It seems that lately, a lot of people are into pocket notebooks. And there are a lot of YouTubers and influencers claiming that using a pocket notebook will stop you from doomscrolling, that it will replace your phone, save your mind and change your life. Now, does that sound too good to be true? Well, most probably yes, because, let’s be honest, it’s just a notebook,
So, what are some of the reasons pocket notebooks are not as great as the bunch mentioned above would lead you to believe?
There isn’t that much space.
The most advertised advantage is a significant disadvantage in more scenarios than you will be comfortable with, especially if your goal is, as influencers suggest, to replace your phone and doomscrolling with deep thinking and writing.
Considering that you are probably doing most of the doomscrolling at home, if you aim to replace that activity with deep thinking and writing, you will most likely wish to use a notebook which provides more space, like an A5-sized notebook.
You don’t necessarily need to sit at the desk to write in an A5-sized notebook effectively. Where the pocket-sized notebooks should shine is if you are planning to take notes on the go.
Portable, but not THAT portable
One of the most common arguments for using a pocket notebook is that, because it is portable, you will use it “on the go” to capture your ideas, rather than relying on your phone.
While a pocket notebook might be roughly the same size as the phone (it’s a bit wider), there is no way you can put it in your pants pocket without noticing it, especially if you also have to take a pen with you. In early spring, late autumn, and winter, you might not even notice it if you put it in the inner pocket of your jacket,
To get straight to the point, it’s doubtful that you will genuinely wish to carry it around, should an idea that is worth noting strike you.
Of course, things are different if you carry a belt or a purse, although even with a purse, let alone a rucksack, you will probably be better off with an A5-sized notebook, since it offers much more space for capturing your thoughts on the go.
Then there’s the idea that you will carry the notebook instead of your phone, but I believe that idea is too out there, even to be seriously entertained. And even if you did it, consider the use case: you are walking and you get an idea. So, instead of just simply recording a voice memo or quickly using the notes app, you should reach for your pocket notebook, find a place to sit and write the idea down. Not likely.
It breaks the norm
Besides, contrary to what people say and think, everybody does indeed care about fitting in. Consider that you are talking to a friend, and you both agree to meet again next week. So, your friend takes out their phone, opens the calendar or the reminders app and writes the appointment down. Will you really and truly open a pocket notebook to write down the appointment? You are much more likely not to look weird and write that down on your phone as well.
There is nothing wrong with that; it’s just being human. Not only that, but after being asked one too many times why you are using a pocket notebook, you might get tired of explaining. It’s OK. You are human. Why put extra obstacles?
Transfer Tax
Consider that you have used your pocket notebook in the example above. You will now probably have to face the “Transfer Tax”, meaning you will probably wish to transfer that appointment to your calendar anyway. Why? Well, reminders are good. Reminders are practical.
Let’s, however, say you have captured an idea. You will have to transfer that idea to a larger notebook or an electronic device, such as a laptop or a tablet, to work on it effectively, which means rewriting it or typing it in.
Image by Aleksandra from Pixabay
You will pay that transfer tax as well if you write the idea down using the notes app and then have to transfer it to a physical notebook to work on it. But I do think that will be a much less common occurrence.
Clutter and the bad feeling of non-completeness
You should beware of trying to use pocket notebooks for a quick fix, especially if new ideas easily seduce you and have the tendency to start something, fall in love with it for a few days and then give up.
Because “changing your life by using a pocket notebook” is an idea that can make you go through that process multiple times, every time there’s a potential that you will feel just a bit worse. And every cycle, you might decide that you need a new notebook, which, of course, leads to clutter and the possibility of feeling not so good about yourself when you look at all the unused notebooks.
Image by rawpixel from Pixabay
Environment
In this day and place, it is not cool to think about the environment. Our society now again values being selfish and prioritising convenience over caring for the environment. There’s a chance, though, that many of us still do understand that environmental issues are worth considering. Primarily, if you, as described above, tend to give up on things quickly, you might rethink even trying to use a pocket notebook.
Paper production requires significant energy, water, and natural resources, including deforestation, contributing to landfill waste, and the chemicals used in paper production can pollute soil and water. Sure, that all still applies to the larger notebooks, but I feel that pocket notebooks are more of a problem because they are more likely to be abandoned. A5 and A4 sizes are more easily repurposed.
Conclusion
Pocket Notebooks are a tool that has its time and place; they are not a magical fix for your procrastination or doomscrolling problems. Writing a diary or a journal can indeed help you with that – and you should indeed try journaling. Still, if you take the above points into account, you might conclude that a larger notebook or even maybe an e-Ink tablet, like Kindle Scribe, might be a better alternative.
If you are interested in reducing doomscrolling, you might want to look at my post How to cut down on mindless scrolling and fight brain rot. If you are more interested in increasing productivity, even if ever so slightly, check out How to Prevent and Fight Procrastination – Tips from the Real World. I think you will find that these posts have much less of an “influencer flavoured easy fix” feeling.
