Getting organized . . . part 3

Here's an alternative to the conventional datebook: Use a small notebook.

I've recently become hooked on Moleskine ("moleskin") notebooks. It's really pronounced "mohl a skeen a," but if you ask for them by that name, you're liable to get funny looks. These are beautifully made notebooks, with oilcloth covers, acid-free paper, an expanding pocket in the back (great place to keep receipts, etc.), a ribbon to mark your place, and an elastic band to keep the book closed. Moleskines come in various sizes, with ruled, squared, or blank pages. You can find Moleskines at Amazon, in Borders stores, and in art-supply and stationery stores.

The hype for Moleskines is a bit much (the maker's claims that van Gogh and Hemingway used these very notebooks are somewhat fanciful), but the notebooks themselves are wonderful things. They're more flexible than datebooks, as you can divide up the pages in any way you like. I'm currently using a Moleskine to keep track of to-do items, a half-page per day. It almost goes without saying that this sort of notebook is ideal if you keep a journal.

If you browse on-line, you'll find a whole world of happy people devoted to Moleskines. Look, for instance, at Moleskinerie, at Journalismo, or at this post from the blog 43 Folders. Reading such stuff makes me realize that no matter how nerdy I might think I am, I still have a long way to go.

Links » Getting organized with simple tools: Part 1, 2, 4, 5