organization – Alyssa Lost in Space

Digital Notebook Experiment: The Conclusion

December 3, 2019December 8, 2019Alyssa Flynn

We are finally at the end of my 8-week digital notebook experiment, and it has been eye-opening in so many ways.

I’ll keep my conclusions short: I won’t be using a digital notebook anytime soon.

Not that it was a terrible experience. If I’m honest, there were elements I enjoyed, and I learned a lot about how I like to take notes. I guess I just hoped I would find it more useful than I did. The convenience was there, but it came with its own assortment of drawbacks. Some of them were Android-related issues. Some were with the app. Some were with the hardware itself.

I haven’t written anything in the last two weeks because I didn’t want to deal with my digital notebook anymore, and not being able to use an actual notebook has been its own unique kind of torture. I’ve taken to vast quantities of post-its and index cards instead. Last week I ordered my new Moleskine, it finally arrived yesterday, and I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be back in a paper notebook. For now, paper is where it’s at.

Minimalism for Book Lovers

November 16, 2019January 23, 2020Alyssa Flynn

If you’ve been around a while, you might have guessed that I am something of a minimalist. I don’t like clutter and I don’t like excess.

I wasn’t always this way, of course. Once upon a time I used to hoard. I loved owning movies and tv shows on dvd. I would buy an overwhelming number of books, especially after Book Outlet became a thing. Every day I would check for sales and I was constantly looking to add to my growing collection.

At my peak I had three full-sized bookshelves, stuffed to the brim with books. Everytime I bought new ones I’d have to rearrange those shelves to find the space.

I know why it got so out of control, too.

In trying to discover new books to read, I found this thing called Booktube, and one of the conventions of such a channel was this thing called the ‘Book Haul‘, where booktubers would show off all of the books that they purchased that month. So I began to do the same. I wanted to own a lot of books, because maybe then I would feel like a true reader. That it was something I was supposed to do. I bought into hype and bought books I might not have been as interested in because they looked pretty or because someone on Youtube managed to pursuade me.

Thus the collection started. And it continued to grow until about 3 years ago.

What’s in my Writing Bag? (November 2019)

November 3, 2019December 10, 2019Alyssa Flynn

Call me nosy, but I love seeing what people have in their bags. It’s fun to see what people carry with them from day-to-day. I especially love looking at what fellow writers and artists carry with them. It gives you some insight about how they work, what is essential, and how they work best. And sometimes you get some ideas for things to bring along on your own journeys to the coffee shop or library.

I like to keep my load as light as possible. I’ve had back issues since high school, and too much weight on my back for long periods of time only aggravates that and causes me more injury than it’s really worth.

But as I’ve mentioned before that I can be something of a workaholic when I’m super motivated and mentally healthy, so the stuff I’m going to show you I keep with me pretty much every time I go out. I like to be able to pull out my laptop while I’m on the bus or write something in a notebook when I have a few moments to spare.

Digital Notebook Experiment: The Update

November 2, 2019December 10, 2019Alyssa Flynn

If you’re not sure what the heck the Digital Notebook Experiment is, it’s essentially using a tablet as a notebook/bullet journal for 8 weeks to see how it measures up as a viable alternative. If you’re interested in learning a little more, here’s the blog post where I describe the whole experiment.

It’s been a couple weeks now, and though I’ll be using my digital notebook for another couple of weeks, I thought this half-way mark might be a good time to share some spreads as well as some thoughts about the whole thing.

The Digital Notebook Experiment

October 7, 2019December 10, 2019Alyssa Flynn

This is something I’ve been meaning to try for a long time now, but I’ve been putting it off because I’m honestly not sure how it’s going to go. I’ve seen plenty of images online of people who keep digital planners, and more and more people use digital notebooks for school and university. Every time I see it, my curiosity is piqued. So I’ve decided to try my hand at using a digital notebook. Only a digital notebook. No more paper and pen. At least not for a little while.

Now, I love my notebooks. I’m a bona fide stationery addict and I own far too many. I’ve talked at length on here about how I use my notebooks, and how I’ve created a system that works for me. I don’t ever see that changing. A notebook is crucial to my organization and workflow.

But seeing how I’m trying to embrace a more minimalist lifestyle and reduce any clutter, I thought it might be interesting to try keeping a digital notebook for a while. Save on paper waste and all that.

5 Easy Ways to Organize Your Life Right Away

July 8, 2019December 10, 2019Alyssa Flynn

I’ve mentioned in a previous post that I’m not a productivity guru. Well, I’m not an organizational one either, but I am the type of person to organize receipts by year and month and I have an organizer in my bag, so I like to think I’m a little more predisposed to living an organized life than most.

And this has only grown as I’ve grown older and accumulated more stuff. I have a lot going on right now and I like to keep my life as simple and organized as possible, and I have a few tips here to help you do the same.