Why Paper?
I used Notion for three years. My notes looked beautiful, but I couldn't remember anything. The problem wasn't the tool — it was the medium.
Research shows handwriting activates different neural pathways than typing:
- Motor memory — Your hand remembers shapes
- Slower processing — You can't write as fast as you type, so you think more
- Spatial memory — You remember where on the page you wrote something
The Setup
Notebook
I use a Leuchtturm1917 A5 dotted notebook. Here's why:
- Dotted grid — Structure without rigidity
- Numbered pages — Index in the front
- Two bookmarks — Current page + index
- Elastic closure — Survives in a bag
Pen
Pilot G-2 0.5mm. Cheap, reliable, doesn't bleed. I buy them in boxes of 12.
The System: Bullet Journal Method
I simplified the original method. My daily spread has three sections: