“Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.”
Will Self
Why would a software developer need a notebook? And especially a paper one! In these high tech days of everything in the cloud, that’s almost… barbaric!
There are a number of reasons why you should write things down. If you’ve ever taken notes at a lecture by typing on a computer, you might come away with a transcript, or very close to it, of the presentation. That’s all good and fine, but typing as fast as the speaker talks doesn’t give you time to think about what she’s saying, and what it means to you. That’s the whole reason you’re listening to the presentation, after all! If you wanted a transcription, you could just record it and then play it back to Google. Studies show that taking notes longhand helps with learning and recall better than typing them into a computer.
Having a pen and paper for taking notes allows you to create a mind map easily relating different ideas and adding your own. There are many different formats you can use to take effective notes depending on the type of meeting. Having a blank piece of paper gives you this flexibility. And writing with a pen forces you to slow down and think about what you’re writing.
I have a friend who likes to say, “You think you’re thinking when you’re thinking. But you’re not thinking unless you are speaking or writing.” What does he mean by that? If you’re thinking something just in your head, you don’t have to form complete thoughts. You can just start considering something and move on before completing the thought. If, instead, you write it down or talk it out, you have to organize your thoughts so that they are coherent and clear. That’s why “rubber ducking” is such an effective way of solving tricky computer problems. I’m sure you can think of many times when you started to explain a problem to someone and, before you even finished, realized what the problem was. That’s the power of organizing your thoughts.
Whether you are taking minutes for a status meeting, recording commitments at a client meeting, or taking notes at a training session, pen and paper will be your best friend!
Another thing a notebook can do for you is to help you plan your day. If you start your day with a prioritized list of things to do you will be more focused on what needs to get done, and you’ll make sure the important things get done first. If you don’t have a list of prioritized tasks to accomplish for your day, you will be distracted by whatever urgent issue comes up. You will be reacting to events all day rather than proactively moving forward.
One silly little piece of paper on your desk can have that kind of power! Or if you have a day planner, you can have the notebook AND your prioritized list with you wherever you go!
One little bonus suggestion: if you get a cool pen, like a fountain pen, that’s really nice to write with, you’ll be more likely to consistently use it for taking notes, because it will be fun! Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.