Pocket Notebooks Changed my life

Summary

James, a mechanical engineering student, shares how pocket notebooks enhance his life by tracking time and thoughts. He adopts 'time blocking' for productivity, setting daily goals and breaking them into actionable tasks. James emphasizes the importance of discipline, punctuality, and Parkinson's law for effective time management. He also discusses the mental health benefits of journaling, capturing thoughts and emotions, and how focusing on essentials leads to a fulfilling life.

Takeaways

• 📒 Use pocket notebooks for tracking time and thoughts.
• ⏰ Time blocking helps in comparing personal growth from day to day.
• 🎯 Forward Thinking and Backward Planning is crucial for achieving goals.
• 👟 Discipline involves doing things you dislike in the moment but are beneficial in the long run.
• 🕒 Punctuality and accurate time estimation are keys to reducing stress.
• 📈 Parkinson's Law suggests that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
• 🤔 Managing thoughts and emotions is essential for mental health.
• 🔄 Changing your mindset can alter how you feel about situations.
• 📝 Capturing tasks, ideas, and quotes is a way to organize and inspire.
• 📈 Essentialism and focusing on what's important leads to a more fulfilling life.
• 📘 Notebook preference is personal, but having a wider page is beneficial for time blocking and task management.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of using pocket notebooks according to James?

James primarily uses pocket notebooks for tracking his time and thoughts, which helps him live a better life.

What is the concept of 'time blocking' that James mentions?

'Time blocking' is a method from Cal Newport's book 'Deep Work', where James schedules his day in blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks, allowing him to compare his progress from one day to the next.

How does James use 'forward thinking and backward planning'?

James uses 'forward thinking and backward planning' by setting up his tasks the night before, such as preparing for a morning run, to ensure he achieves his goals.

What is the significance of intentionality on action in James' routine?

Intentionality on action involves writing down lead measures or main actions that will help James achieve his goals, ensuring he focuses on what makes him happy and productive.

How does James ensure he remains disciplined?

James ensures discipline by doing things he may dislike in the moment but knows are important, such as running or studying for extended periods, for the sense of accomplishment afterwards.

What is the role of punctuality in James' life as described in the script?

Punctuality plays a significant role in James' life as he emphasizes the importance of being on time and planning for tasks to avoid being late or stressed.

Can you explain Parkinson's Law as it is applied in James' life?

Parkinson's Law, as applied by James, suggests that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. He uses this by setting deadlines for tasks to ensure they get done efficiently.

How does James manage his thoughts and emotions with his pocket notebook?

James manages his thoughts and emotions by journaling in his pocket notebook, especially during stressful times, to reflect on his feelings and change his perspective.

What is the significance of capturing tasks, ideas, and quotes in James' pocket notebook?

Capturing tasks, ideas, and quotes helps James to stay organized, inspired, and focused on what's important, contributing to his mental health and productivity.

Why does James prefer pocket notebooks with a certain width?

James prefers pocket notebooks with a bit more width because it allows him to have the left side for time blocking and the right side for tasks, which suits his method of organizing information.

How does the pocket notebook contribute to James' sense of fulfillment?

The pocket notebook helps James focus on what's important and practice essentialism, which leads to a sense of fulfillment as he aligns his actions with his personal values and goals.

Outlines

00:00

🗒️ Time Management and Productivity

James, a mechanical engineering student, discusses how pocket notebooks have transformed his life by helping him track time and thoughts. He uses the time-blocking method from Cal Newport's book 'Deep Work' to compare his progress daily. This method of planning allows him to be disciplined, ensuring he does tasks he dislikes but are essential for his goals. James also emphasizes the importance of forward thinking and backward planning, setting up his environment to facilitate the completion of tasks. He breaks down his goals into actionable steps, referred to as 'lead measures,' and schedules them throughout the day in 30-minute increments. At the end of the day, he reviews his accomplishments, promoting self-accountability and productivity.

05:00

💭 Mental Health and Essentialism

In the second paragraph, James talks about managing his thoughts and emotions using his pocket notebook. He practices self-reflection, particularly during stressful times, by asking himself how he feels and considering how he can change his perspective on situations. This approach is rooted in Stoicism and the concept of focusing on what is within one's control. James also captures tasks, ideas, and inspirational quotes in his notebook. He mentions the importance of essentialism, focusing on what is truly important to him, which brings a sense of fulfillment. He shares his preference for thicker pocket notebooks that allow him to separate time blocking and task management. James concludes by encouraging viewers to find a notebook that works for them and to apply these strategies to improve their mental health and productivity.

Keywords

💡Pocket Notebooks

Pocket notebooks are small, portable notebooks that can be carried easily in one's pocket. In the video, James uses his pocket notebook as a tool for personal organization and self-improvement. He tracks his time, thoughts, and goals, which helps him live a more intentional and productive life. The notebook serves as a constant companion, aiding him in moments of stress or decision-making.

