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sf.me > Blog > Carrying a Pocket Notebook
Posted on: 29 July 2024
Reading time: 2 min Category: Other
I have decided to start carrying an A6 pocket notebook with me everywhere I go, starting from tomorrow. This includes the places that I don't take my phone to. The goal I have is to improve my mental wellbeing and reduce my dependence on technology.
I will have a large use-case for my notebook. I will note the various events that take place throughout the day, and the feelings I have during those events. In the case of extreme emotions, I will write it out as well. Since I journal daily, this will provide a small, procedural event log, which will assist me when I finally sit down to recap my day.
In terms of productivity, a funny revelation I have had is that digital to-do lists never work for me, despite the fact that I prefer digital tools over anything else. The speed by which I can write and cross off tasks is amazing. Digital tools have too much friction. They make it easy to add tasks, but do not provide a feeling of urgency.
Having a notebook with me means that I can work effectively without having my phone nearby. The ability to write out your urges to tend to them later is spectacular! I work well already. I hope that this notebook can help me capitalize on that feeling.
How am I going to reduce the impulsivity of using my phone? It's simple. I will keep the notebook in my right pocket, which is where I keep my phone. I'll keep my phone in my left pocket. This makes it so that I take my notebook out instead of my phone. Then, I will note down the reason why I picked up my phone in a neat table, stating the importance of the task. After I tally it up by the end of the experiment, I will (hopefully) come to the conclusion that most of the reasons to use my phone are useless.
There was a time in my life where I depended too much on technology. A third of the day on social media with poor quality work. I have made immense progress over the years, with my screen time barely hitting two hours daily. I hope that this notebook is a step in the right direction. I wish to reduce my daily screen time to half-an-hour, and increase my productivity. If this minor change proves rewarding, I will have made a major change in my life. If not? It was just a bit of money spent.