The Best Way To Collect Your Thoughts And To-Dos.

[@Twinsen_doc]

Thank you! Using this way of planning for a month after saw this video. That's great and what I really needed! A little change - I use A4 paper (one side printed, lightweight and always with me) as a draft for writing and drawing everything I think about the current topic, and then - copy personal ideas and plans to the notebook with date and page number, tasks and smth like this - to digital apps. Paper drafts go to trash next day after checking for smth useful, almost two thirds on these sheets are just my current thoughts that I don't need to store. Recently I even bought a fountain pen - writing by hand is a pleasure!

[@jrgarciab]

Shout out to everyone that carried a paper planner binder EVERYWHERE in the 80s, 90s and 00s. Franklin-Covey, Day Planner, etc. Great times. Love your channel, Carl.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Oh yes! Huge shout out to all those amazing people 🙂

[@sheelmirji5494]

Writing & using note book is like you in touch with your soul 🙏

[@Carl_Pullein]

That's so true 🙂

[@billreeves5546]

I fell asleep while watching TV and when I woke up your video was on about seeing if the Franklin Planner is still viable in our digital age. I am both a Franklin Planner user and a lover of fountain pens. What I found especially interesting is the book I saw on your back wall. I began using planners, specifically Daytimers, around 50 years ago. My first purchase came with a cassette series called 'Your Time and Your Life". I believe the author was a fellow named Waitley. It lit a fire under me that continues to this day. I have a 2025 Montecello still in the wrapper which I will be asking to exchange for the Leadership version thanks to your experience with fountain pens and the Montecello paper. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos. They are very well done.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Bill, thank you for your kind words. I'll see if I can find a book version of Your Time Your Life.

[@polishedandpoisedplanner]

I love taking notes by hand because I remember things more when I write them down. I also have field notes to hold all my things that dont really have a place.

[@dbrakowski]

Great advice---I've been using a similar system for years. At the end of each week I scan the pages into Evernote, so this way I have a digital copy of my paper notebook with me at all times.

[@Carl_Pullein]

That's a great idea! Thank you for sharing that.

[@ronbarton7799]

Does Evernote scan the notes as text are basically a picture of your handwritten notes?

[@Carl_Pullein]

@@ronbarton7799 Yes. However, it can recognise handwritten notes in search (if your writing is reasonably legible). You can annotate, but that;s a bit clunky at the moment.

[@Carl_Pullein]

@@ronbarton7799 Yes. Your handwritten notes are searchable as long as your handwriting is reasonably legible. You can theoretically annotate these notes, but I find that's a bit clunky at the moment.

[@ronbarton7799]

​@@Carl_Pulleinthanks for the info

[@Keoagil]

Keep up the good work. From one left-handed (and excited about it) person to another.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Thank you 🙂

[@tamimathcr7833]

The name of that Maruman notebook, Mnemosyne, is the name of the goddess of memory in Greek mythology, so it's a great name for a memo notebook 📓 FYI, Maruman uses good quality, smooth paper that is nice for fountain pens!

[@Carl_Pullein]

Thank you for sharing that, Tami. I love how companies come up with their names.

[@Boog555]

Carl, I agree wholeheartedly with your thesis. I also have such a notebook. I carry it everywhere and find it invaluable for writing down whatever I need to write down in the moment. The only requirement I have for the notebook is that it should to size B6, lined , have a ruled margin, and have perforated pages. Works so well and makes me very happy. P.s. All lefties are great!

[@Carl_Pullein]

I have a pocket notebook that I take with me whenever I am out for the same reason. There's always something to write on when I get an idea. I'd feel lost without it.

[@woravitkreangkomol]

I do use a version of this for a few years. The only different is I use indentation in stead of margin e.g. {2024-07-21} #topic - detail I do this because my page is a little small. I use A4 paper and fold it 2 times (so that I got 8 pages, 4 on each side) Whenever this A4 is filled, I transfer the data into my Digital System and destroy the paper.

[@DezBruce]

My scratch pad is a digital tool. My Samsung Tab S9. I use the pen and onenote together. Seamless.

[@amycee4098]

Great video! I’m also a lefty and a fp user, and the B5 Maruman Mnemosyne is my notebook of choice as well. One thing that has worked great for me is to flip the book over and work back-to-front. The pages are the same on both sides and this keeps the rings out of my way.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hahaha, I have considered that too. Not done so yet, but may be something to do in the future.

