The Stationery edition

By Laura

We've got one more week of our life hacking series to go, and so I thought it was about time we covered some of the fun stuff: stationery! 

I've posted about this on the library Facebook before, but anyone who's seen my desk can probably tell that I love my stationery. I'm a firm believer in having the right tools for the job, and for me, that means the right pen and paper. When it comes to stationery, everyone has their favourites, so I thought I'd just go through some of mine, why I chose them, and give you some ideas of how I use them.

Minimalist or Maximalist?

On Monday, we'll have Ben's review of probably the biggest productivity system of the last ten years, the Bullet Journal method. Without spoiling too much, one of the big principles there is that you use one notebook for everything, number the pages, and keep a contents page at the front of the book. This has literally never worked for me. A book big enough to get all my thoughts in is far too heavy to carry on a day when I have a small handbag (yes, I always have to have a notebook and pen, even in a tiny bag!). But if it's small, I get through it too quickly, and it's not really practical. Also, I don't want to have my work and personal notes in the same book. Perhaps for students, freelancers and entrepreneurs where the personal and the 'work' are more integrated, that's a good plan, but for me, I need multiples. I also like to use separate books for separate projects. So I'm keeping my library history notes separate from my general admin, to avoid them getting muddled up. 

If you're finding it hard to track things down, multiple little books might be the way forward. Just don't forget they're there!

I really don't need another pen...

...do I? Well, in my case, I probably don't. But don't underestimate the value of having tools you enjoy using. They don't have to cost a fortune, they just have to suit the way you write. For many of us, handwriting is a way to get things properly into our brains. The physicality of it helps us remember things, it slows us down, and it can help us think. There's a reason most people who are into journalling do it on paper. As with notebooks above it can also help with work/life separation, if all your work notes are on the computer, try using pen and paper for your personal stuff, so that they don't get mixed up together. But if the pen you're using is fighting back, spitting ink everywhere, or making your hand hurt, you're not going to use it. Pick whatever works best for your hand and style. Go into one of the stationery shops and play with all the different types, and maybe have different types for different occasions. I use a fountain pen for thinking, but a biro for taking notes in meetings, as it's faster. If you do find your one true pen, you might save money buying it in bulk. There's nothing worse than going back for a second one, only to find it's discontinued.

Using lots of different colours can help too. Again, you can get carried away and start making the notes the point, rather than the contents being the point, but a little bit of colour coding can help you separate topics at a glance, and get things to stick in your head in a way they might not if everything looks the same.

I need a bigger budget!

While I love about stationery, is that there is good stuff at every price point. Don't get sucked into 'penstagram' or scrapbooking bloggers, and think you have to buy the most expensive version of everything. For some people, a 20p biro and a ream of blank paper is all they need. For most of us, we're somewhere in the middle, where we gradually figure out that a ballpoint stops our fingers from cramping, or that because we like fountain pens, we need heavier duty paper. Lately, I've made a point of saving up and buying myself 'the good stuff', because I use them all the time, they last me at least a year, and to me, it's worth it. But whether your budget extends to The Works or to Smythson, I guarantee, there's something you'll like a price point that you're comfortable with.

Don't take my keyboard away!

For most people, typing is always going to be faster, more efficient, and easier to keep track of. And for others, it's really the only practical way of getting things down, whether for emotional or physical reasons. But if you're finding that you're typing a lot and not retaining much, try handwriting for a bit. See if slowing your brain downs helps things to stick. If handwriting isn't for you, try mimicking some of the tips above on your screen. Use different colours or fonts. Change your background colour. When everything looks the same, it can be hard to differentiate between pieces of information. As you settle down to revision, or your thesis, or anything else you've got going on in Trinity Term, take the chance over the Easter Vacation to experiment a little, play around with ideas, and find what works for you.

And finally...

...because someone will ask, this is what I use! These were mostly bought from Rymans, WHSmith and Cultpens.

I like Rhodia, as I find their paper better for fountain pens than either Leuchtterm or Moleskine, which are the other premium brands you see around. The Rhodiarama range comes in lots of colours, and I use a B5 notebook for work, and a Goalbook for personal stuff. I have a bunch of little Field Notes notebooks that I carry when I don't want the weight of the Goalbook. For pens, I like Blackwing pencils, the Lamy Noto ballpoint, and Pilot disposable fountain pens. I also have a Platignum fountain pen in Pembroke Pink that I'm very fond of. Oh, and if you are carrying them around, I like the stick-in pen loops for notebooks. My coloured sharpie collection is...extensive. No, I'm not admitting how extensive! Let's just say I have a fondness for colour coding.

Oh, and the thing everyone always asks me where I got is my Neocritz Transformer Pen Case. It's one of those things that definitely makes people go 'oooh' when you put it on the desk!