© 2024 Rachel L. Shumate | All rights reserved.
I do this weird, nerdy thing with journals that I thought was just a personal quirk, until I recently learned that there’s a name for it, AND it’s been a popular practice since the time of ancient Greece and Rome. And here I thought I was all strangely innovative… It’s called a commonplace book. Ever heard of it? I had no idea it was an actual thing. I also found it interesting that history is full of famous folks who kept loads of commonplace books. (Seriously, Google it.) So clearly, all the cool kids are doing it (haha). Want to join the club? Let me elaborate so you can get started…
A commonplace book is essentially a place where you write down all the stuff you want to remember. (And yes; it’s better than the notes app on your phone.) It’s a bit like taking notes in class, but instead it’s just random information you’ve learned. I don’t know about you, but my brain has a hard time retaining all the things I want to remember. (It’s just so stuffed with knowledge that it needs to overflow into a book, ha.) The solution: jot it down.
There are no hard and fast rules – or really any rules at all. And you can put anything you darn well please onto the pages of your commonplace book. You can even have more than one – categorizing them into topics, if you wish. While similar to keeping a bullet journal, this practice is different in that it’s more about keeping track of facts, quotes, data, and snippets of things you want to remember, rather than documenting and organizing your life. In fact, a commonplace book is not really a journal at all, and has no chronological order. (But it’s still a fantastic use for a blank journal, so that’s why it’s being featured in the Journaling Journey section!) It goes a bit like this… Want to remember that awesome quote you heard the other day? Write it down in your commonplace book. Did you highlight a significant passage in the book you’re reading? Maybe make a note of it in your commonplace book. Did you have a brainstorm session and need to remember the particulars? You guessed it. Put it in there.
Like I said, there are really no right or wrong ways to keep a commonplace book, as it’s basically a hodgepodge of collected information, and each one is as unique as its creator. Since I’m fond of examples, as they help me wrap my brain around things, I’ll share how I go about using my, now newly titled, commonplace book. However, keep in mind this is just my personal system. I don’t wish to limit your compilation-creativity or style, so approach it anyway you like.
I personally prefer a blank journal that has page numbers and a table of contents, like this one (featured above), or a Leuchtturm medium notebook. (Frankly, I’m just too lazy to number all the pages myself.) Both meet this requirement, and are high-quality with nice covers and pages. (I’m extremely picky about my journals – and pens…) The page numbers and table of contents simply make life easier for going back and looking things up. I also like to use washi tape along page edges to mark significant sections or thoughts. Other fun ways to help sort out the jumble of words is the use of colored pencils or highlighters. (Like you’re back in college and marking up your textbook.) And I recently found these adorable tabs, pictured above, at the bookstore (I was positively giddy over them). Again, these are just my personal preferences; all you really need is a pen and a notebook if you want to keep it simple.
And what, you might ask, do I keep in it??? I personally use mine for business stuff. I write down things I’ve learned from classes, seminars, marketing gurus, books and so forth. I also brainstorm about ideas and plans and take notes. Yours can contain anything you like though. You can keep one that has notes about EVERYTING – any and all topics you like. Or maybe you want one that is specifically for great book quotes. The possibilities are limitless. Any which way you decide to go about it, I hope you give this commonplace book practice a go, and enjoy the process. I bet your brain will thank you.
PS: Your brain processes information differently (and much better) when you write things down, as opposed to typing it up on a screen.
PPS: Let go of your need for perfection. Your commonplace book will be beautifully messy and chaotic.
~~~
“Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up into your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter, and lead pencil markings endure longer than memory.” ~ Jack London
🙂
