We have an extensive library of books. Both me and my husband have a weakness for accumulating books. On top of that, I have a weakness for digital books too. We both make notes while reading. Whether I refer to the notes later or not, I feel like it helps to solidify what I read. So over the years, I have a random assortment of notes, including spiritual notes, homeschooling tips, homemaking tips, recipes, photography tips, etc. My challenge had always been to keep all the notes organized and ‘not lost’.
My husband currently keeps small composition books for different topics. It works for him. I have tried this method before, but for me, it doesn’t work very well. I used to find myself start off with some notebook and then later pick up another notebook when I can’t find the first one, as I had misplaced it or so. Part of the reason I misplace is because after I will be joyfully writing away, I get pulled away to do something or the other (being a mom, of course), and then later forget to pick up from there. So the notebook stays in the spot I left it until few days later I find it in the corner of a bookshelf or so, which the kids may have kept while cleaning up. (By putting back books on bookshelves, they are ‘putting back things where they belong’. Can’t blame them, I guess 🙁 ) I also like to hop from subject to subject. One hour I will be reading about homeschooling curriculum, the next minute about some recipe, and so forth, whatever I feel inspired to read at the moment. So that will mean I will have to carry all the different notebooks with me for a reading session, which is not always a blocked out fixed time every day. I try to read whenever I am able to. It usually ends up being during small gaps of time, and so I find it little too cumbersome to carry random notebooks around. Also to carry a bunch of notebooks around when I move from one room to the next, along with probably a baby, phone, and few other items, is simply not practical. Another problem that I found with notebooks, is that you can’t add in to preexisting notes. I sometimes collect interesting fliers or pamphlets or articles from different sources. With just a notebook system, it is hard to keep all the random tidbits together.
I usually keep a running booklist of physical and electronic books organized by topic (mostly homeschooling, parenting, homemaking, spiritual, and misc) I like to get reading on next whenever time permits. Some books have remained in my list for months, until I finally get to tackle it; but atleast, I know I will have something to fall back on in the event I ever run out of book ideas to read next. Being on the go, with having to take kids around for various activities, I have several times packed books and notebooks diligently, but ended up reading something completely different; and found myself at a disadvantage that I didn’t have the corresponding notebook with me.
Currently, I have resorted to the following very simple method to keep my notes under control- I switched to binders with loose refillable paper! How more simple can it be?
I have a ‘working zipper folder’ which I use tab dividers to divide into several subjects of interest – spiritual, homemaking, homeschooling tips, parenting, photography, recipes, organizing, etc . I keep several 3 hole punched paper inside; and a 3 hole spiral notebook to jot down random things for rough use. There is a pocket which can hold pencils, pens etc. It also has a large enough pocket which can accommodate my laptop and mini-ipad with all my digital books! So I have my mobile workstation, all in one. Sometimes, depending on the size of the book I am currently reading, I can put that inside also, if it is small enough.
I then have several separate ‘parent folders’ to transfer the above notes to, from the working folder. I usually keep the parent folders in my workspace in the master bedroom, so that I don’t carry them around and misplace them. For subjects that I don’t need a completely different folder for, I keep the notes in a large multipurpose 6 inch folder with separate tabs for different subjects. I have separate large parent folders for topics that I need more space for. If I do end up using composition books, I apply duct tape on the edge and 3-hole punch the tape, so that it fits inside the respective parent folder.
Whenever I’m in the mood for reading and writing notes, I have this folder with me. I also carry it with me when I go outside with kids for any activities that I‘ll need to wait in the van for.
Sometimes when I don’t have the working folder with me, or on small trips where I know I won’t get much time to read, I’ll just drop in a book or two from my reading list, into another bag. I then jot notes on the ’notes’ or ‘pages’ (offline) app on my phone. Later I copy to google drive, or print.
With this system, I have been able to keep all my notes organised and have the flexibility to add in or organize them the way I want, or even discard ones I don’t need anymore or find not so useful anymore. I also have the option of completely rewriting some notes that don’t look good, when the obsessive-compulsive bug hits me. (I’m so glad it doesn’t hit me anymore as often as it did in the past!) So currently I am finding this method an efficient way to tackle note keeping.