John Gruber shared a shot of a notebook on Twitter showing his earliest work on Markdown. I use Markdown syntax for almost everything I write on the Internet and have since I first learned about it over ten years ago. So cool to see that, like many great ideas, it started as some scribbles in a notebook.
Blank Paper, 7 – Nicholas Bate
Nick is back with 7 good reasons for blank paper. Good stuff.
Seven quick and dirty good reasons why you need one. My favorite is number 7.
An Index of Ideas — Shawn Blanc
Your own index is something you put in the back of the book (or the front if you prefer). It’s a list of the book’s themes and topics that most resonate with you, and the pages which have the best quotes and ideas around those topics.
This is a very cool idea and one I plan to adopt immediately and likely go back and apply to some of my favorite non-fiction books.
Mays student revives the art of letter writing | Mays Impacts
Years into the future, when Holly has a life that looks different from the way it is now, she will be able to read these letters and revisit the experiences and lessons that shaped her into the woman she is today. “You’re not going to remember every emotion or every feeling that you felt, but I can tell you, through writing, you’ll be able to look back and feel like you were there,” Holly said.
(via Matt Kaspar)
A Young Man’s Follies is, in a sense, a collection of youth through letters of love & friendship, photographs, thing-a-ma-bobs, maps and more buried for decades.
This is amazing. Make some time to lose yourself in this.
(via Swiss Miss)
(via Andrew Williams)
The simple (but powerful) 15-minute ‘mind capture’ ritual – A Life of Productivity
Every once in a while when I find 15 minutes of quiet time, I shut everything off, my computer and cellphone included, set a timer for 15 minutes, and lay down with a blank notepad and no distractions.
I’m always surprised what I capture.
I do this as well. Usually about once a month. For years, I’ve used this GTD Guided Mindsweep that Coach Kelly from the David Allen Company led folks through on Twitter back then (I captured all of the tweets in order). It is a great way to “trigger” your mind to let loose of the things within and write them down.
(via Matt Kaspar)
How I use my notebooks – the February 2016 edition — The Finer Point
How I use my notebooks is something I think about a lot. In July 2015 I wrote a post on my notebook set-up exploring what notebooks I used and more importantly how I used them. However since July quite a bit has changed therefore I wanted to post a February 2016 update running through my notebook usage.
I will never tire of these sorts of posts. I love seeing how others put their notebooks to use and the reasons why.
The Most Precious Cargo for Lighthouses Across America was a Traveling Library
Portable lighthouse libraries, distributed across the United States in the 19th century, were a common but important part of life for families living under the constant work and near-isolation of the lighthouse watch.
Books were checked out and meticulously logged when borrowed. Fascinating stuff.
