Bound notebooks - What do you use them for?

[sk0ttomann]

I've got a couple of standard size moleskines, one hard cover and one soft. I've used them each for a number of things (paper-based GTD system, sermon notes, personal journal entries, dream notes, poetry, etc...) They're handy as hell, and I love them to death!

I'm interested to see what other people do with their bound notebooks.

[Dennard]

I use them for some of the same things: as a journal, place to collect quotes, write down ideas. I also use them for keeping up with shaving related things I want to try: soaps, aftershaves, colognes, etc.

[babafats]

All my moleskines are filled with ramblings, contact information of individuals and businesses, and Library of Congress call numbers. Also lists of books I want to read, which Library of Congress call numbers are usually written down, but not in any place I could associate them with a title. Also lots of doodles.

Oh, and lots of rhythms that come to my mind. I also have a moleskine staff paper notebook. It's filled with music.

[JoshuaNY]

My moleskins house my VIN (Very important notes). I have two different ones going at all times. The first is used for Physical Education. I am a Phys. Ed. Teacher, so I keep track of any trends or new ideas. The second is a kind of martial arts encyclopedia. My personal martial arts/physical education philosophy always takes up the first page. Even in subsequent volumes. I have enhanced them over the years.
I also attend seminars, read books, magazines and news letters so I like to write down good things that I learned. I also put in any personal ideas that I come up with in my reading about certain ideas. I also keep track of the classes I teach that were exceptionally good or exceptionally bad so i can either use them again or fix them.

[joshgambit]

+1 for everything noted here. Sermon notes, other notes, quotes, ideas, etc, etc, etc. I love them so much, I actually included one in a PIF that I sent off last month!

[FrancisDeSalesman]

School notes, notes from any book I happen to be reading, especially quotes from said books, noting books that sound interesting, reflections, thoughts.

Do y'all tend to buy moleskins? I myself use the classic composition books you can find at grocery stores.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Composition_book.jpg

[JoshuaNY]

Do y'all tend to buy moleskins? I myself use the classic composition books you can find at grocery stores.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Composition_book.jpg
I usually do. They are well made and more durable IMO. I get small ones so they can fit into a pocket if I need to bring it with me. They are a bit expensive but, I don't fill them up that fast so they last awhile. And they stand up to more abuse then a standard notebook would.

[chuckr9]

I use one to record trips/visitors/activities at our cottage. Several filled now with 15 years since we purchased it & watched my son grow up.

[sk0ttomann]

Do y'all tend to buy moleskins? I myself use the classic composition books you can find at grocery stores.

I found that using a moleskine makes what I write have a more permanent feeling. I've read from multiple sources that using more expensive journals and writing tools lend itself to higher quality thinking, and I would agree!

[professorchaos]

I used to use one to keep track of things I wanted to remember. Now? My handwriting stinks. Thanks typing. Hand written notes are a thing of my past.

[maskaggs]

I always want to go paper and sit down with a Moleskine, but then I remember there are things like Evernote out there. Thus I am torn: do I want the physical permanence (?) of a paper journal, or the much easier organization and ability to search a digital record? At the same time, there is the difference between wanting to hang on to things I find on the Internet, and physical mementos that I would like to keep.

[sk0ttomann]

I use evernote too, mostly for keeping notes of important bits of info for work, interesting articles I've found on the web, interesting quotes, etc. I like to put my thoughts about life in general into a notebook. I like to use little color coded sticker dots to help categorize the entries in my notebooks. I also like to set aside sections of my notebooks for individual categories, IE journal entries in front, bucket list items in the back, etc...

[rickboone1]

I use them for some of the same things: as a journal, place to collect quotes, write down ideas. I also use them for keeping up with shaving related things I want to try: soaps, aftershaves, colognes, etc.

same. also, my thoughts about experiences with soaps, colognes, etc. and honing journals...

[Itabe]

I use moleskines during the school year for photography project ideas and ramblings on whatever is on my mind. I find that I don't reread what I have written in terms of prose, more that it lets me empty my mind if something is consuming me. The occasional poems and class notes also find their way into the pages of my moleskines.

Jeff

[leadfootedfool]

I'm leaning more towards Springpad every day, but still use the ol Moleskine for things I know shouldn't be on the internet ;)

[dpm802]

I carry a Moleskine Cahier (http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Ruled-Cahier-Journal-Pocket/dp/8883704894/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1308504365&sr=8-5) in my left-front pants pocket at all times, along with a Fisher Bullet Pen (http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Space-Pen-Laquered-400GGCL/dp/B0014KVJ7S/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1308504427&sr=8-14).