[@ScottBenedict]

I like digital do I compromised and use a Boox Go 10.3 eink tablet. It's thin, light, and easy to carry around and have all my notes and planning on one space. And I have a notebook in my Go dedicated to the quick notes that I take everyday. You can also attach notes to the calendar and it back everything up to the cloud.

[@itscoderslife]

I started using pen and paper when you promoted todoist system. For some reason todoist never worked for me. Good to see we are back to basics. Pen and paper always worked.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Oh it certainly does.

[@torspedia]

This is something I could use my Rocketbook for, especially as I have 5 different coloured pens that I can use with it! 🤔

[@snsokstan1]

So I wavered from my allegiance to being totally digital and pulled out an old notebook. Your mention of your fountain pens led me to find and refill the GOAT fountain pens: the Parker 51. I forgot how much joy writing with a fountain pen brought. Parker reintroduced a new version of the 51 but I don't know how it comports with the original. (Mine is engraved with the name of a woman who based on a Google search lived in Wisconsin a century ago. Janesville, Wisconsin, is the ancestral home of Parker Pens.)

[@Carl_Pullein]

WOW! The iconic Parker 51. And your story reminded me that many fountain pens have a story. Thank you for sharing it.

[@billreeves5546]

I've heard the re-issue of the 51 is a poor copy of the original.

[@snsokstan1]

@@billreeves5546 I've got 3 Parker 51 pens, all made in USA. If nothing else, they are durable.

[@patrickjames3954]

It’s people like you who make America awesome! Thank you

[@receptionmonashbirth2273]

Carl’s accent is English. Thank you, Carl.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Always happy to support our former colonies, Patrick 😁😉

[@polyglotmona]

I also use a notebook for ideas and upcoming tasks. Often those new tasks will wander to a long list which is one of many, only to be reminding me of how small my actual progress on each of my series is.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Ah, we'll always want to do much more than we have time for. It's part of being human. LOL

[@polyglotmona]

@@Carl_Pullein right, it’s useless to complain about not having enough time. I’ve started reading FLOW by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and he says we thrive with challenges 👍

[@Carl_Pullein]

@@polyglotmona Oh yes! I love challenges. Life would be boring if there weren't any.

[@brittca]

I personally absolutely love e-ink, specifically my Supernote Nomad. Scratch pads would come in as a close second :) (also, hello fellow lefty!)

[@eetnigriv]

I have the SuperNote A5 X that I also, same as you, although I bring my handwritten notes from this device into Obsidian for storage and frequent perusal. I'm also a lefty :)

[@ColeenHein]

I've used a paper notebook for quick notes for the last couple of years as an admin assistant in a busy school office. It's just easier and quicker (most times) to jot things down when answering phones or catching info for the newsletter from a passing colleague, etc. The date thing would have levelled-up that game, for sure! For this next school year, I've decided to go back to using a digital planner in Goodnotes on my iPad for the purpose of jotting daily notes down. Still writing with a "pen" and "paper", but no actual pen and paper. LOL Although note using "real paper" is not really the main reason I've decided to ditch my paper notebook - the main reason is that I have this wonderful and lovely iPad and only use it for casual games these days and that is just a waste when I already know I love using my digital planners (the main reason I originally got the iPad! lol). Back to the thought of writing notes by hand... I have found that the kinesthetic action of actually writing does indeed keep info floating in my head longer (not that I want it to stay there indefinitely, but still...). If I've literally written it down, I am more aware that there is "something" that still needs to make it into my trusted productivity system at the end of each day. I like that you've found a blended system of hard-copy note taking and digital output. I think that blend will work for many, many people! Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Carl, always appreciated!

[@Carl_Pullein]

Thank you for haring that, Coleen. And good luck with the iPad. They are a joy to work with.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

... and all this with left hand 😂 amazing. Anyhow, the only thing I'd add is that this year I purchased a red color date stamper and it made my note taking book look much nicer. Even my granddaughters loved my date stamper so much that they asked me to buy for them date stampers, too. 😂

[@Carl_Pullein]

Ooh stop it!!! A date stamper? I’m already looking them up. Hahahaha

[@G0BYE0MAN]

Thanks for your video. Do you have any comment could share with about bullet journal or something similar? like do you use them when you scratch? Thank you~

[@Carl_Pullein]

Ooh, I tried bullet journaling a long time ago. It didn't work for me. I wasted far too much time organising, playing with designs and coloured pens, I never got any work done.

[@G0BYE0MAN]

@@Carl_Pullein got it! thanks for sharing !

