Mike's Notes
Yesterday and today are filing days.
I draw my ideas on paper and then make stuff from them. As a result, I generate at least one or two thousand pages of handwritten notes a year.
- I have also used pocket notebooks with sequential daily notes, but I prefer A4 paper because it can be sorted later by subject or idea.
- I carry a leather A4 organiser everywhere, constantly drawing and making bullet points while drinking coffee.
- There is a direct correlation between morning coffee and paper generated.
- I also photocopy helpful illustrations from books.
- I use colour highlighters all over the place. Using colour helps me mentally structure stuff.
- The A4 white pages are stacked neatly until I can't find anything, and then filing begins by project, sub-project, etc.
- I use a hierarchical physical file structure that maps to my digital filing structure of nested folders.
- I use 3-hole ring binders with the same folder names, with card dividers containing colour paper cover sheets to provide three division levels.
- I then use the binders as a reference source, often reworking the notes into a few consolidated pages and throwing out the rest.
- Projects in production go on a kanban board.
- I have 30 years of organised notes and 40 years of shelved pocket notebooks.
I use the same system for film, art, and software projects.
Today, I set aside 2 hours weekly to organise my notes.
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