How I Decide What Goes in Each Notebook | Simple Journal Organization, by Melissa Lambert on YouTube. 12 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Empty out every notebook you own and write one job next to each on a sticky note. One notebook, one purpose, so you never stand there wondering where a note belongs.
Give your largest A5 notebook to the task that needs the most room, such as a business planner. Add dated planner inserts if you want a calendar inside it.
Dedicate a separate A5 journal to one kind of writing only, like stories or memories. Keep work notes out of it so the two never get muddled.
Choose one pocket notebook as your everyday carry. Use it for the day's lists, reminders and small things you do not want to forget.
Set up the small 6-ring planner as a portable right now book for short lists and reminders, with lined or blank inserts clipped in.
Date the first page of each notebook and leave the next two pages blank for a simple index you can fill in as you go.
When a notebook is full, write the date range on the cover and move it to a labelled archive box.
Reread your archive twice a year and copy anything still active, like a running list, into the notebook you carry now.
Tips and common mistakes
Start with the notebooks you already own before buying anything new.
Keep a pen attached to each notebook so you never skip an entry.
If a notebook sits unused for a month, change its job or let it go.
Put the purpose on the cover so you grab the right book without thinking.
Questions
Do I need more than one notebook?
No. One notebook can hold everything if you split it into clear sections. Multiple books only help when you want to keep work, stories and daily lists apart.
What if I write something in the wrong notebook?
Add a short cross-reference note and move on. The system should save you time, not create extra work.
How do I stop finished notebooks piling up?
Archive them with a date range on the cover and a labelled box. Review the box twice a year and only keep what you still use.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
