Do you have a long list of saved articles and screenshots filled with interesting things you want to do?

Me too.

This summer, I’ve been talking a lot about identifying the things you most enjoy doing, and then actually making time to do them. For me, that looked like riding my bike and watching fireflies with my daughter.

Specifically, I recommended making a list of 10 whimsical things you want to do before the end of summer.

Whether you made a list or not, I wanted to check in and see: are you making time for what you most enjoy doing?

I know how easy it is to read something I like, think “oh, that sounds like a good idea, I want to do that,” and then move on and never do it.

It’s the cheapest possible version of intention.

When you save things onto your phone or computer, they usually just enter the technology abyss. If you have thirty screenshots and you’ve added all these bookmarks, but you haven’t actually done anything with them, you’re still just planning. These things that inspired you are somewhere on your phone, but they are out of sight.

It happens to me all the time.

There is a type of person that I want to be, and I have these things that I want to do, but I get into a loop of not doing them. I check social media fifty times a day instead of reading the books I want to read. I can get into a cycle of being distracted and coasting through my day.

So, I pulled out my pocket notebook to break this cycle.

In July, I wrote about 28 whimsical things you could do this summer. I picked 10 and wrote them in my pocket notebook.

This took my good intentions from the technology abyss and put them on the page.

I made this list with the goal of completing all 10 by the end of summer (September 21st).

I have completed 6 out of 10 so far. This list led to us making homemade ice cream with our new KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment, and I put some flowers from my wife’s garden on my desk. These things added a little joy to my days, and that is incredibly valuable to me.

I still have a few weeks to complete the other 4. The sunrise swim will require a little planning, so I need to begin thinking about that now.

In the past, this list wouldn’t exist, and I would have a mountain of good intentions saved on my phone. I don’t want to be a person who only has good intentions. I want to see the things that bring me joy and make sure I do them.

What about you? What is something you have been intending to do, but haven’t yet?

-Mark

I haven’t always been consistent at using a pocket notebook.

I opened my first notebook in 2009, but it didn’t become a daily habit until 2018.

I have been asked by a few people how to be more consistent in their pocket notebook use, so I wrote this to help anyone who wants to establish a daily habit of putting pen to paper.

Like any positive habit, using a pocket notebook every day takes dedication. It’s not something that will happen automatically for you. You have to go out of your way to make it happen.

Since 2018, a few things have helped me stay consistent with my pocket notebook:

Make it useful and interesting to you

The first thing you need to do is put some things at the front of the notebook that make it useful and interesting to you. Make the notebook feel like yours from the start.

Here are a few ways to do this:

• Write a to-do list (and complete one task each day)

• Write or glue a poem into the notebook

• Write a handful of quotes you love

• Write down your meal plan for the week

In a recent notebook, I took an illustration from a book and glued it into my notebook. Every time I opened it, it would go to that page because it was a little thicker. And it just brought me a little joy.

The reason you stock it ahead of time is so you can look through it during the day.

After I’ve set mine up, if I have a down moment, I can look up the quotes I found interesting. I can read the poem I put in there. Or I can look through the tasks I need to do so I’m staying on task. The more relevant information you put into it, the more you’ll want to just flip through it and make sure you have it with you all the time.

Start small

When trying to build a consistent pocket notebook habit, set the bar low.

On the first day, just write the date, weather, sunrise & sunset times, and the current moon phase.

On the second day, write down 1 thing you’re grateful for, and a short quote. See the bottom of this article for a full 7-day plan.

When starting, the goal isn’t to fill a whole page. The goal is to put pen to paper every day. Once the habit forms, you can do a whole page every day.

Also, it’s okay to miss a day. I miss a day still, even though I’ve been doing this for years. If I miss a day, I just go back, write down what I did that day, and move on.

Write down why you want to use a pocket notebook

If you’re trying to use a pocket notebook more, but aren’t using it consistently, try writing down why you want to use one.

Here are my reasons:

• I want to use my phone less

• I want a log of my life

• I want to be sure I spend my time well

• I want to accomplish the things on my to-do list

Knowing those things is what helps me continue every day. Otherwise I might get sucked into using my phone too much, or I might not get done the things I want to get done, because I don’t have this anchor and orientation that the pocket notebook presents for me.

I highly recommend getting out your pocket notebook and writing down why you want to use one.

