Action Journal Productivity & Stationary Obsessions

I am obsessed with stationary and writing utensils. Really.

You might call me a stationary snob because using yellow post it notes bothers me, and I need ones that aren’t that gross, generic color. Or, you might get weirded out by the fact that I have a pen holder at work with 15 carefully chosen pens, of which I have to rotate usage. Slightly neurotic? In the words of Sarah Palin, ‘You Betcha!’

Needless to say, when I saw this pretty little package arrive in my mailbox today, I was beyond ecstatic.

Note: You might notice the iPhone thumbs up. My thumb is silly and not capable of making an enthusiastic and proper thumbs up, like this guy in the picture. I SWEAR. Please see the image at the end of this post for photo proof.

I’ve been beating up my old (orange) Action Journal for over a year now, and have been hesitant to give it up because I’m a sucker for well worn notebooks that feel like they’ve lived and are holding good ideas. The other day, I FINALLY gave in and ordered a new one, and to my happy little surprise, they added a pretty blue strap and got rid of the old black one they used. Here’s a picture of my overly-loved (AKA, beat to hell) Action Journal that I’m finally retiring, along side my brand spankin’ new blue-baby on the right.

The reason I drool over the Action Method products from Behance and harp on them all the time, is because they allow you to really categorize and organize your thoughts in one place. I’m no stranger to them (I actually have about 7 of their various products) and I find their method refreshing. Especially for someone like me who needs help containing and constructing my thoughts on a daily basis.

Here’s a quick description of how you’re *supposed* to use the Action Journal, rather than fawn over it like I do.

1. References up top, so you can refer to the project you’re writing about.
2. Free open area on the left and right for notes/scratch.
3. Action steps on the right to capture immediate and necessary needs to move the project forward. I like to keep my meeting notes in the free open space, and move action steps from the meeting into this area.
4. Backburner box along the bottom, for ideas that don’t require immediate attention but you’d like to focus on, once the immediate action steps are out of the way.

I’m secretly doing cartwheels right now. In my office. I CAN’T WAIT TO USE THIS TOMORROW!

But then, it bears the question… what’s the FIRST thing to go in there? I mean, devirginizing the first page of your glowing new notebook is a pretty daunting task. Or at least, in my world it is. :)

With that said, it really boils down to this:

I LOVE STATIONARY. So much so, that Shane has to actually drag me away from any kind of stationary aisle. I can’t explain it, and it’s just one of those things that I never outgrew. I like to write out my day, and no matter what digital apps I use, I never remember to check them. There’s something SO SATISFYING about actually scratching something off a real, live to-do list. I’m a little old fashioned in that respect, I guess. I wrote a post sometime in 2010 on Freelance Folder, talking about how pen and paper can actually slow productivity. I still hold this thought to be true, but I’ll never, ever give up my to-do list. EVER. Also, try this bad boy out. You might like it.

What’s your favorite way of tracking your projects and to-dos? Paper products, or specific apps? Even though I never commit to a digital app, I’m always open for something that could rock my world.

PS: Here’s my thumb that’s incapable of showing ANY ENTHUSIASM WHATSOEVER. I can’t bend it further than this, and it disappoints me greatly that I’m forced to use a stock photo image on my iPhone, within a picture taken with another iPhone, in order to demonstrate proper thumbs-up-ability.