Rocketbook

There’s just something about organization that makes me happy. Maybe it’s the idea that things in life are in order or maybe it’s the visual appeal of less clutter, but that feeling is unmatched. I’ll be honest, organization comes in waves for me, but this one tool has become a constant in my life over the past year which is why I am sharing it as this week’s LoveList pick. 

Last year, my sister sent me a gift out of the blue. Before it arrived she called and said “I sent you a gift. You’re probably not going to know what it is when you open it, so call me and I’ll explain everything.” My sister always says that her favorite types of gifts to give are the ones that someone doesn’t know they want and this definitely was one of those. 

A couple days passed and finally, the box arrived… the anticipation was over. I cut open the box to find a couple notebooks, a pen and what looked like a microfiber cloth. Don’t get me wrong, I was the kid that counted down the days until school supply shopping, so this was exciting, but it wasn’t anything novel. So I picked up the phone and called Lindsay to see what the deal was and she explained what my new notebook could do. 

This notebook is called a Rocketbook. Basically, you can write in it like you would any other notebook with special pens. Think notes in meetings, sketches, doing quick math – the list goes on. The real magic is what comes next- take out your phone with the rocketbook app and “scan” the page (basically take a picture). When you do this, it basically sends this page to the location you specify on the bottom of the notebook page – it can save it to a google drive, OneNote, email, text… you name it, it probably can do it. 

This is great for sharing notes with your coworkers or just staying organized without having to keep a jilliion project notebooks (or personal vs. work notebooks) straight. I’ve found because I don’t need my computer in meetings to take notes, I am more focused on the task at hand. I also like it for sketching since it takes so much longer to do that on a computer. Then, when you’re done, you can erase everything and use the notebook over and over with just water and the microfiber cloth. Typically, I fill the whole thing in a couple weeks and then take my scans to categorize before erasing the whole thing to start over (rather than doing it one by one). 

My favorite thing came a couple months later when they came out with a planner! I really like a paper planner to see everything laid out right in front of me. I definitely use digital calendars too, but there’s something about being able to scribble to-do lists, reminders and appointments in the margins of a real calendar. In the past, I have bought expensive paper planners, but I am always so torn at the end of the year. Do I really just throw it away? If I don’t, it takes up space on my bookshelf. Am I the only one that gets upset about this? 

Now, I have the planner that has 3 full month views, a 2 week more detailed view and 7 days worth of daily pages that allow for even more detailed plans. It also has a section about goal setting with really great prompts, helping you break down how you will reach your goals. I love the freedom of being able to erase anytime I want and being able to use it for years to come. 

It’s also worth mentioning – when I say “special pens” they just have to be the Pilot Frixion erasable pens (that work on normal paper too!). They have all different colors and kinds of these – markers, retractable, fine point. You’re definitely not limited by these.

I bought mine on amazon, but they have a really great website that explains how it works and what they are doing next (i.e. whiteboard stickers to be able to do the same with whiteboards!!) I really can’t speak highly enough about how this has changed my workflow and hope you give it a shot! Maybe next year, instead of buying your 2021 calendar and project notebooks, you can start off the year with an easier and more green solution. 

Check it out here!