Back in July 2021, I wrote about how I’d just transitioned to a new work notebook, a Mnemosyne notebook from Maruman. When I wrote that post, I wasn’t happy with the size and dot grid and how those were working vs. my desktop space and the size of my handwriting. But I ended up sticking with the notebook for over 3 years, til the very last page!

What fixed it for me was turning the notebook 90 degrees and using it in landscape format. The page header became a blank space on the side where I could doodle (not that this kept me from doodling elsewhere), and I adjusted to (and sometimes ignored) the dot grid.

Now that it’s finished, I kind of love it. I always seem to feel this way about my work notebooks when they’re finished– I use them over pretty long periods of time, so they’re crinkled, messy and full of doodles, and I sometimes have extra notes stapled or taped in. They’re not pretty, but they feel very lived-in, and they’re a memento of actual productivity.

My habits with these notebooks may be changing a little. This year, I started using a smaller paper planner (a Pagem diary I reviewed here) in addition to this larger notebook. The to-do lists moved to that planner, and the Mnemosyne notebook was used more for meeting notes and doodling. I liked having it as a handy scratchpad for my fast scrawls in larger handwriting, vs. my to-do lists, which I write in smaller, tidier handwriting.

Next year, I’m planning to use one of my pocket sized looseleaf notebooks, probably a Filofax, for my planner and to-do lists. The flexible format should allow me to also write meeting notes in it. But I think I’ll still want to keep a desktop notebook for scribbling. I’ve just started using the Nebula Casual Note I reviewed a while ago– it’s smaller than the Mnemosyne and fits really nicely on my desk. It will be interesting to see how long it takes me to get through it, and how my Filofax planner will work for… my work!