The unassuming hero on my desk
There are two faithful companions that sit on my desk at all times: my notepad and my organiser. I reach for one or the other at least a dozen times a day. Quick phone call? Notepad. Last-minute deadline dropped during a Zoom call? Organiser. When you’re in the middle of a conversation and can’t be bothered to open a note-taking app buried beneath five other programmes, a notepad, pen and paper always wins. It’s basic, it’s analogue, and it never lets me down.
Yes, I’ve flirted with every note app under the sun. But no matter how many bells and whistles they offer, I always return to my trusty desk notepad. Why? Because it’s right there. No tabs to find, no accidental app-clicking, no wasted seconds. Just scribble and move on.
Also, confession time: I’m weirdly protective of my real notebooks. I use them for ideas, meetings, journaling, not for messy, temporary notes that’ll be irrelevant by tomorrow. That’s where the desk notepad comes in. Scribbles welcome. No guilt, no pressure. Just pure utility. Call it eccentric, call it quirky, I call it stationery wisdom.
Use a desk notepad to unburden your brain
We’ve all been there, we have small tasks to do, and they’re all roaming in our heads using up all our precious RAM. You’re juggling thoughts and you end up questioning yourself, what did the client say about the project deadline? Did I or did I not send that invoice? Trying to play mental Tetris with these details in our already busy life as freelancers is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. If this sounds familiar, you know the importance of dropping the information on a notepad. As your pen meets paper, the chaos in your mind finds order, granting you a stress-free day.
Structure breeds freedom
Using a to-do list as a freelancer can offer several benefits. The ritual is clear, identify your tasks, determine what comes first, pen them down, execute, and with each task done and crossed out, watch the triumph of completion unfold. You can create a to-do list for the day or week. The later depends on preferences of visual representation of your workload.
If you’ve never tried the Ivy Lee Method, allow me to introduce you to one of the simplest, most effective ways to manage your day. This little productivity gem has been around for over a century, and for good reason, it works.
This method is a 100 years old, and still valid to this day. All you have to do is create your list in 15 minutes at the end of your day for your next.
Step 1
At the end of each day, write down the six most important tasks for tomorrow.
Step 2
Prioritise them, most important goes at the top.
Step 3
The next morning, start with task one. Don’t move on until it’s done.
Step 4
Repeat. If something doesn’t get done, move it to tomorrow’s list.
Not all notepads are created equal
Let’s talk aesthetics. For years, I used those tear-off, spiral-bound monstrosities that barely survived a week. Useful? Sure. Nice to look at? Absolutely not.
I take pride on my desk setup, I like a clutter-free desk. I like it clean, minimal, and intentional, so when I found a desk notepad that matched my style and boosted my productivity, it was love at first scribble.
Exacompta FAF No.3 Desk Notepad
Behold, the greatest desk notepad with a heritage half as old as the Ivy Lee to-do list method we discussed earlier. To put it plainly, it’s been around since 1928. The visionary behind its design is none other than the iconic Gustav Eiffel himself, the mastermind behind the Eiffel Tower. Yup, you heard that right.
The notepads have luminous white paper. You are able to choose between dotted (my personal preference) or plain. It has a certain weightiness to it, which makes it a dream to write on. As you might know by now, I’m all about durability — I like my things to withstand the test of time, and this notepad is nothing short of timeless. Just grab your refills, and voilà, you’ve got the perfect writing companion.
Conclusion
For me, a desk notepad is a tool for clarity, creativity, and staying on top of a chaotic freelance schedule. Whether it’s capturing a sudden idea, scribbling a quick reminder, or sticking to my daily Ivy Lee list, this little pad keeps me grounded and organised.
If you’re still relying solely on your brain or an over-cluttered app folder to remember everything, you’re working harder than you need to. Offload it. Free your mental RAM. And if you can do it in style with a beautifully designed desk piece? Even better. Go analogue. You won’t regret it.
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