The conclusion I’ve come to, at least for now, is that there are two fundamental approaches to handling written information for subsequent use. You can either change how you enter information (like what you suggest here, creating physical sections for different kinds of info), or you can change how you access information. Next, write down the name of one of your work projects. Skip between 5-10 lines, then write down the name of another one of your projects, skip 5-10 more lines, and write down your third project. Do you ever have those moments where an idea like no other pops into your head that you don’t want to forget? Perhaps it’s an invention, a fun hairstyle, or the name of that quaint café that your friend told you about. In such cases, a notebook would be a great deal of use. And with our lovely range of unique designs, we’re sure you’ll be able to find the perfect match for you, or that special someone.

Productivity: Saves you time - instead of buying a blank journal and trying to figure out how to set it up, it’s already done for you! You can use any combination of these organization methods for your needs when it comes to organizing items and information. off the I-OTRA Model for Individual-Centered Onboarding: The flow of topics and items covered in this notebook follow the I-OTRA Model that I developed to effectively navigate through all the important information you need in your first days, weeks & months at a new job. While you will have to write information over again each day, you may find the act of rewriting will help you to remember the status of tasks and projects. A plain notebook allows you to take a step away from screens and devices and focus on one thing: getting your thoughts, ideas, and notes out of your head and into a notebook.I see you are a research scientist. What subject do you study? I majored in biology in college. I was mostly Big Bio, behavioral ecology/animal behavior. I did a lot of note-taking and notebook updating then. One of my more fond notebook memories was of copying over our field notes into more polished, finalized notes at the end of the day. In a way, it seemed like we were doing double the work, but reviewing and copying over notes forces you to remember and think about what took place that day. I also remember preparing our chemistry notebooks before our labs. Again, it seemed like double the work, but it did help make the lab session run smoother, when all was said and done. New Job Notebook: Onboarding & Onwards! is a simple yet powerful tool that will transform the way you start a new job. It's been my passion project for quite some time now, and I’ve poured my heart and soul into crafting something that I believe is truly helpful and unique. Instead of sectioning off notebooks, I’ve adopted a system that lets me take all kinds of notes, all in one place, without being horribly disorganized and useless for future reference. There are 3 essential elements that I use:

But, this isn’t much help if you don’t have the time to figure out how to section, divide, and maintain your notebook. As much as technology is used in the work environment, there’s something extremely satisfying when it comes to using a notebook for work. Write down the names of your projects on a piece of scrap paper. Count up the total number of projects. This organization method works well if you are juggling several projects at work, and need a single, convenient location to store your notes.You can use the following tips with any blank notebook of your choice; be it lined, plain, graph, wide, or college ruled.

Divide your notebook into equal sections depending the total number of projects. If you have three projects, you’ll divide the notebook into three equal sections; if you have five projects, you’ll divide into five equal sections, and so on. Wow, what a comprehensive comment, Erin! Thanks very much for sharing your method. It certainly looks like you’ve perfected your technique over the years. I am familiar with TOCs, the Bullet Journal System, and that particular highlighter/marker technique. You are certainly prepared for information gathering and reference! With this method, you’ll be able to review your projects and tasks at the beginning and end of the day.

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Divide each of the four notebook sections into six more sections. You’ll now write in the corresponding letters of the alphabet. So, for the first section, A-F, you’d divide it into six more sections, and would label those, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Continue until you’ve completely divided up the notebook. Underneath the meeting name and date, create a section called “Prep.” Use this area to jot down any ideas, information, thoughts, or points you want to present, discuss, or make note of at the meeting. Reflection: With prompts to think about your short and long term goals, this serves as a valuable resource throughout your career journey! This system lets me take notes however the information comes at me while still allowing me to access it later in organized fashion. Reply