What notebook is right for you?
Rarely do we gravitate to paper and pen these days. So many of us grab our tablet or ipad and start typing. That’s why it’s important when you’re heading out to a meeting and you do reach for a notebook that it looks and feels great. At your meeting, when you pull out your old school notebook you want to make sure it’s professional with a great look, maybe even with your branding colors.Having the right tools can make a great first impression. A client asked me for some information on different journals they could purchase. I’ve added in the pros and cons of each one and where to find them. Here are my suggestions:
Pros-There are a variety of price levels, variety of quality-cashiers notebooks vs. journals, variety of types and sizes-blank, graph, and lined. Moleskin products are easy to find-Target, Barnes and Nobles both carry the lot of them.
Cons-Since moving their manufacturing to China the quality of paper has significantly decreased from when they were manufactured in Italy. The paper has bleed through with certain pens. This can be frustrating when you turn the page and it’s dotted with marks from the other side.
Pros-There are a variety of types-blank, graph, lined, dots, variety of sizes, variety of styles-leather, paper
Cons-Some of the covers to the journals flip open and don’t sit well when writing-this is a perk for lefties as the cover doesn’t get in the way of writing.
Pros-Made in the USA, this super cool company is based out of Detroit. They are known for their high quality watches, they are the ‘it’ notebooks right now, high quality, clean classic design, variety of styles-leather, paper.
Cons-The bleed through on the paper is unknown but quality of paper is good, not sure if this company has a consistent product-their notebooks are new to their line and not sure of their long term plan to continue production.
For the bargain hunter, I saw some at Nordstrom Rack! You can also get them at the local bookstores. The stock at both are limited.
Pros-Cool product, lots of variety of covers, very hipster, very inexpensive.
Cons-Cashier style so the cover is somewhat flimsy, not a consistent product and product lines get discontinued. Don’t fall in love as you may not be able to get that specific notebook again. Although, if you’re fickle this may be the perfect brand as they have new releases and new notebooks to choose from all the time.
Pros-If you use 8×11 size paper you can print off info from your computer and add it to the system, readily available at both Office Max and Staples, some people love this system, cheaper than the comparable product by Levenger called Circa.
Cons-You have to buy the punch and discs, sometimes the discs don’t hold the paper well and it begins to fall out-this happens more with arc and less, if at all, with Levenger-but you pay the price for the quality. For the expensive but always consistent Levenger products visit www.levenger.com.
For you techies out there who crave the need for digital I highly recommend Evernote. This app does amazing things. You can take pictures of notes and white boards and can search for them. Yes, it ‘reads’ your handwriting. If you’re not sure of the best plan or Evernotes capabilities, contact me. As an Evernote Community Leader I can help you use Evernote so that you can be highly productive and efficient.
If you want to check these products out, you may want to take a trip to the Stockroom and shop local. It’s an old school office supply store where you can cruise the aisle for some of these products. The address is 6201 N 7th St, Phoenix. Or hit Office Max or Staples for some of these items. Another local option is Changing hands they have notebooks in limited supply.
What notebook or journal do you use? Which one would you like to try?
Margo Crawford is a Certified Coach and Productivity Expert with Wave Productivity. She works with entrepreneurs, small business owners and business professionals to help them get more focused, organized and productive in their workplace. Forget a notebook! If you can’t find what you need at your desk and want to get more organized call 602-677-8275 or email [email protected] Margo coaches nationally by phone or in person in Phoenix, Providence and Boston.