head. It seems like less work and easier to accomplish when I put everything into a checklist. Additionally, it is satisfying and encouraging to check things off the list along the way. Wunderlist even provides a sound effect of a ringing bell to signal a completed to-do!

Going Forward

Finding ways to clear your mind and organize your life is a process. I did not write about my notebook and checklist because I think it is perfect solution for everyone, but rather because I hope to inspire you to try new methods of organization and discover ways to expand your potential. Experiment, ask your peers what tools and techniques they utilize, and discover the system that works for you.

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