The habit of always having a notebook with you is listed among the habits that have the most profound impact on your efficiency and success.

The highly productive people and gurus of time management emphasize the importance of developing a habit to have a place where you can hand write the things that help you accomplish your goals faster and in a more effective way.

From Aristotle Onassis to Richard Branson and Warren Buffet, the prominent leaders employed the habit of keeping a journal.

But why is it so crucial to have a place to write something down in?

Ideas Emerge At Odd Times. You cannot control the time when the ideas pop up in your mind. It can happen anytime, in any situation, in any place. They emerge without any schedule. Moreover, they tend to evaporate quickly. If you have an idea that is worth considering and seems to be great, you would rather write it down. Otherwise, you risk losing it forever. If you do not capture it, a few minutes later you will not recall it. It will be gone.

The Opportunity To Reflect. According to a working paper from Harvard Business School, setting aside 15 minutes to reflect at the end of the workday can boost your performance and impact positively your career and business success. People who keep journals feel more confident that they can achieve things. As a result, they put more effort into what they’re doing and what they learn.

Writing Structures Your Thoughts. The thoughts and ideas tend to stay in a chaotic order in your mind. It makes difficult to both digest and express them. The thing about consistent journaling is that it is not just the act of processing your thoughts. It is the act of organizing and shaping them. Writing does not allow for rambling words. It helps you convey your thoughts in a well-structured manner.

You Should Not Keep Everything In Mind. Even if you have a great memory, do not rely too heavily on it. The dullest pencil is better than the strongest memory. Needless to say, that you cannot remember everything. The good thing is that you do not need to. Hand-write everything: the quotes that keep you going, meeting notes, fleeting thoughts, business ideas, sketches for an upcoming project, and much more.

Notebooks Are Reliable. The old-fashioned, plain and easy to use tool for keeping the information has proved to be the most reliable tool either. The things you wrote down once are not going to disappear because of server errors or lack of memory on the hard drive. Unless you lose the things easily, your notebook will become the safest place for keeping your ideas and plans.

Journaling Fosters Learning. When it comes to writing by hand, the brain appears engaged in learning. The recent research emphasized that there is a hand’s unique relationship with the brain when it comes to composing thoughts and ideas. Besides, for visual thinkers (65% of people) it is crucial to portray their plans, ideas, and thoughts. It helps to have a clear vision of the things that matter and absorb information better.

Notebooks Is Where Ideas Grow. Ideas do no appear fully formed. Your notebook is a favorable environment for your creativity and imagination. That is where your ideas flourish. That is where a fertile ground for your creative seeds is. That is where the ordinary thoughts evolve into groundbreaking opinions. That is where your life is being arranged and put in order.

Planning Is A Key. Your notebook is not only the place to keep your ideas and fleeting thoughts at. It is also a canvas of your everyday life. Floating along in no particular order and frequently doing the things that do not take you closer to your aspirations is a waste of time. Meanwhile, having a blueprint of the next day is a strong prerequisite for productive work. A journal is a great place to keep your schedule that makes your life much less turbulent and chaotic but rather more meaningful and organized.