Why You Need a Daybook

A physical daybook can become an extension of your mind—a tool for organization, creativity, and reflection.It might well make you more effective, less stressed, and happier.

There's a simple thing I'd like you to try.

Try using a daybook.

Please.

I first started using a daybook when I worked with hardware guys at a computer manufacturer. They each carried a notebook, where they sketched solutions, made notes of conversations, jotting down a list of grocery shopping to get on the way home, phone numbers of people they called; all the little piece of information we consume and generate throughout the day. I copied the practice and discovered that it immediately reduced stress: I no longer had to remember the dozens of little tasks and facts I picked up in a normal day. Over time, I found other benefits. I found that I could find information really quickly: I'd know roughly how long ago it was, and I could recall where on the page I'd written it.

Probably most significantly, I found that my daybook helped me learn. When I was trying to understand new things I'd write notes and draw block diagrams. When I discovered I'd misunderstood something, I'd go back and strike it out (normally excessively). If I forgot something I'd previously jotted down, I'd go back and draw a box around it.

There Is Not an App For That

I know what you’re thinking–old man, stuck in the 1980s. Today we use our phones for this kind of thing.

And that’s why I have to beg. All the various note taking apps are great, but they don’t work as well as good old paper when it comes to gathering and retaining the daily deluge of stuff.

I don't know why writing something down helps a person internalize it, but I have a theory.

Our subconscious brain is basically a big associative memory: if Y happens when A, B, and C are present, and if it happens enough times, we make the association; when A, B, and C happen our brain will surface a tentative Y.

When we read about something new, we're generating stimuli: the words we read, associations with other concepts we know, significant words, all sorts of things. But when we write these ideas down, we're generating even more stimuli, the touch of the paper, the motor planning used to write, and the visual side of reading your own writing. What's more, these are stimuli that you can't ignore: you need to use them to write the note.

So writing a new idea in your daybook is a kind of feedback, both when you write it and when you read it back.

What do you write in your daybook?

The simple answer is, whatever you want. Take notes, draw diagrams, doodle…

I spend about half my time writing software, and the rest doing the stuff you need to do to run a business. Looking through by daybook, here’s the kind of stuff I jot down:

Notes from meetings and calls

I’m not a big notetaker, and my daybook reflects that. I tend to jot down headlines and key phrases that strike be as important. If I pick up an action, I’ll write it down with a nice big star next to it. When I complete it, I have fun crossing it out.

Stupid ideas

I come up with questions and ideas all the time. The vast majority are just plain dumb. I used to think about them when they arose, and then move on. But every now and then I’d wake up the next morning with the feeling that an idea I’d had was actually really good. The problem was that I would struggle to remember it.

Now I just jot them down: a few words, a sketch, a couple of circles and arrows, whatever captures the essence of it. Every now and then I scan back over the last few months and find inspiration.

Doodles

Ideas often surface when you're distracted. Some people find the solutions to problems when showering, or walking the dog. Doodling is another activity which frees your subconscious mind to do what it does best: correlate inputs and suggest outputs.

Two-dimensional thinking

It's hard to show the relationships between things in linear writing, and drawing apps can distract you with all their options and formatting options. Grab your daybook and get creative. Text, boxes, circles, arrows; use whatever works.

Keeping Track of a Deep Dive

If I find myself spending more than a couple of minutes tracking something down, I start making notes. Often, the very act of pausing and starting to write causes the solution to pop into my head. If not, the notes help me keep track of what I've tried, and where. They also help later, when I want to reflect on alternatives and on the decisions I made.

Sketching an outline before I start something

When I write (both code and words), I’m in an editor, with all its affordances. I can’t help it; I get distracted by the formatting, and by the wavy lines highlighting by bad spelling and grammar. Because I’m focussing on the cursor, I forget the overall structure of what I'm doing. I find that a couple of minutes sketching an outline in my daybook gives me a map of what I need to do.

An afternoon’s scribbles. (Please don’t judge: believe it or not, that is better writing than if I’d used a ballpoint pen.)

That’s Just Me

Here's the thing. When you first start using a daybook, you don't really know what works and what doesn't. So just use it. After a month, go back through it and decide what kind of content is helpful and what was not. Stop doing the latter, and try adding something new to the mix. Trying things, getting feedback, and adjusting is, after all, the point of all this.

The Mechanics

There's one important rule about daybooks: they have to be physical objects. I tend to buy them in packs of 10 or 12, and stick with the same kind for a few years.

Size: I alternate between a full US Letter size or the smaller B5 size. The larger one is nice if I know I'm going to be spending the majority of my time in one place, and the smaller one is easier to travel with. Do not, however, use both at the same time: you only use one daybook at a time. The smaller notebooks typically have 50 to 100 pages, the larger ones can have several hundred.

Binding: I like spiral binding: when you open to a particular page you can fold the others around the back, cutting down on the footprint.

Paper: I think it is important to use a nice paper: somehow your brain values what you're doing more if you're not skimping on materials. I've found that artist sketchbooks with 100gsm paper have a nice feel, and have just enough tooth when writing.

Blank/lined/dots: Your choice. I like blank.

This is my current daybook.

Find a Nice Pen

A nice pen elevates the writing experience, just as good paper does.

There's nothing stopping you from using that free ballpoint you scored at the car wash, but it will feel scratchy and leave blobs of ink all over your ideas.

Some people like fineliner-style pens for this: I used them for a long time. But for the ultimate writing experience, I recommend using a fountain pen. Not only are they pleasurable to write with, but I also find I write more legibly with one.

Don't break the bank: Pilot has great fountain pens for less than $20. Experiment with different nib thicknesses until you find one that matches your writing style. Currently I use a Mahjohn retractable pen on my desk, and a carry a Kaweco Sport pen in my pocket.

Go on, try it...

Pick up a notebook and a pen. Don't spend more than lunch money. Then try using them for a month. At the start of each day, write the date (feel free to embellish it with a box, or a wavy line, of with a seasonally appropriate sketch). Have a look at yesterday's page, and copy across any items that were left pending. Jot down your new objectives for today. Then just work as normal, but writing significant things down. Take your notebook to meetings, planning sessions, wherever. Make it your own.

At the end of a month, look back over it. Has it earned a place in your life?

Let me know…

Have fun

Dave