The Power of Always Writing Things Down

Power of Always Writing Things Down

When was the last time you wished you had written something down?

Maybe it was the detail that you forgot from a meeting. Or a deadline that you needed to meet. Or perhaps, it was something as simple as the type of light bulb you needed to pick up at The Home Depot.

Whatever it was… I bet you wish you had written it down.

Always Take Notes

Small details are important.

A phone number.
A time or deadline.
Or the deliverable you promised to follow-up on.

Small details seem simple. Surely, you can remember a singular detail, right?

Yet, a week later, you can’t recall it.

What was that little detail?

“Always write things down now, so you don’t have to remember them later.”

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I once knew a guy who had a photographic memory. He could study by literally turning the pages of his notebook. However, as good as his memory was, he couldn’t seem to find where he had parked his car.

Here are Some Tips to Help with Your Note-taking:

  • Write It Down Now – The time to capture a piece of information is the first time you encounter it. Always be taking notes, you don’t know when you might need a fact again.
  • Nothing is Too Small – Just because it’s a small detail doesn’t mean that you won’t need it again. It is usually the small details that slip from your memory first. Nothing is too small to capture.
  • Have a Notebook – The #1 missing tool from most peoples’ time management toolkit is a notebook. It doesn’t matter if it is paper or electronic. It can be a trusty Moleskine or it can be an app like Evernote. Just make sure you have one place to capture your notes.
  • Take a Picture – Notes don’t have to be words. Sometimes it is quicker and more effective to snap a photo with your phone than to write it down. If it is an important picture, file it where you can find it again.

Write It Down When You Have the Chance

You may think your brain is a steel trap.

However, no matter how sharp you are, you can’t possibly remember everything. Nor should you need to exert the effort.

Always taking notes is an important productivity habit. If you write it down, you’ll have it when you need it later.

Question: Where do you take your notes? Are you diligent to always be taking notes? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

7 thoughts on “The Power of Always Writing Things Down

  1. Thank you for the reminder! I have returned to a Leuchtturm notebook and I am using a kind of bulletjournal approach. I must say: it helps. I do not feel so overwhelmed anymore.

  2. Good advice. And I particularly like ” Just make sure you have one place to capture your notes.”

  3. Hey Craig,

    I do take down notes on my smartphone, it’s my “notebook.” But as to diligence, well, sometimes I find myself writing things down after a couple of hours or so. Gotta admit, taking notes IS a skill!

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