I use it mostly to jot-down To-Do lists and things I need to shop for, along with phone numbers, e-mail addresses, websites I want to check on, etc.

[Cadinsor]

How funny, I was just mulling this over as I look at my pile of unused notebooks that I am waiting to use: a small Moleskine, a small Quo Vadis, and a larger Rhodia (lined), and I am working my way through a WhiteLines small notebook.
So, at work (and sometimes at home), I am a huge fan of OneNote, which I can sync with my Windows Live Skydrive, but that is where I keep all of my work to do lists, my meeting notes, and any other data that starts on the computer.
My notebooks are something I use when I need to think about, or want to take more time on, lists, or writing down notes about razors as I use my sampler pack, or maybe server names, or just to take notes by hand so that I have the material with me at all times - no boot time, no searching, just text on a page. I also try to sketch out light workflows, or technical solutions, make notes at random spots on the page to make myself think less linearly, because normally I make everything into a pretty formal list. Making myself work in a bit more "messy" format sometimes pays off.
Every day, I find myself gravitating to working more in a notebook - and tons of people where I work use them all the time, even though we are all in IT.

[jwhite]

I keep a 3x5 in my breast pocket while I'm in the shop, mostly I write down resin/oil/solvent ratios for finishes as well as dye or chemical solutions for a given piece of work. I add notes as I progress and once and if I'm happy with it a completed article goes into a more permanent shop reference guide.

[maxman]

I use them for household planning, household notes (like what renovations I've done, etc.) I keep a few at work for notes.
I have one that's a devotional notebook where I write scriptures and quotes that enlighten me.
At one time I was creating a fantasy board game. I've got an entire notebook devoted to that.
One for my D&D notes. Oh yeah, I'm a nerd btw.

[njpaddy]

I have sloppy handwriting and kept misplacing all the post-its so I keep track of tasks and appointments with a desktop program called Active Desktop Calender. I bought it after trying it out first. I keep a Clairefontaine notebook on my desk for temporary notes and home repair shopping lists and a Mead Spiral notebook for passwords.

[airmech]

I have sloppy handwriting and kept misplacing all the post-its so I keep track of tasks and appointments with a desktop program called Active Desktop Calender. I bought it after trying it out first. I keep a Clairefontaine notebook on my desk for temporary notes and home repair shopping lists and a Mead Spiral notebook for passwords.

ADC is a great program!!! I used it before I migrated to a MAC. I wish that they would make a MAC version. I have been trying to get back into using a notes program I am using Awesome Note and EverNote and I just got Springpad and I am going to try it!

Tom

[klassic1]

I use a mini version made by Paper Blanks...like the one Hemingway used to use... ;)
Journal Entries
Poetry
rants and raves.
doodles.

[gmrv4]

Apica CD11 for daily To Do List, food intake, exercise, and general notes
Apica CD10 Quotes and a second for a Backcountry Travel Journal
Sustainable Earth wirebound by Staples as a scratch pad, web note taking, scribbling
Quo Vadis for short story writing and a second for my Adventure Log
M by Staples for recipes
Apica CD5 that I carry in my pocket to jot ideas down as they come to me

Gee, I guess I didn't realize I had so many.

[PozzSka]

Little 3" rhodia notepad in my pocket along with my pocket pen of the day (today is the kaweco sport ice in red with kaweco green ink cartridge).

[DogHair]

I have a full sized cloth bound Clairefontaine I use throughout the day for all my notes and really anything else. I've tried every form of electronic notebook and this is, for me, the best solution. The paper has been excellent for every ink I've tried so far.

[sk0ttomann]

I'm going to have to start using my moleskine to keep track of blog ideas.. Just started it up a few days back. Now if I can only find time to actually write about the ideas that pop into my head at random times... Having a full-time job, a house, SWMBO, and a two year old is not exactly a combination that is conducive to having lots of discretionary time...

[DogHair]

Having a full-time job, a house, SWMBO, and a two year old is not exactly a combination that is conducive to having lots of discretionary time...

A couple more kids, four dogs and years later it doesn't get better. I'd start drinking now. :wink2:

[thunder54]

I use the moleskine grid notebooks for my different journals. I have one for all the books I read,and one for the movies I see. I have a small Rite in the Rain where I keep notes whenever I bbq. I like keeping track of all the different ways I cook, what I cook and the reactions I get.

A few years ago I was the executive secretary to my bishop. I used about 6 small moleskine notebook a year, keeping notes of all the different meetings and appointments for the bishop. I kept notecards that I got from Levenger with the notebook so I could give to people to know what time they could see the bishop. Scary part I was so organized I was released as the ward exec. secretary and called as the stake exec. secretary. That will teach me.