[@mezalos]

me alegra tanto haber experimentado primero las locuras de los systemas sobre diseñados de otros influencers. Así puedo apreciar la simpleza de este sistema.

[@Carl_Pullein]

muchas gracias

[@sruckel]

That’s a lot of MB pens. Very nice!

[@Carl_Pullein]

Collected over 25 years. Each one has a story to tell 🙂

[@quantumdefect]

Hi Carl, Thanks for the insights, particularly in Your Time, Your Way. Please could I ask at 5:22 in the video there's a screenshot of your notes/day/calendar. Is this a custom setup in Apple Notes or another program entirely?

[@Carl_Pullein]

Ah, that's Evernote's home page.

[@quantumdefect]

@@Carl_Pullein Thanks for taking the time to respond. Haven't logged on to Evernote in a long time!

[@MaciejRe]

you should try the Sidekick Notepad by the Cortex Brand

[@BV35]

Great video. Be interested to see if you would like something like the Remarkable E-Ink for just note taking… Enjoy your videos. Thank you!

[@Carl_Pullein]

Pen and paper is about getting away from digital tools. Fewer devices, slower thinking and working = better quality output (at least for me, it does)

[@barbarajloriordan2697]

I like my e-ink tablet, but one drawback is that it takes time for the device to boot up and then to find the app that you want to enter notes into. Grabbing a pad and pen and simply opening the pad is so much easier. The downside to using pen and paper is that I write A LOT, and I end up having to save a lot of paper notebooks at the end of the month. I used to buy six Rhodia pads at a time and store the pages in disc bound notebooks. At some point, I discovered that I had accoumulated about twenty-five notebooks in a single year. A lot of those notes were not longer useful to me, so I had to throw away the paper. Using my e-ink tablet means that there’s a lot less paper to recycle.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Never a downside to writing a lot, Barbara. I bet you find it thoroughly enjoyable.

[@barbarajloriordan2697]

@@Carl_Pullein oh, yes, that’s for sure!

[@FinsburyPhil]

What e-ink tablet are you using? reMarkable doesn't 'boot up' as such, you turn it on and it's available in under a second.

[@TheBarryHughes]

Love this. In one video you mention the use of Rhodia notebooks and here the MNEMOSYNE. Are you useing one over the other? Thank you!

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Barry, my wife put me onto Mnemosyne notebooks. I like the slightly more rigid cover over the Rhodia paper cover. (and when asking permission to purchase more notebooks, it's easier to ask for a Mnemosyne hehehe)

[@sheelmirji5494]

Nice 👍. Wich watch model you are wearing ?

[@Carl_Pullein]

Ah, that's my 22 year old Omega Seamaster Chronometer

[@MikeHuerto]

You can use an iPad as a scratchpad and use the same technique. Thanks for the video.

[@Carl_Pullein]

I did try that, but it was a horrible experience. Aside from the battery anxiety (did I remember to charge my iPad?), I also found tapping to add a note unpleasant. Sometimes, the previous note was there, and other times, when I wanted to add a note to an existing one, the note had gone. Yikes! A pad of paper is static; there are no batteries, and everything is precisely where it needs to be.

[@periteu]

For weekly planning using the Eisenhower Matrix, have you buyed any of the pre-made notebooks with the matrix lines already included on amazon? which one do you recommend?

[@Carl_Pullein]

I haven't because it takes less than 30 seconds to draw a grid with a pencil and ruler.

[@Aievolution-kl2ou]

What about using an iPad with an Apple Pencil and Apple notes? Is there benefit of using pen and paper over this setup? Benefit of digital is that you can search past notes easily

[@Carl_Pullein]

I tried that with my iPad Mini. I set up notes to create a new note when I tapped the screen and everything. It was horrible. Tap, tap, tap. Sometimes, I wanted to add to a note I'd created an hour before and had to go searching for it. Pen and paper, no tapping, it's there ready, and no battery anxiety.

[@larklandmorley]

Would you try an eink notetaker like the remarkable 2? That is pretty much what I have been using for 4 years

[@Carl_Pullein]

I did try, but I disliked the experience. I'm a fountain pen user and no stylus on glass will ever replicate the buttery smooth writing experience. And the way different inks shade is an experience to behold. (it just brings a smile to your face no digital device will ever give you)

[@mjj0829]

​​@@Carl_Pullein I lost all my notes on RM2 when their cloud sync stopped working for me because of a bug. That sent me back to pen and paper. The instant convenience wasn't worth it.