Set up a reminders page

One of my favorite pages in my pocket notebook is the “reminders page.”

On this page, I write down things that I want to remember. These are typically reminders to myself about the person I want to be, or they are reminders of things my wife told me that I want I want to be mindful of in our relationship.

Right now, I have reminders that my wife has a very busy 2 weeks of work, so I want to be as proactive as possible at home to take the load off of her. I also have a reminder to try to pick up my pocket notebook more than my phone each day.

The page is meant to orient you to who you want to be.

With each new notebook, I’ll rewrite this page with the reminders that are still relevant, and start to add new ones.

If you desire to be a person that uses a pocket notebook every day, write it down here, and review it each day.

Have standard rhythms

It’s helpful to have rhythms for when you fill in your notebook.

I have 2 anchors that get me started on the right track each day.

First thing in the morning, I write down the labels for the weather and the moon phase, but I don’t fill that information in because I don’t use my phone yet. Then I write down what I’m grateful for. I make a space for the quote, again because I don’t want to use my phone yet. Then I write down the tasks I need to do that day.

Then, after I drop my children off at school, I open my notebook, grab my phone, and fill in the information I need to get online. (I’m currently trying to think of ways to get my weather info without using a phone or computer).

Now, the bones of my notebook are filled in for the day, and I add to it throughout the day. Without the rhythm of writing in my notebook in the morning and after drop-off, it would be easy for me to skip a lot of days.

Carry your pocket notebook with you everywhere

The beauty of the pocket notebook is that you can easily take it everywhere with you. It fits in a pocket, it fits in a bag, it’s easy to grab. That’s the whole benefit of using a small notebook.

When I leave the house, I put it in my pocket. When I’m at home, it’s either on the desk next to me or on the kitchen table. It’s always nearby.

I don’t use a cover because I like how the notebook wears in. If I used a cover, it would keep it too pristine for my liking. I like seeing the wear and tear as I use the notebook for a few weeks. So I just put it straight into my pocket.

It’s worth the effort

I’m 8 years into using a daily pocket notebook, and it has a hugely positive effect on my life. It’s worth the effort to make it part of your life, too.

If there’s anything specific holding you back from using one every day, let me know what it is. I’d love to brainstorm some ideas with you.

The 7-Day Pocket Notebook Checklist

To help you get started with a pocket notebook habit, I created a free 7-day checklist. In just a few minutes per day, you will ramp up to writing all 10 elements of The Day Page. It’s made to be printed and added to your notebook for easy reference.

Become a subscriber, and I will email it over to you.

Subscribe now

-Mark

P.S. The checklist is the final page of The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide, which is a complete guide to help you set up a pocket notebook you’ll use every day. Become a paid subscriber today, and you’ll get instant access to the guide as well as a new download every month to help you live a deliberate life. Become a paid subscriber here.

One of the best things you can do in your life is get off of screens and use your hands to create, write, or think.

I have a specific set of tools that help me do that. Over the years, these tools have stood the test of time and are a regular part of my creative rhythms.

I have been asked many times about the gear and tools I use, so I wanted to put them all in one place for you to reference.

These tools help me to live a more thoughtful and creative life; I hope they do the same for you.

Notebooks

Field Notes Brand Pocket Notebooks - My favorite pocket notebook. They are durable. They have fun designs. They have treated me well for many years.

LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Softcover B6 - The lined version of this slightly smaller notebook is my favorite journal/diary. I really love the size and the feel.

MOO Hardcover Notebook - This is what I’m currently using for my diary. I like that it looks like a vintage hardcover book.

Pens

Kaweco CLASSIC SPORT Rollerball - My favorite overall pen. The only drawback is that I don’t carry it in my pocket very often because it doesn’t come with a clip. You can buy a separate clip, but it doesn’t stay on very well.

Refyne EP1 Brass - My everyday carry pen. It’s short and has a good clip. Plus, the bolt action mechanism is fun to fidget with.

Tactile Turn Bolt Action Pen - The most beautiful pen I own. It’s a little large and heavy, but they have slimmer varieties now.

Pilot Precise v5 - My favorite pen that you can get from any store nearby. Great ink. I also use this one as an everyday carry pen.

Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Pen - This pen is a great way to add a little artistic flair to your notebooks. The inside of your notebook will look prettier just by using this.

