How I stopped being technology’s bitch

Jul 16, 2008 • Paul Singh

This is the twelfth in a series of posts about the lessons I wish I’d learned earlier in life.There was a point in time when I absolutely had to have the latest gadget and try out the coolest new productivity hacks in my quest to get ahead. Looking back though, I can’t help but laugh at myself a little bit. I actually wonder how much time I spent reorganizing my personal “system” each time I tried something new – I bet it would be in the hundreds of hours.

“So, what changed?”

It was simple really: I realized that the majority of the successful people I knew relied on paper. PAPER! Not the latest iPhone. Not the latest GTD tool. Not the latest whatchamacallit. Just plain old paper.

“What’s the big deal with paper?”

First, go pick up a copy of Todoodlist and you will quickly see what I mean. It’s an easy read, you’ll get a few good chuckles and it includes a number of practical tips that I was able to use immediately. (One of the best things about it is the 30 day refund policy – so you have absolutely no excuse not to buy it. Just return if you really don’t get anything out of it.)

As I’ve said before, learning just one new idea from a book is the best way to spend $20 today.

“What system do you use?”

Here are my tools of choice:

  1. Parker Jotter Stainless Steel Ball Pen
  2. Parker Gel Ink Inserts
  3. Moleskine Ruled Notebook

That’s it – three simple things that won’t go out of style tomorrow, won’t break the bank and never, ever need to be charged up.