Simplicity, Versatility, and Portability Make Moleskine Best System For Getting Things Done

Posted by Kevin in July 6th 2008

While chock-full of features, desktop and web-based task managers, to-do list applications, and other getting things done (GTD) applications still do not deliver the comfort and simplicity of the almighty pen and pad. I’ve even tried several mobile applications like Evernote, Google Notebook, and Jott but I always keep coming back to my tried and true pocket notebook. Albeit any pocket notebook will suffice, I’ve found that nothing rivals the quality and functionality of a Moleskine.

Moleskine is a brand of notebook manufactured by an Italy based company named Moleskine. Although the name implies otherwise, these notebooks are not actually bound in moleskin. On the contrary they generally, depending upon the specific style, have a cardboard bound cover with a leather-like feel and rounded corners, an embedded cloth-woven bookmark, an elastic enclosure, and an expandable inner pocket located on the back cover. Moleskine has expanded its product catalog beyond its basic line of notebooks to include City Notebooks (city guidebooks), Diaries (planners), Cahiers (journals), and a Van Gogh inspired special edition line of notebooks and sketchbooks called Museum.

Moleskine notebooks are very versatile and aren’t intended to be used just for managing tasks and creating to-do lists. Rather they can be used for any writing purpose including journal entries, personal notes, idea logs, appointment books, sketch books, contact management, etc… The expandable inner pocket on my Moleskine even doubles as a wallet to carry receipts and other important papers I may acquire throughout the day.

My favorite Moleskine is the pocket sized 3.5×5.5 inch square ruled notebook. Its small size and squared rule make it easy to store in your pocket and is great for either writing or drawing. After obtaining your Moleskine, I suggest that you fill out the first page to include “In case of loss, please return to:” information and even include a reward. That way all your personal notes, ideas, to-dos, etc. can be recovered if you ever misplace it. I also strongly encourage you to NOT include your name and address on the registration page, especially if you store important private information (i.e. passwords, PINs, etc.) in your Moleskine, which is not such a great idea. Alternative and essential, but less personal, contact information may include an unlisted phone or mobile number and a non-descriptive email address (e.g. NOT yourname@emailprovider.com). Thus, if you ever lose your Moleskine and it contains such private information, the individual that finds it can return it but does not know your name or address and therefore he/she cannot make use of it for personal exploitation or criminally motivated gain (i.e. identity theft, robbery).

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