I'm a Notebook Person

Are you a notebook person? Do you obsessively research different types of Japanese paper and buy new journals even though you certainly don't need another one? Do you invent reasons to start a new themed journal? If you answered yes to these questions, you'll likely enjoy this post.

I recently read this post by Carolyn Yoo which spoke to my notebook-loving heart. I have never heard of a techo kaigi ("notebook meeting") before but it seems like an excellent idea, particularly for those us of who refuse to limit ourselves to one notebook. I currently have six notebooks in use (not counting sketchbooks and art journals; there are four of those.) This is too many for me, and I do have a long-term plan for reducing them, but I also cannot abandon a journal without it being completed. Are you also an eldest child?

Sorry for all the Amazon links: I know it's not cool to support Amazon these days, but when it comes down it it, it's the cheapest notebook source, and we get free shipping through a shared family Prime account. When I'm ready to re-buy notebooks, I'll probably use JetPens instead.

Planning & Exercise Tracker: Random planner from Amazon

Over the years I have realized that I prefer undated planners. If I am on vacation, I likely won't fill out a spread for that week, and (see above) I hate having blank pages! This means they also will last longer than a year. I throw away planners when I'm done with them, so I'm not picky about when I start them.  I started this current planner on April 28. It is always open on my desk with work and personal appointments and tasks mixed together. I like having a week on one page, and I chose this particular planner because it has a section for to-do lists and a habit tracker. I use that and the monthly spreads to track my steps, workouts (with active minutes from my Fitbit), yoga, and walks. If I don't write these down, I will definitely forget my activity for the week.

"5-Year" Journal: Levenger 5-Year Journal

I started this 5-Year Journal in 2010. If you can do basic math, you'll know that I have had it for 15 years. Without fail, I complete a streak of several months, and then forget it exists for years. Some pages have 5 years filled out, others have none. I assume a sane person would simply say "not for me" and move on with their lives, but I CANNOT HAVE BLANK SPACES. So, it persists.

Reading Log: Stalogy A6 Grid, 1/2 Year

This was a case of coveting a notebook without having a specific plan for it. The Stalogy notebook pages are fairly thin, I assume kind of like Hobonichi paper, but I have never seen a Hobonichi in person. I enjoy the sensory experience of crinkly pages with slight ghosting from the other side, so I am a fan of this brand. I am using this one as a reading journal, where I list the author, title, dates started and finished, and then take bullet point notes as I read. It's not anything profound, but I hope it will help me remember books more clearly. I also don't put every single book in here, just ones I want to remember.

Memory Keeping/Travel Journal/Everything Else: Moleskine Cahier Large Dot Grid

This is my longest-lived form of journaling. I have had a notebook like this for over 20 years, containing notes, quotes, journaling, travels, and lots of paper glued in. While other notebooks will come and go, I think this style is for life. I have used different notebooks over the years, but I am now on my second Moleskine Cahier, because I like that it's only one signature and sewed together. I put so much paper into it that it gets quite thick, and notebooks with more pages can get too bulky and heavy.

New cahier on the bottom; completed journal on the top

Long-form Writing: Midori Notebook A5 plus Paper Cover

My scrapbook-type journals are some of my most valuable possessions and one day I'll pass them down to my kids. Sometimes I just want to write some drivel, though. This journal is long-form writing, some of it interesting, most of it super boring to read back. I write in this notebook once or twice a week, and I'm not quite sure what to do with it when I'm finished. Ritual burning? Censorship? The Midori paper is on the thicker side which I don't prefer, but it is super smooth.

Lists and Notes: 3-Pack Notebook from Amazon

Finally, I always have a notebook on my desk for notes during meetings, scribbles when I'm researching something, or to-do lists. I prefer spiral-bound notebooks for this because they stay open easily. Sometimes I rip pages out, and I have no intention of keeping these when they're done. I got this cheap 3-pack because I liked the flowers.

So tell me, how many notebooks are you using right now? What are your favorites?