| I use the bullet journal system, which is essentially a way to structuralize a notebook. Instead of removing redundancy, it embraces it. 1. Make yourself a very brief year plan 2. Every month refer to year plan and go into detail as needed for that month. 3. At the beginning of every week, make a plan while referring to the month plan. 4. In the morning give yourself a daily plan or keep notes to help stay on track. I really like having to go back and forth between time scales, it helps me keep track of what I'm doing and also answers the question I've also had with previous note taking apps: how does what I'm doing today fit into the rest of my life? Hint: if you're interested in learning about bullet journaling, stay away from Instagram, pintrist, and tumblr - people have a tendency to turn this amazing productivity tool into an art contest, and it only gives the illusion that the barrier to entry is higher than it really is |
This is exceptionally good advice for any kind of organizational system. It's really easy for me to get down on myself for not creating these robust, beautiful pieces of art that memorialize my experiences and help me work. I used to have a tendency to view organizational systems as much more difficult than they are. Now, I use a very basic task list that's on my computer and phones, that is organized by due dates and projects. I don't let myself get down when I miss a due date, or I forget to document everything for a couple days. I just hop back on and keep working.