Notes are fantastic. They help in the moment. Writing is thinking after all. Notes especially help to connect ideas to one another, often in messy and complex ways. They’re useful because they’re flexible.

And notes are truly useful when you revisit them, often months or years later. To compare to what you’re doing or thinking in the present to more longstanding ideas you’ve recorded. They’re also useful because they’re searchable.

“So,” my friend asked, a smirk growing on his face, “how’s that fancy planner going?” Friendly snark aside, it’s a fair question. Me and my hoity-toity planner had a plan last fall. Here’s how it’s going halfway into 2022.