One observation of mine from doing more tasks with paper and pen (rather than my computer) is that it’s trained me better for when I go back to those digital systems. For example, when writing a story in a notebook, I have no distractions easily available; what surprises me, though, is that when I do write on my computer again after making a habit of using paper, I stay more focused than I used to.
With that in mind, I’ve observed that my default mode, so to speak, of using my computer is to aimlessly browse the web or otherwise engage in non-productive activities. This makes any actual schoolwork or progress toward my many projects an act of immense willpower and intentionality, even when the task itself is simple.
I need to retrain my brain’s attitude toward digital work, and I believe that begins with my analog world.
analog projects today
While I’ve been investing heavily in my analog tools (fountain pens, nice notebooks, etc.) and now love working that way, I don’t yet actually have much to do. I write stories on paper, but right now am between stories and would if I just wanted to sit down and write something, I would probably just sit staring at a blank sheet of paper.
What I need to do is to have more analog projects. On my computer, there is always something I can make progress on, if I’m out of ideas; I want sitting down with paper to be the same way. Any time, any place, I should be able to take a pen and paper and make progress on something, anything.
artwork
Art feels like an obvious first option. I’ve long wanted to improve my drawings, and a pencil and sheet of paper are all I need to practice sketching. Anywhere I go, there are interesting things to draw; in an airport a month ago, I sketched a passable rendition of the plane outside the window.
Art is, definitely a strong option; still, I want word-based projects too. Writing is my craft, and I’ll feel more productive when putting words to paper than doing anything else.
poetry
In days long gone by, I used to write a poem every night. They weren’t all good, but I wrote a few real gems and, in the process, improved my poetic skill considerably.
Now, months go by between each attempt at poetry. Returning to a regular poem-writing habit would be an excellent choice of analog project, though each individual writing session might be too short to satisfy my desire to write.
journaling
I’ve never kept up with writing consistently in a journal for more than a few weeks at a time, but it would be a great analog project if I figured out the trick. I always have something I’m thinking about that would be good to write down and process more deeply.
A journal would also serve as a great source of inspiration for blog posts, though that raises another good option.
blogging
As it so happens, I’ve been writing this very post on paper, with the intention of typing it up and publishing later. (I bet you didn’t realize that until now!)
I seldom have a shortage of blog post ideas, just of motivation to sit and write them down. Using paper to accomplish a traditionally-digital task could be a great way to retrain my brain’s attitude toward digital work.
conclusion
In reality, I expect to mix all of these ideas together. A journal can include sketches and poems, and particularly well-written journal entries can be easily converted into blog posts, later. Similarly, the possibility of later publication could help motivate my to continue journaling regularly.
In any case, making productivity my default when I don’t have an active task can only mean good things for my ability to focus and proactively accomplish my goals.
