Embracing Analogue in a Digital World

Created

June 22, 2023

THE NOTEBOOK

Recently, the YouTube algorithm recommended a video to me where a man reviewed something called the "Traveler's Notebook".

I was captivated by the concept of this notebook - a uniquely customisable, Japanese-style notebook that promises to grow with you over time.

Now, you might be wondering, why choose a £50 notebook over an £8 one? And why go analogue if you're all into tech and second brains?

Those are fair questions which I'll try and answer below.

FOUR REASONS WHY I'N EMBRACING THE TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK

1. Back to Basics: As someone who has a day job where they work from a laptop, I'm engrossed in the digital world. If I'm not careful, I can be in front of some kind of screen for 10 hours in a day!

But I appreciate the calmness an analogue approach offers. Jotting down thoughts can be grounding and helps relax my mind from all the digital information I'm bombarded with each day.

2. Focus on Thought Expansion: While your phone can act as a digital notepad, it also offers a world of distractions.

Imagine you have a thought that you really want to jot down. You whip out your phone to open your notes app, and bam! Your partner has messaged you about what to have for dinner.

Even if you don't reply, that first spark of thought you had is now a bit further away from you.

With a notebook, you can concentrate on capturing and exploring your ideas without the temptation of Twitter or the ding of a notification.

3. Personalisation and Essentialism: I like the essence behind the traveler's notebook. You can add and remove notepads inside it as you please.

It lines up with the philosophy of essentialism. Don't need those notes you wrote a year ago? Take them out. Have a notepad of quotes that inspire you? Add it in so you can read the quotes when ever you like.

4. Evolving with Time: I was always put off by the idea of having to buy a new notebook every time I ran out of pages. What if I really liked the one I had but the shop stopped selling it? (It's a silly fear, I know)

With the traveler's notebook, you keep the same leather exterior. As the leather ages and becomes unique, the content in the notebook changes too, reflecting your journey, growth, and the person you are today.

The reasons above, however, might not convince everyone to get a traveler's notebook. That's why I've decided to experiment with a more affordable Moderno notebook for a month, testing its value before investing in the higher-priced traveler's notebook.

Want to join me on this analogue experiment? Read on to find out the workflow and system I'm going to try to implement.

A NOTEBOOK-FIRST APPROACH

Starting this experiment, I've devised a workflow that begins with the notebook.

Whether it's a task, a plan, or a bullet journal entry, everything originates on these pages - away from the distractions of my phone.

Capture: This phase involves jotting down thoughts, ideas, notes about a quote, and anything else that comes to mind. It's the act of mental decluttering, a crucial first step.

Brain dumping is another useful technique to calm your mind. You can read more about it here (scroll to the Physical Mediums section): https://thedankoe.com/letters/the-3-part-daily-routine-for-maximum-productivity/

Curate: Next, it's about organising and assessing what I've captured. Tasks get actioned, deleted, or added to Todoist.

Bullet journal entries are reviewed. Some make it to my digital journal while others get left in the notebook to be forgotten.

The aim is to ensure only high-quality content enters my second brain.

Engage: Finally, I spend time with these captured and curated thoughts. This step can be performed any time and involves making new connections, expanding ideas, or simply reflecting.

For example, during a recent brain dump, I documented my struggle to find a dog sitter for an upcoming concert (Queens of the Stone Age!).

It was an important task and writing it out helped, but it's not the type of content I want or need in my second brain. Therefore, it didn't make the cut.

This process allows me to better manage my thoughts and ideas. It's a small step towards enhancing productivity, and I'm excited to see how it unfolds.

SUMMARY

The idea of a traveler's notebook captured my imagination. So for the next month, I'll be experimenting with taking a notebook-first approach to my thoughts and ideas.

This should help me be more productive and help expand my ideas without being distracted by screens.

The workflow will be simple: Capture -> Curate -> Engage

Come along for the analogue journey and let me know what insights you find.

Here's to living in a more calm and intentional way.

Want to work with me? Click here to book your free 15 minute call or reach out to me on Twitter @notiondad

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