My close friends, family, and colleagues know how much I appreciate stationery and books, books to read, and books to write in (journals, diaries, and plain/smooth notebooks).
I recently found a note my grandmother wrote eighteen years ago - a simple list of names for a family visit to one of her aunts’ birthday celebrations, a trip that would take roughly two hours from our home. This piece of paper reminded me how she documented everything: dreams, grocery lists, daily events, and family gatherings. Her habit of taking notes wasn't just about remembering things; it was about creating a system that kept our affairs connected and organized.
Today, as a consultant focusing on using resilience as a frame to help leaders and or social development entities find their true esse, I see how this practical skill shapes both personal growth and business success. While we have smartphones and digital tools, there's unique value in the practice of writing things down - a lesson I learned watching my grandmother work.
My grandmother's notetaking went beyond basic record-keeping. She kept dream journals, wrote letters, and documented family events. These weren't random scribblings but records, if someone knows how to gather evidence will be able to weave a story because she was an interesting woman, not only within our family but I can daresay in our community.
So, what I have learned from this habit, after developing it myself (it is amazing what often stays with kids especially when you are not paying attention). I remember being asked by one of my managers once for a note I took two months before, as they were trying to recall what they said not essentially to verify but they remembered someone providing feedback to them about what they had said in a meeting we both were at. You know what? When I checked the note, I did have what they said, ‘word for word’.
So, there are many benefits this habit can have on your professional and personal life. After placing some thoughts into it, here goes (remember to share some of yours if you are a habitual note-taker like me):
Meeting Management:
Capture key decisions and commitments.
Track action items and deadlines
Note key points and can be used to add clarity and even prevent misunderstandings.
Personal Development:
Record goals and progress
Track patterns in behaviour and decisions
Document lessons learned from experiences
Professional Development
Break down complex issues and map out solutions
Record what works and what doesn’t
Remember important details about people and relationships
In my consulting practice and experience, good note-taking habits improve our outcomes. Recently, a client I was working with to navigate a potentially damaging situation avoided a major contract dispute because they were able to recall an insert from one of their journal entries, a practice we encouraged them to develop. These notes, while they were not as detailed, were able to provide evidence of a discussion and save them some time and someone else’s professional integrity.
The digital age hasn’t made notetaking obsolete - it’s made it more valuable. It is even easier to take a note with the many tools not present with us as recently as five years ago. While digital tools offer convenience, the act of writing by hand has quite a few benefits, and I am no professional:
You maintain your handwriting skill
Improves memory retention - when I write something I remember it
Creates a stronger connection with the material
My grandmother’s approach to notetaking taught me three key principles:
Consistency matters: make notetaking a daily habit - unless you are in a sector that advises against notetaking, regular documentation builds a valuable record over time.
System beats memory: don’t rely on remembering important details. A simple note can potentially prevent a mistake and numerous misunderstandings.
Details provide substance to the context: context is king - what seems obvious today might not be clear tomorrow. When I look at the note here, I ask the question, did this trip happen, why were some people missing? and I recall raising it during one of our family discussions and the family members confirmed that the trip did in fact happen, and while it really was for family members quite a few of our neighbours made the trip also.
At Uwàmito Consulting, we teach these principles as part of building resilient business practices. The simple act of taking notes becomes a powerful tool for:
Decision-making
Communication
Relationship building and maintenance
Better systems
You don’t need an elaborate system or expensive tools to start. Begin with a notebook and a nice pen. Document conversations, decisions, and ideas - even the ones you may dub ‘unimportant’. Create a reference system for the future. Over time, these notes may become a resource. Years ago, when I was part of a team providing training for community health workers in palliative care, where you prepare folks for end of life - you encourage the patient or client to develop a memory book, it is a gift you can provide the people you care about with.
The most valuable notes are not always the most detailed. The valuable notes are the ones that capture what matters most at the moment and provide clarity when you need it later. Start today! your future self will be grateful. Josephine Cardinez, thank you!