Pentel Presto Jumbo Correction Pen - I pretty much only use pens, so sometimes white out is necessary. This one is my favorite. I learned about these from Van Neistat.

Clips, printers, and creative supplies

Esterbrook Eclipse Clips - I’m asked about these more than any other tool I use. These clips have a great vintage look and are incredibly strong. Highly recommend. (If these are sold out on the Esterbrook site, you can get them online at other stationery stores.)

Canon Ivy 2 Mini Printer - This little printer is great for putting pictures in your pocket notebook. The prints are 3x2 inches and have a sticky backing so you can stick them right into your notebook.

UHU Glue Stic - This is my favorite glue stick. Great for gluing things to your notebook that you print out. I learned about these from Austin Kleon.

Swiss Champ Swiss Army Knife - This is my favorite multi-tool. I love the Swiss Army knife look, and I love this one in particular because it has scissors. This is great to have on hand when out and about or traveling.

Cutting Mat - These are a must-have if you’re doing any crafty work on a desk or table.

DIY Stamp - You can use this to make your own custom stamp. I use mine to make my own return labels, but I plan to get more to make more fun stamps.

What are some of your favorite tools? Let me know in the comments.

-Mark

Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I actually use and carry.

One of my favorite rituals is picking out my next pocket notebook to use.

Whenever I finish a notebook, I go upstairs, open up a drawer with unused notebooks, and enter the ritual of selecting my next notebook.

One thing I love about the Field Notes Brand pocket notebook is that there is such a wide variety of designs. This means I can pick my next notebook based on the season and feel a deeper connection to the world. In summer, I find myself grabbing notebooks that have lighter colors, and in winter I reach for darker colors.

Sometimes I also pick based on whether my previous notebook was lined or not. I don’t prefer to do back-to-back lined notebooks; I feel a little cramped.

Making the pick is a genuine pleasure.

This leads to the topic of what to do when you finish a pocket notebook, and what gets transferred as you finish a notebook and start a new one.

Whether it’s a feature or a bug of pocket notebooks, the reality is that if you use my Day Page system, you will likely go through a notebook every 4-6 weeks. So it’s important to have a routine for moving from one notebook to the next.

Let’s dive into what you should do when you finish a pocket notebook.

The Monday Rule

I always start a new notebook on Monday. If I am near the end of a notebook, I make sure I have enough pages to get through the week. If I don’t, then I go ahead and wrap up that notebook and move on to the next one. I do this simply because I don’t like it when a notebook runs out mid-week.

Before you move on, review the index

Go to the front of your notebook and find your index/table of contents page. Now, flip through each page and make sure everything you want to have indexed has been written down on your index page. Do this so that if you are looking for something in the future, you will be able to find it easily without going through every page of dozens of notebooks. In my index, I write down things like project brainstorming, lists, mind maps, and trip logs.

Pick your next notebook

Whether or not you have a full ritual as I do for picking your next notebook, now is the time to select which one you’ll use next.

Got one? Good. Let’s thread the old and the new together.

What to transfer between notebooks

Unfinished tasks

Any unfinished tasks in your to-do list should be transferred to your new notebook.

This has two benefits:

One, don’t forget any tasks you need to do.

Two, you are incentivized to complete your tasks so that you don’t have to keep writing them down in every new notebook. When I transferred my to-do list this week, I was reminded that I need to schedule our dog’s annual visit at the vet. I have been meaning to do that for a month now; it’s time to get it done.

Quotes

If you are using a quotes page at the beginning of your notebook, it’s a great idea to flip through your most recent notebook to see if there are any quotes that you’d like to bring over to your new notebook. This gives you a head start on filling out your quotes page, and it also gives you a chance to give more thought to the quotes that resonate deeply with you. I moved this quote over to my new notebook this week:

What to transfer outside the notebook

Calendar

Review any dates or plans in your past notebook that you’d like to move to your new notebook, or to your main print or digital calendar.

When I make plans when I’m out of the house, I like to write the date in my notebook so that I don’t have to pull my phone out too much. So, this is an important step to ensure I’m not forgetting to put plans in the digital calendar I share with my wife.

Ideas

I write a list of ideas down in my pocket notebook as they come to me, but I transfer them to a document in Notion when I’m done with that notebook. This way, I have a master list of ideas to pull from when I am deciding what to write about.

