Getting real about notetaking

I have found in my 3 + years of working with Tablet PCs that I move back and forth a bit between digital notetaking and paper notetaking. Why is that?

Well, just like going camping or escaping to the mountains for the weekend gives you fresh perspective in life and work, I find that I often need to go back to the simplicity of a little notebook ( a MoleSkin is what I use ) to give me some new ideas on how to organize my notes, take them, and also give me better appreciation for what the Tablet PC affords me.

I just started one of those sojourns where I’m recording almost everything in a MoleSkin. I’ll likely stay in this mode for several weeks to a month, take lessons learned and move back to taking digital notes on the tablet pc. I really like times like this because all I do is whip out the MoleSkin and write. I don’t need to think about much else. It is very refreshing. I get to a point like this after spending weeks on end programming and feeling too “digitized”.

When I am in full press mode with notetaking on the tablet pc, I still end up using paper some simply because it is easier and there is nothing to think about except writing. I normally keep a little notebook in my jacket pocket at all times.

How do I take notes when I’m in this mode? Normally in diary format, listing out my things to do for the day, phone calls, etc, then move on to the next day. I like the unruled MoleSkin best because it basically gives me a clean slate to work from without inhibiting lines. The paper is also a heavy stock, so it takes to ink really well.

Any how, that’s not something you would typically hear from a Tablet PC enthusiast, but it is life and real stuff.