We live in an increasingly complex world, so much so we are now devising ways to simplify and defeat the feeling of being overwhelmed. Probably one of the most well known productivity guru’s is David Allen, author of the best selling “Getting Things Done“. This book and others have spawned a multitude of systems of how to make this work. One of those systems is plain ole pen and paper. In the spirit of that method here are a couple of thoughts and products.

Pen and paper are cheap, readily available, and requires no power or internet connection to use. It is also immediate and liberating since you are in total control of what is recorded. Good paper can last for centuries and it is more likely to be read later than all those files on your hard disk with those arcane filenames. It’s a good way to keep that penmanship up to speed in a world of instant messaging and T9 phone text.

Here are a few links to paper based methods and products

Moleskine Notebooks – Classic black with the handy little elastic band. Check out the Moleskine community here.

Miquelrius Notebooks from this site and other fine retailers. Great products started back in Barcelona over a hundred and fifty years ago.

Also check out The Action book, just discovered these – already a must have.