💡Time Blocking

Time blocking is a time management method where you divide your day into blocks of time, each dedicated to accomplishing a specific task or group of tasks. James mentions using this technique to compare his progress from day to day, allowing him to see personal growth and maintain control over his schedule. It's a way to ensure that each day is structured and purposeful.

💡Forward Thinking and Backwards Planning

This concept refers to the practice of setting goals and then working backward from the desired outcome to plan the steps needed to achieve them. James uses this method to ensure that he has a clear direction and plan each day. For instance, he prepares for his morning run the night before by setting out his clothes and shoes, making it easier to follow through with his plan.

💡Intentionality

Intentionality is the quality of having a sense of purpose, resolve, or determination. In the context of the video, James breaks down his larger goals into actionable steps, or 'lead measures,' which he then schedules into his day. This approach helps him maintain focus and intentionality in his actions, ensuring that his daily activities align with his long-term objectives.

💡Lead Measures

Lead measures are actions that directly contribute to achieving a goal. James writes down these measures in his notebook, such as reading or deep work, and ensures that he schedules time for them daily. By focusing on lead measures, he can track his progress towards his goals and maintain a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency of an individual's work or the rate at which a task is completed. James splits his day into 30-minute increments to maximize his productivity. This method allows him to be more focused and efficient with his time, ensuring that he can complete more tasks in a given day.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the state of being responsible for one's actions. James uses his pocket notebook to hold himself accountable by recording what he has accomplished each day. This practice allows him to reflect on his habits and productivity, ensuring that he is honest with himself about his progress.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the practice of training oneself to follow a set of rules or a pattern of behavior. James emphasizes the importance of doing things that may be difficult in the moment but are beneficial in the long term, such as running or studying. His pocket notebook helps him maintain discipline by scheduling these activities and reminding him of their importance.

💡Punctuality

Punctuality is the quality of being on time. James mentions that he struggles with punctuality but has improved by estimating longer times for tasks and travel. This change in behavior has reduced his stress and improved his time management skills.

💡Parkinson's Law

Parkinson's Law is the adage that 'work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.' James applies this principle by setting deadlines for his tasks, such as creating a YouTube video, to ensure that he completes them in a timely manner rather than procrastinating.

💡Mental Health

Mental health refers to an individual's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. James uses his pocket notebook to manage his thoughts and emotions, especially during stressful times. By writing down his feelings and reflecting on them, he practices self-care and improves his mental health.

💡Essentialism

Essentialism is the disciplined pursuit of less but better ways of living and working. James talks about focusing on what's important and eliminating the non-essential. His notebook helps him identify and concentrate on the tasks and activities that truly matter to him, leading to a more fulfilling life.

Highlights

Pocket notebooks have transformed the speaker's life by aiding in time and thought tracking.

The speaker, James, is a mechanical engineering student who uses his pocket notebook for deep thinking and studying.

Time blocking, a method from Cal Newport's book 'Deep Work', is used to manage and compare daily progress.

Forward thinking and backward planning are essential for achieving goals without a clear direction.

The speaker prepares for activities like running by setting up necessary items the night before to ensure success.

Intentionality on action is achieved by breaking down goals into actionable lead measures.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on daily lead measures like reading and deep work.

A daily review before bed allows for self-accountability and reflection on habits and productivity.

The practice of time blocking in 30-minute increments increases productivity.

Discipline is highlighted as doing things you dislike in the moment but know are important for long-term benefits.

Punctuality is improved by estimating task durations realistically and planning ahead.

Parkinson's Law is mentioned, emphasizing the importance of deadlines for productivity.

Managing thoughts and emotions through self-reflection in the notebook contributes to better mental health.

The notebook serves as a tool for self-mastery, focusing on controllable aspects of life like thoughts and feelings.

Capturing tasks, ideas, and quotes in the notebook helps in staying organized and inspired.

The speaker prefers pocket notebooks with a thicker width for effective time blocking and task management.

Essentialism, focusing on what's important, leads to a more fulfilled and controlled life.

The speaker concludes by recommending pocket notebooks as a tool for personal growth and mental clarity.

