Sometimes I wonder, is there anything as satisfying as starting a brand new notebook or journal? The answer is always the same. Hmm…a close second, but yes, there is something even more satisfying. Having that notebook be the most perfect planner to fit your needs and help you keep your life as organized as possible. Now that is both satisfying and extremely alluring. After all, there is nothing more appealing than having your life together.
Some people think that choosing a notebook is whatever, a task with little to no consequence. After all, every notebook is the same right? Wrong. Not every notebook is the same and choosing the right one is very important to making sure you will actually use said notebook to serve you and your preferred way of planning your work and life.
Not All Notebooks are Equal
There are many types of notebooks in the market, of all shapes, sizes, colours, bindings, soft or hard cover, with margins or without, and with so many different types of paper from ruled (lined paper) to plain and gridded (or graph paper). With such an overwhelming amount of choice, you may be wondering right now, how will I ever find the right notebook for me and my needs? Don’t worry, I am here to help you by recommending the best notebook I have ever found and giving you some tips and tricks on how to best make use of it.
Blueline NotePro Notebook
The best notebook I have found that meets all my needs is the Blueline NotePro Notebook, which you can find on the eSupply Canada website in a variety of colours such as black, blue, red, and green. The NotePro notebook is a favourite in many corporations and for many people in general. It has a seamless binding with a hard cover. It includes recycled white paper with blue lines and margins that makes neat writing that much easier, as well as including a handy index sheet and sticker tabs for effortless organization. In addition, it is made from 50% post-consumer recycled materials, is FSC certified, and is made in Canada.
You can use this notebook for everything from work planning, personal planning, financial planning, health and fitness planning, travel planning, bullet journaling, habit tracker, creating lists, to doing brain dumps or just writing anything you want to get off your chest, almost like a diary. In it you can have a monthly planner, weekly planner, and daily planner, all in one space, and since it's basically a blank slate instead of a pre-prepared notebook you can have fun with it and really customize it to fit your needs and desires.
Managing Time and Increasing Productivity
One of the biggest challenges we face in life is finding a more effective way to manage our time. I believe that time is the most precious resource we have because unlike money for example, we can’t multiply it or get it back once it’s spent and we all have the same amount of it at the end of every day. What really makes a difference between people that get stuff done and those that don’t is that the latter don’t know how to manage their time effectively. Regardless of what season of life you are currently in, learning how to manage your time is one of the most important skills you can ever learn in life, and it’s never too late to learn how to do it.
Having a planner that you can make your own can really serve us to better roadmap our days and add some order to all the chaos. They also serve us to improve our productivity levels, by prioritizing your tasks in a way that ensures that you get the most out of this precious non-renewable resource that is our time every single day. So now that we understand the importance of using a planner to make better use of your time, let's go over some ways in which you can actually manage your time through planning and journaling.
Customizing to Meet Your Needs
Whether you are a creative person or someone who is a bit more straightforward, having a blank slate on the NotePro really serves you to make this planner whatever you want it to be and to completely customize it to fit your needs and preferences. One of my favourite ways to manage time is by time blocking. This is where basically you create blocks of time every day for certain tasks or spaces. This is also a great way to track your habits as well as your day-to-day activities.
Planning with Bullet Journaling
Another planning format I always recommend is bullet journaling. This is where you use bullets to plan out your entire day. Since it’s completely customizable you could also include your time blocking in it, as well as any goals, habit trackers, financial tracking, and goals, and so much more. Plus, it’s a great way to keep your personal and professional stuff separate while having it all neatly organized in a system created by you all in one place. In my bullet journal I usually have a monthly planner, weekly planner and daily planner all included in one place. Having your goals dissected in months, weeks and days really helps to make your goals more achievable by treating them like a funnel, so you can break it down into smaller actional steps that help you to achieve all the bigger goals you have set for yourself or your team. I find this to be the most effective way of getting the most out of my time and getting everything done in a timely manner.
Purchasing Your Notebook
As I mentioned previously, the best and easiest place to find your new superstar notebook planner is to order them online on eSupply Canada’s website. No matter where in Canada you are located, eSupply Canada can reach you and deliver your items right to your doorstep. eSupply Canada has distribution centres in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, allowing swift delivery to any business in urban, rural, and remote locations.
When you purchase from eSupply Canada, not only are you set with all your office supply needs, but you would also be supporting a growing indigenous owned company. By placing your order through eSupply Canada, you can have an even greater impact than you would through supporting the same old big-box retailer that is more concerned with cutting costs and maximizing shareholder value. At eSupply Canada we're doing things differently. Come find out for yourself and place your order today!