In the course of any given day you will think of a business idea, hear an important phone number, collect tasks you need to do, and accumulate a dozen other bits and pieces of information that you can’t afford to lose.  Some people jot these things down on the backs of restaurant receipts or other scraps.  Some like to use a PDA.  My personal favorite method is an old-fashioned pocket notebook.

I’ve found that if it takes me longer than about 20 seconds to get something out and record what I’m thinking, I won’t do it.  That’s why PDAs have never been my favorite note-taking tools.  Paper is fast and easy, and has a solid feel to it that I don’t get from electrons.

I’ve tried all sorts.  I used to carry a Day Runner back in the days before PDAs.  I liked them, but they were so bulky that I didn’t carry mine as much as I should have.  Then I switched to a little spiral-bound thing from the drugstore – super cheap, but you get what you pay for.  I found mine falling apart long before I was finished with them, and a cheap, battered notepad doesn’t look very professional.

These days I am experimenting with the Moleskine Cahier notebook and the Field Notes notebook to see which one I like best.  The form factor on these is perfect: slim, compact, and durable, with good paper.  They fit nicely in a shirt pocket.  I like the little back pocket on the Cahier, but it doesn’t hold much.  The ruler and solid construction of the Field Notes notebook keep it in the running.

If you’re like me, and paper is your favorite recording device, then give these two a try.  Tuck a flat pen inside and you’ll never be at a loss for capturing your next big idea before it gets away from you.