Transcripts

pocket notebooks have completely changed

my life I'm going to share how I use my

pocket notebooks to live a better life

so my name is James I'm a mechanical

engineering student this channel is

really to help you think more deeply and

study how I use my pocket notebook is

mainly for two reasons for my tracking

my time and tracking my thoughts so

let's go into time I use the method

given by K n's book deep work called

time blocking the biggest benefit I

found from time blocking is it allows

you to compare who you are yesterday to

who you are today because that's all you

can control and that's everything that's

inside your control the next one is

Forward Thinking and backwards planning

if you wake up without a goal without a

direction without an actual plan how are

you expecting to get what you want so

for example this morning I went for a

run in the morning I hate running it's

not something I particularly like doing

but I do it anyway because afterwards I

feel incredible the reward is that I'm

finished and how I plan to do that is

that the night last night when I sit

down to time block my day before bed I

think what do I need to do to plan so

that run goes well I set up my shoes

beside my bed I put my clothes out and I

make it easy um the next one is

intentionality on action the back of my

book I normally like write goals that I

want to achieve in the time period of

having this journal and I break those

goals down into actions the main actions

that will help me get to those goals so

I call it the lead measures if you write

down the lead measures so for me is just

like reading and just like simple things

that if you focus on every day and you

don't forget those things it would be a

good day no matter what and that allows

me to be happy and have intentionality

on the things that make me happy um I

write down these abbreviations like here

can you see um reading work deep work

creative work physical work I just make

sure I schedule in every one of those

every day anytime anywhere but make sure

I do it even if it's 10 minutes I split

my day into 30 minute increments it

helps me just be more productive um the

best thing is that when I sit down

before bed I look at my day and I look

at what I've done I can be honest with

myself I can see have I actually done my

habits have I been productive did I

waste any time how much time did I spend

on studying or reading or journaling or

physical work right did I do my run

today it allows you to be accountable

with yourself and it's the best thing

for me because it allows me to like be

accountable you know have someone

actually taking care of me and being

honest with me because when you write

down exactly what you've done in the day

you cannot lie to yourself you cannot

say all right um I study so much today

when you've actually been on social

media is the honesty it's the moral

being of just being honest with what

you're doing and the actions that you're

taking and it makes you feel happy

because you know you're doing everything

that's inside your control to get

towards that

goal the next thing is um allows me to

be more disciplined and what I mean by

discipline is doing the things that you

hate in the

moment but you know matter the most so

for example when I think about going for

a run right now I hate it I don't want

to do it it sucks right but afterwards

it feels amazing the reward comes after

the event the perseverance the grit of

just getting to that run and the same

good thing goes with studying I don't

like particularly studying for 4 hours

every day when I do it afterwards I feel

incredible so it's the discipline of

doing what you

hate next one is punctuality it's one

thing I really struggle with be it like

completing what you say when you write

down your tasks or showing up somewhere

you know and not being late is when you

have your actual estimation on how long

it takes you to get somewhere for

example say it's 30 minutes double it

because I'm telling you right now I've

only started doing this recently but

when I started doing it recently I only

arrived really 5 minutes early and I'm

not late I'm not stressed I'm on time

and it makes me feel comfortable and it

makes everything else

feel better so the final thing is

Parkinson's law so for example this

YouTube video If I didn't say I'm going

to video it today and I want to post it

today it wouldn't get done because I

would have so much time and I wouldn't

be stressed for a deadline the next step

is

thoughts um how I manage my thoughts and

my emotions I believe this little book

is the biggest step to help me with my

mental health because whenever I'm

stressed whenever I'm feeling down or

I've had an argument with someone or

there's a very stressful time in my life

I'll just sit down and I ask myself how

are you feeling I say how I

feeling how does this certain thing make

you feel and then this is the question

that always changes it for me how can

you change your mind about it the way

you think about things ins inside your

control and therefore the way you feel

about things that are inside your

control so the biggest thing about this

is like self-mastery right it's about

stoicism it's about focusing on the

things inside your control and I believe

focusing on your thoughts is the first

step why I said pocket notebook because

it comes with me everywhere every moment

every potential like challenging moment

but that's really helped me be much more

rational and help my mental health so I

hope it helps you um the next thing is

capturing just like capturing tasks

capturing ideas capturing um cool quotes

So in the top of my time block I

sometimes write a quote for the day that

I'm inspired by so for one is is quit

while you're ahead that's a good one for

me so when I'm time blocking I make sure

that I sometimes when I'm stopping for

the day I'll stop halfway through a task

so that I can continue the next day um

just little little tips for yourself

then I have moment where I have a couple

pages when I'm just journaling for

myself because it's been a particularly

stressful day or I just feel like I want

to journal but there's some days where I

don't Journal it's pretty much just a

book on how I'm feeling and what's going

on in my life and when I focus on the

essentials when I focus on what's

important that's when my life

changes and I believe this little

notebook right here has allowed me to

focus on what's important and I think

essentialism focusing on what's

important to you and only you you no one

else is when I feel the most fulfilled

in my life and why I use the word

fulfilled is because when you think of

happiness you think of it something that

you can't control really but happiness

is something you need to go out and get

it's something that's inside your

control to make yourself happy the final

part of this video is what little books

I like um if you can see here this one's

particularly the width of it is smaller

than this one I don't like these books I

like ones that are a bit more thicker

because when I do my time block allows

me to have the left side of the page for

my time blocking and one of the side of

the page is for my tasks and this allows

me to just look on two sides of my brain

the tasks I need to get done and the

time I need to allocate to those tasks

um and having a bit of a wider width of

the page I just like it because it makes

a bit more thicker holds my hand quite

well but I best I think it's just

personal preference whatever book

whatever pocket notebook you find works

for you works for you but these type of

pocket notebooks I just got these from

wh Smith the Muro one thank you very

much for watching me talk about my

notebooks and I hope you have a

beautiful rest of your week and peace