4 Notebooks to Help You Stay Organized in 2016

I am always on the lookout for tools to help me stay in tip-top shape organizationally. I’ve already posted this month about the digital tools I am excited about in 2016, now allow me to share the analog tools I recommend to help you keep it together in 2016.

I like Word Notebooks because they use a simple bullet point system (not to mention the books themselves are insanely stylish). Here’s the system: Simply fill in the bullet point when writing an item on that line. Trace the circle around it when it’s important and add a slash when you’ve started work on it. Once the task is complete, simply mark down an “X” and move on to the next item on your list. It’s an easy way to keep track of all your notes.

Whiteboards are my love language. I feel lost without a whiteboard to write on. A wipebook is a spiral notebook filled with thin, whiteboard pages. Brilliant brainstorming tool!

So Pocketbook seems like a crazy idea, but it’s truly incredible. You take notes in the notebook using a certain kind of pen (they are $3/piece, easily found on Amazon). Your notes are uploaded to the cloud using the Rockfetbook app. Then, to erase your notes and reuse the notebook, you MICROWAVE THE BOOK. This is not an April Fool’s joke in January. This is real and totally worth it. Imagine only having to use one notebook all year!

This journal is akin to the Word Notebook, but provides a more robust system to help you stay organized. For fans of David Allen’s Getting Things Done system (like me), the Bullet Journal might be just the analog tool to capture your action items on the go.

I like the Spark Notebook because it gives me a chance to take a higher perspective on my year and month, rather than getting bogged down with the quick hit notes that typically bombard my day. There are yearly and monthly planning pages, pages to help you track your achievements and goals, and a 30-day challenge page. Great notebook, check it out.

The Passion Planner got my attention on Kickstarter where it went viral. The super cool thing about the planner is that you can download it for FREE if you do some social sharing on their behalf. You can buy one as well, but the free option fits my budget just right. The planner provides an easy way for you to dream big and break down those dreams into a plan. My fav spot in the notebook? The “Not To-Do List.”