[The Nid Hog]

I use lined Moleskine notebooks for my fieldnotes. Basically I write down everything during the day that interests me, and I write up a longer narrative summary at night. On the weekend, I type it all into my laptop and sometimes make fairly significant changes to it. Still, my notebooks have a day to day record of what I've been doing.

[orchestrion]

I use mine for just about everything. I have a small Clairefontaine pocket notebook that I carry with me. I use that to jot down things I want to remember--things to look up, bands that friends recommend, inks/pens to try, etc. I also take note of things I find when I'm at antique stores so I can go home and do more research before buying anything. I have a larger notebook for writing out more complete thoughts or ideas and another one dedicated to my "real" writing. I like to write short stories (on a very amateur level, mind you). If I get an idea, I'll scribble it down in either one of my "everyday" notebooks depending on where I am. Once I flesh the idea out, I'll write it in my dedicated notebook for the sake of organization.

[Navig8tor]

I first used one for a GTD system several years ago. Since then I have customized it to reflect more of what is important to me now. Here are the subjects I have broken it into.

Projects/Someday (left over from GTD. I consider almost everything that is not done daily or scheduled on the calendar a project.)
Calendar (I like the fact that I can customize the calendar format to my needs.)
$$$ (I list all my purchases here. Nothing too elaborate, just like "$40 - Gas". It really helps me keep my spending under control when I have to write it all down.)
Food (I keep a list of everything I eat. It makes me think more about what I eat and I seem to eat better foods.)
Notes (for any ideas or things I want to write down.)
Quotes (for jotting down any interesting quotes I run across.)
Google (lastly is a few pages to write down things I want to google. I just added this one for this year and it helps me remember things I think I might like to google.)

If you google moleskin hacks you will find a lot of suggestions and interesting ways people use these interesting little notebooks.

[bamabubba]

=... Having a full-time job, a house, SWMBO, and a two year old is not exactly a combination that is conducive to having lots of discretionary time...

Don't I know that feeling...job, SWMBO that's a teacher and working on her master's degree, 11 yo, 8 yo and 6 yo and 2 dogs. Discretionary time is non-existant!!!

When I do use mine, it's for general ideas, story ideas, lotion bar / balm recipe ideas, etc.

Bubba

[instpasr]

I use one to jot down meeting notes and to also keep track of the multitude of things that I'm supposed to be handling throughout out the day. I also use the notepad app on the iPhone which syncs up my iPad but I have found that paper is better for the field.

[Alacrity59]

My notebook serves a few purposes. Writing things down helps me absorb ideas . . . just the process of writing them helps get them into my head. Mostly these notes I never read again. When meeting with folk . . indeed to get the issue down in black and white so it is documented but also for me it is a bit of a crutch so that I can take a bit of time while writing to think on the issue . . .

The first and last few pages of note books are where I put the current contact and things relating to what needs to be considered in the short term . . . gets edited and re-written as I move onto the next notebook.

[BRRV]

Everything and anything. For instance, set lists or performance notes go in a small moleskin, black, while routine stuff goes in moleskin, grey, which I carry in coat pocket or briefcase. But my main notebook is this:

http://ecosystemlife.com/

This is an American company, making their products in the United States. That's good enough for me, and the product is great. I usually write notes by hand - guess I'm old-school.

If I want to make electronic notes, I use Evernote, or OpenOffice if I'm on the macbook.

[Isaac]

I have a nice Rhodia Webnotebook. I started keeping a journal for about a week, and would actually use a different ink each day. Sadly, I lost interest in about 1 week.

[camjr]

I keep some one of the very small memo Moleskine memo book in my pocket all the time, whether at work or around the house or out and about. At work, I find it useful when talking to people outside my office or walking the floor to jot ideas down or bits of a conversation that I need to follow up on. Like one of the posters above, I usually have my bullet space pen on my during the weekends or when at home, but always have a pen on me at work.

I like these better than the ubiquitous little spiral bound memo pads. They don't take up as much room, and frankly look better when you pull one out of your pocket to jot a note down.

Cheers!

[Godan]

I use an old-fashioned steno pad in the car for taking quick notes. The spiral binding at the top and stiff covers make it ideal for working on my knee. For routine walking around, especially in summer clothing, any pad seems to bulky for me. I load my wallet with two or three out of date business cards and take whatever notes I need on the back. To free up busy hands, I usually carry a first-year Parker T-Ball Jotter with the pushbutton, rather than a Montblanc, Cartier, Dunhill or similar ballpoint that needs two hands to twist open and closed.