Recommended Capture Journals

Post 4 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools

First things first: Why should you have a physical capture tool?

1. You aren’t always at your computer.
2. Sometimes it is faster to just write down your ideas.
3. You can draw and mind map more easily in a physical notebook (though for more extensive mind mapping I recommend a software program like Mind Manager).

What, then, should you use for your physical capture tool? I recommend a Moleskine notebook. I have three reasons:

1. They work well.
2. They are fun to use.
3. They have a sense of style.

As I discussed in the introduction to this series, when you find a tool to be a joy to use, you will make use of it more effectively. The moleskine notebooks exemplify this perfectly. You might find yourself brainstorming good ideas simply because you want to use the notebook.

There are many different kinds of Moleskines. In particular, I recommend the Moleskine ruled notebook large. I recommend the ruled one, rather than blank one, because I find it easier to capture notes and ideas. And I prefer the large one because it really isn’t that large (5″ x 8.5″) and provides more writing space than the pocket-sized.

For on-the-go capture, I also use Jott for iPhone (which allows voice capture and then transcribes it to text). So whether I capture something on-the-go in my journal or on my iPhone really depends upon what strikes me at the time (and what is most convenient). But I find that it is not enough to depend solely on my iPhone for capture.

When I’m at my desk, I use OminFocus and Evernote to keep track of my plans. So when I have an idea or action item to capture and I’m at my desk, I will often type it into a section at the bottom of my next action list in Evernote. But sometimes I will still use my journal for capture even if I’m at my desk.

The bottom line is: you will never regret having a physical capture tool, and the moleskine notebook is perfect.

As long as you don’t use a cheap pen.

And fortunately, I think recommended pens are next.

Posts in This Series

1. Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
2. The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
3. Recommended In Boxes
4. Recommended Capture Journals
5. Recommended Pens
6. Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
7. Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
8. Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
9. Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
10. Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
11. Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
12. Recommended Labelers and File Folders
13. Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves