Blog · Pocket Notebooks

How to Set Up a Pocket Notebook You Will Actually Use

Every time I finish a pocket notebook, I set up the next one the same way. Here are the eight steps, from numbering the new one to archiving the old one.

Luis Duque, PE · September 26, 2026 · 7 min read

The process is simple, and it helps me stay organized.

Watch the full video.

Step	What I do	Why
1	Number, name and date	Find it later in the archive
2	Mini calendar and important dates	No need for my big planner
3	Back page as an index	Jot down important pages and highlights
4	Daily log	Bullets for tasks, dashes for notes
5	Weekly habit tracker	Keep track of routine
6	Weekly task list	Know what I need to do this week
7	Number the pages and flatten them	Reference them, and teach the spine to open
8	Close it out and archive	Migrate what matters, add a sticker

1. Give it a number, a name and a date

Every notebook in my collection gets a number so I can find it later in my archive. On a new notebook, I start by writing my name and the start date.

My pocket notebooks right now come from the Field Notes National Parks edition, and I've been working through a lot of them. I just finished the Rocky Mountain National Park notebook, so for the next one I picked Joshua Tree.

2. Draw a mini calendar

At the front, I draw a mini calendar and add a few important dates. I drew this one in purple to match the Joshua Tree cover.

The calendar starts with the current week. I fill in the important dates later, once I'm in front of my computer.

Trips, birthdays, and other major events go here. My last notebook, for example, had our UK trip. I do keep a bigger planner, but I don't carry it with me.

The planner stays at my desk, so I like having the few dates that matter in the notebook I carry.

The calendar at the front shows me the big events coming up while I use the notebook. I don't need my big planner to know when the next birthday or the next trip is.

3. Save the back page for an index

I leave the back page for an index. I don't use it a ton, but sometimes it's nice to note a few important pages and highlights from the notebook there.

Field Notes are super thin, so I don't really need an index. I just like leaving a page in case I do.

Separately, I keep a master index across all my notebooks, and it's going pretty well. It summarizes what has been happening and points to the notebooks that hold special dates and content.

4. Start the daily log

On the first page, I write today's date and then log whatever I do that day.

Following the Bullet Journal method, I use a bullet for tasks, a dash for notes, an equal sign for feelings, and a circle for events. The page fills in as the day goes on.

5. Add a weekly habit tracker

Each week also gets a simple habit tracker.

I track things like how much water I drink and how much coffee I have, with a column for each day of the week.

Each day gets a number: if I drink three bottles of water, I write 3. I leave a little space at the bottom for reflection or anything else that happens.

I started tracking habits weekly fairly recently, and it has been great.

6. Write a weekly task list

At the start of each week, I write a task list. It usually begins with open tasks from the previous week that need to be done this week.

I like to have a list of everything I need to do within the week. That way I'm aware of how much time I'm really putting into different tasks, and I'm more mindful of what I need to do.

I use red for high-priority tasks. If a task doesn't get done within the week, it moves to the next week's list or back to my project notebook, which is a separate notebook.

The project notebook tracks the tasks and milestones each project needs before it's complete. The pocket notebook is the one I carry all the time, so it always tells me what I need to do this week.

7. Number the pages and break in the spine

Next, I number the pages, for a couple of reasons.

A new notebook wants to stay closed. So as I number each page, I also press it flat.

That teaches the spine to be a little more flexible. At the middle of the notebook, I fold it all the way back so it opens completely flat.

After that, every page stays a little flatter, which I prefer when the notebook is open on my desk.

The other reason is that I know I won't number the pages later. I sometimes fall behind, so it's nice to get it out of the way.

8. Close out the old notebook

When I finish a notebook, I write the end date in it. My last one took about three weeks, which is a little longer than usual, and that's totally okay.

Then I read back through the entries. Anything important moves to a more permanent notebook, and any open tasks move to my project notebook or to the new pocket notebook.

Finally, the old notebook gets a number on the front and a label on the back, and it goes into my archive box. I print the labels with a label maker, so the dates show in order when I lay the notebooks side by side.

When to start a new one

I typically start a new notebook at the beginning of the week, so I start the week fresh. A notebook usually lasts me about two weeks when I'm writing a normal amount.

Tasks are one of my main uses for these pocket notebooks, along with general journaling and reflection that keeps me grounded. Everything gets recorded because the notebook comes with me everywhere.

Verdict: set it up in one sitting at the start of a week. Numbering the pages and flattening the spine up front is the step that pays back every day after.

The gear worth a look

Field Notes: the thin pocket notebooks I set up this way, one every two weeks or so.

Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you set up first in a new pocket notebook?

I start by writing my name and the start date in the new pocket notebook. Then I draw a mini calendar at the front with the important dates coming up.

Why number the pages of a pocket notebook?

I number the pages of a new pocket notebook up front because I know I won't do it later, and pressing each page flat as I number it breaks in the spine.

How do you make a new notebook lie flat?

As I number each page of a new notebook, I press it flat, and at the middle I fold the notebook all the way back. This teaches the spine to be more flexible, so the pages stay flatter.

How long does a pocket notebook last?

A thin pocket notebook like a Field Notes usually lasts me about two weeks when I'm writing a normal amount. My last one took about three weeks, which is a little longer than usual.