I type a lot of my notes directly into various documents. I start with a text file, I use NoteTab. I’ve used it since mid-1997, and have been on the beta test team for most of that time.
When I’m away from my computer, and need to make a note of something, I use Evernote on my cell phone. When I get back to my computer, I can log into Evernote and copy and past my notes to the appropriate document. Usually the notes are anything from a grocery list to ideas for a scenario for a game, or an idea for a blog article.
However, I also make notes on all kinds of paper. I use the backs of scrap paper, note cards, writing pads of various sizes, lined, unlined, graph paper, etc.
Since I work from home and my home office is in the same room as my personal office/computer room, I have collected notes for different things on different scraps of paper. Ideas cross my mind at the oddest times, and I grab the nearest piece of paper that is OK for that note, and write it down.
Over time, this can lead to a lot of random notes. I then have to transfer them to my computer. If I have multiple notes for different topics on the same paper, I check off which ones I have dealt with, then chuck the whole thing once they’re all addressed. Sometimes it might be a list of reminders. If I think of something important while in the middle of something else, I have to write it down, or I forget about it.
I think this just shows how my thoughts never stop.
This non-stop flurry of activity is hard to tame if I’m not actively cultivating it. This morning, I overslept and my whole day was colored by it. I managed to have all of my poor interactions with other people over the past 25+ years come into my recollection in rapid succession. I managed to get myself out of that downward spiral of negative self talk by focusing on work until I woke up enough to forget about it until I wrapped up this blog post.
Bullet Journal
It is this crazy and chaotic style of making notes that can be tamed by a more organized method. Whether it is just a notebook/journal one enters their ideas, or a more organized approach, like a Bullet Journal.
A year ago, I posted on my personal Facebook page how adhering to my bullet journal (BuJo) helped me crank through on cleaning up odd scraps of paper and organizing things for work on personal.
I got away from my BuJo for work and personal stuff, and it has been a challenge getting back into it. The chaotic nature of my day job can take me down a totally unexpected rabbit hole that consumes one or more days, and then I’m lost as to what I was working on of the multiple projects I seem to always have.
The last few weeks I have had great focus on getting projects done, and putting miscellaneous scraps of work notes into either my BuJo or the appropriate computer note keeping files. As the senior tech on the team, I’m always getting interrupted to help the others with their issues. The BuJo concept really does help me. The reminders in Outlook, and various notes in various text files and documents have their place, but I can’t wrap my mind around all the pieces. With a BuJo, I can make a spread that holds my focus and speaks to me about what I must do and how far along things are.
I intend to use this focus to wrap up loose ends before busy season starts in December. My day job is supporting accounting and payroll software and we get slammed with every client calling multiple times to get help with procedures they only do once a year. Triple the normal call volume leaves little time and energy for anything else.
My goal with this year end, is to have work wrapped up and the stress managed, so that it doesn’t suck away all of my energy and enthusiasm for creating content and running games. I’m also working ahead on my planned monthly PWYW PDF releases on OBS so if I don’t do so well on maintaining my energy, I can still put out the planned PDFs.
I’m working on a BuJo video idea that I started over 6 months ago. I’ve got to tighten the focus and the script and plan the shots. I’m trying to figure out how to fit it in and get my other planned RPG projects done. My submission of games to run at Gary Con needs to get done. Also I need to flesh out my game ideas that I’ll be running at UCon in November. And Marmalade Dog is, and if GMs submit games before December 31st, they get free admission for each day that they run a game. It’s all doable, I just need to focus and implement and adhere to my BuJo strategy. Breaking down the complex into doable pieces.
Here’s a companion podcast.
I’m curious to see how you adapt bullet journaling to game mastering.
I started keeping a bullet journal myself this summer (work + home), largely for the reasons you gave. It’s been a tremendous help in keeping me organized and as I get ready to start a new D&D campaign I’ve been thinking about how to adapt the idea to run a game. I haven’t gotten much beyond “hmmm, I wonder how I’d use a bullet journal with my campaign” but the idea of quick-hit notes plus the various kinds of logs for keeping track of campaign happenings seems like logical places to start.
I like to keep campaign notes so I can remember where we left off, when a particular NPC appeared, etc., but writing them down in-game can be disruptive. Having a bullet journal nearby to record those ideas could be helpful.
Hey, Larry! This is Mike from The Dice Are Screaming. Just heard the Revenge!podcast and enjoyed much! As for myself, the last serious revenge I undertook as a PC was a pirate captain that had thrown our gear overboard after our capture. When we freed ourselves and took the ship, my fighter insisted on crucifying the former captain on his own mast, then proudly sailing along with him pitiably moaning above us…at least until the party voted to cut him down and show a little mercy. Which was fair enough, since the DM declared that I was in severe alignment violation if I left him up there any longer. It was probably a bit much to have insisted on feeding the poor s.o.b. healing potions to prolong his suffering.
Yeah, I’d say that’s an alignment deviation for the good and neutrals.