[@larklandmorley]

@@Carl_Pullein I definitely can't object to that perspective. While I have never used it, the supernote seems to the closest digital device to the experience you like. In fact they promote the use of fountain pens etc. Great content on the productivity and it's best for people to use what makes them happy as a start..

[@theol1044]

Does the Maruman notebook have 80 PAGES or 80 SHEETS (= 160 pages)? I can find both variants of description for the same (N194A) notebook on various websites (and also "80 papers", whatever that's supposed to mean).

[@Carl_Pullein]

80 sheets. If you write on both sides you have 160 pages

[@theol1044]

@@Carl_Pullein Thanks for the clarification.

[@ruzzellp]

Thanks

[@Carl_Pullein]

Glad to help.

[@Laura-tb7nm]

I love a good notebook and a fountain pen and I think this that you presented is a fairly good system that I might consider using at some point. However, I have systems that are working better for me at the moment, digital ones. I like using Siri to remind me to do things at a certain date/time if it’s a random thought. I can organize that in reminders or lists later on my devices if needed and it synchronizes with the two of my favorite productivity apps: Asana and Structured. I love Asana calendar view as my daily to do both at work and for private life and Structured to track the exact daily routine. I like to be able to drag tasks from a day to another, link them to multiple projects, convert them into projects, add subtasks, collaborate with ease, etc. which is not possible or very time consuming on paper. I am not very fan of having to transcribe same notes from paper to digital. And I like to be able to go back in time easily and check progress, search with just a keyword some piece of information which really seals the deal for me. While I would love to use a fountain pen more often, I might have to keep them for calligraphy practice instead. ❤

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Laura, to me, it's about more than just convenience. I've shifted away from digital tools, where I need to think creatively. Tapping keys on a computer/tablet engages a different part of your brain. Handwriting engages the creative part of your brain (you are, after all, drawing shapes when handwriting), and using your creative brain is critical to thinking. While using Siri, Alexa, and many other automation tools did make some things faster, I realised I was thinking less and just adding stuff because it was easy. All that ended up doing was giving me ever-growing lists of low-value tasks to do. Not really how I wanted to live life.

[@DezBruce]

Bit of a video glitch at 1.42

[@petrkuchynka1662]

But you can have such NOTEBOOK as a single MS Word file in your PC like device, if you use up to 9 levels of headlines. (bottom line,rightsideof this line, 4th box).If the headlines are leveled, you can create contents anywhere inthe text. You can save such file in a cloud and protect it by a password. Then, it is accessible via cloud from any device, at any place, and you can find any phrase by Ctrl+H. If you want to remember what you have noted, you have to read the notes, reprocess the information noted to get it into your brain.

[@Carl_Pullein]

You could, and I know many people who do something similar. Yet, as Friday reminded us (the Windows system meltdown), relying on technology for everything for the sake of convenience might not be such a good idea. It's just nice to step away from a screen to think properly for a few moments..

[@SammyT_NZ]

I'm just starting this video. But a man of your age saying 'Back before we had computers'. Come on, you're 5X(?) not 97 😂

[@Will_Schrank]

I’m roughly his age and didn’t have a computer until after college. Windows and Mac didn’t hit the market until mid 1980s, and the computers were clunky and stored data on floppy disks. 💾

[@bedroomsale5500]

Did you really need to spend 9 minutes to a tip that boils down to: write down the date when you take notes

[@skywriter9359]

Did you need to be rude?

[@aussiegruber86]

@@skywriter9359yes they did, task completed

[@1000sieverts]

​@@skywriter9359I'm glad he did

[@username00009]

This video was more than just that single tip. Yes, it appears to be the change he’s made since he first shared the single scratch pad tip, but I didn’t see the original video so I can’t say whether his other points were covered in the previous video.

[@Philhellene1]

Okay, mine is not planning as much note taking, I have put a second vertical line over to the right hand side of the page. With the page divided vertically, with the middle being the widest, I put notes in the middle , the right column is where I put to do items from any notes, and the left column is for the date and what I ended up doing. When I have added a note to the left (possibly when I go back at a later time) I put a tick through the central section to indicate it is complete. By doing this I can track calls, conversations, thoughts and their attendant actions and accounts for what I have done; sometimes my action might be that I have passed the action or information to another, rather than tackle everything myself. I can go through a day or more's notes and move them to another system if needed - I am a big fan of mind maps - but in a busy health service office this ensures I capture things efficiently.

[@elaounisafia7093]

Hey Carl, Love your content! I'd like to discuss a potential collaboration. Could you please let me know the best way to contact you? Thanks! Safia