In the digital age, this is a legitimate question. Your first instinct is probably to think that it would be easier to take notes on your phone, tablet or computer, but paper has many advantages. With paper, you don’t have to worry about digital constraints, you can be flexible and personalise your notes to your heart’s content. It also stimulates your brain function and provides informal advertising for your business.
No digital constraints
Choosing a paper notebook means choosing simplicity. You don’t need an internet connection to access note-taking software. There are no battery problems, so you won’t find yourself with an unusable tool if your computer or phone runs out of battery. What’s more, all your notes are grouped together on a single medium, so there’s no need to remember in which folders or on which media you took the notes for your meeting. Finally, there’s no risk of your notes disappearing because you forgot to save them or because of a software bug. All your notes will remain intact in your paper notebook and will be accessible in all circumstances.
Flexibility and customisation of a notebook
A paper notebook gives you a great deal of freedom – anything is possible on paper. The form of your notes becomes flexible, and you can switch between writing, bulleted lists, drawings, diagrams or mathematical formulae for the more scientific among you. There are also no limits to how you can customise the organisation of your notebook. You can choose to take notes by theme, by customer, or by time. The undeniable advantage of the paper notebook is that it can be adapted to suit individual needs.
Stimulation of brain function
Numerous studies have shown that handwriting has beneficial effects on the brain. When you write by type or by hand, the same areas of the brain are not activated. Writing by hand activates the areas of the brain that promote memory and learning. It also encourages the ability to summarise, so you get to the point and get rid of the superfluous. For people suffering from dyslexia, handwriting is also beneficial for acquiring or maintaining reading and comprehension skills. Overall, handwriting forces us to revise our spelling and punctuation, whereas digital technology and spellcheckers do all the work. Finally, if you work in an artistic or imaginative profession, you should know that writing by hand stimulates your creativity. In fact, many authors and content writers use handwriting to rekindle inspiration. So goodbye to writer’s block.
Informal advertising
At client meetings, meetings with partners or any other time when you’re likely to be taking notes, you get out your professional notebook. This notebook, personalised with your company’s name, offers you an informal advertising medium. Instead of carrying flyers or any other promotional item, your notebook provides your company with visibility without appearing forced