Pen and Paper
In 2026, I started using a paper notebook as my main organizational tool. That came with a conscious effort to let go of the idea of finding the perfect workflow or toolchain. Four months in, I have to say it is working pretty well.
First, handwriting is faster and more fun than typing on a keyboard, especially a virtual one. If you need the copy digitized, you have to rekey it, but I find that small overhead acceptable, because in many cases I need to revise the text anyway (so far, all digitalization tools, including smart pens, have not worked for me. Fixing errors in the automatically converted text is far more unpleasant than simply rekeying).
Using a paper notebook for task management, Bullet Journal-style, also has the advantage that of keeping you honest. Task management apps make it too easy to create a multitude of tasks and conveniently push them from day to day. The limited space in a notebook forces you to decide whether you want to manually copy, complete, or give up a task.
However, I need to remind myself constantly that the notebook is not a precious journal of my life but a working tool. There is an entire notebook culture that tries to convince you otherwise. I currently use a $35 Art Collection Moleskine notebook because it was the only one with dot-grid paper I could find on New Year’s Eve (the McNally Jackson bookstore has a wide selection of notebooks, but it seems to categorically reject dot-grid paper). At more than 20 cents per 120g page, it makes you wonder whether the paper is worth it for what you want to write down. Honestly, I’m looking forward to being done with it and using a more reasonable notebook.