What happens to the finished notebook

When I finish a notebook, I put it in an archive box from Field Notes that sits on my desk. This is because I still reference my most recent notebooks more often, so I want them nearby and organized.

I now have more used pocket notebooks than will fit in the box, so I keep the rest in the drawer upstairs with the unused notebooks.

Here is my very unoptimized drawer:

The system is a work in progress. I’m currently on the lookout for a storage solution where I can keep all my notebooks in one place, or at least in the same room.

On to the next notebook

Now, you’re ready to start your next pocket notebook. Here is my recommended setup. A notebook full of blank pages is ready for you to fill it with your thoughts, actions, and observations. An adventure awaits.

-Mark

P.S. For a deep dive into how to get started with using a pocket notebook, check out The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide. Become a paid subscriber, and you’ll get instant access.

Become a paid subscriber

The most unique book I've read about creativity is about a knight fighting a hydra.

That book is How to Fight a Hydra by Josh Kaufman. It’s about the creative life, told as a fantasy tale about a knight fighting a dragon-like beast with multiple heads.

Kaufman could have just told us to create consistently and overcome obstacles. We all know that. But we often don’t do it. Stories and myths have the power to change us, and I think they do it better than instruction does, because a story shows us what can be done instead of telling us what to do. It shows us what it looks like to prepare for a challenge. Stories show us that there are monsters, and you can overcome them if you train and stay persistent.

And it matters that the monster is a hydra and not a dragon. A hydra grows two heads back for every one you cut off. That is exactly what creative work is like. You solve one problem, and two more appear. You finish the post, and the blank page is back in the morning.

Like Steven Pressfield in The War of Art, Kaufman sees the creative life as a battle won through showing up.

These are the lessons I keep coming back to:

Sometimes the riskiest action is to do nothing.

For the first four or five months of 2025, I was coasting. I was too comfortable at my job and too comfortable in most of the rest of my life, doing the bare minimum whenever I could get away with it.

Nothing was wrong. That was the problem. I wasn’t proud of how I was spending my days.

Then one day in May, I decided I was going to write consistently and share it online. I decided I would do it for the practice and the enjoyment of it, not for the results. I needed to take action and live with purpose.

Show up and do the work, even when you’re not feeling it.

When I launched the paid tier of my Substack, I was overwhelmed by everything that had to happen before I could launch it. It was more work than I was used to, on top of parenting and a day job.

I sat down and got it done in time. It wasn’t perfect. It doesn’t have to always be perfect. Do the work, then share it with others. That’s better than it being perfect.

You don’t control the outcome of your creative work.

I wrote a post about how a pocket notebook can improve part of your life. I thought it would do well. It was specific, written for a specific person, which is usually the kind of thing that lands.

It didn’t do very well.

And that’s fine. I’m not in control of the outcome. I’m only in control of the work I put in. So I’ll keep showing up, keep writing, keep learning. I’ll focus on what I control, which is paying attention to my own life and writing about it.

If you take action, you’re already winning.

For twelve years I tried to write consistently. Every time, I got a month or two in and quit.

Nothing in particular ever made me stop. There was no failure, no rejection, no disaster. I was too focused on outcomes; I put too much pressure on it, I got discouraged, and I decided the challenges in my own head were more than I wanted to work to overcome. Years went by where I wanted to be more creative and simply wasn’t.

The hydra was never out there. It was in my own mind, and it beat me before I ever faced it. I’ve now been writing for 15 months straight, and it’s the biggest creative win I’ve ever had.

The world needs you.

An unanticipated reward of writing consistently has been the kind things people have said after they started carrying a notebook because of something I wrote.

People have told me it helped them pay more attention to their life. That it helped them slow down. That they finally started a pocket notebook and stuck with it. One person told me it was an encouragement to them during a difficult stretch, and that it helped them stay grounded.

It reminds me that everyone has something they can share that can impact other people.

If you’re reading this, you have something worth sharing, and if you share it, it will be an encouragement to someone else. The world needs you to create and share your ideas and share what has helped you.

I’m still in the fight

The creative battle never stops. Every day is an opportunity to overcome the voice in your head that doesn’t want to do it. I'm learning to listen to the voice that wants to be creative.

Right now my hydra has two heads. The first is wondering whether I can keep coming up with ideas that people will actually want. The second is figuring out how to manage everything now that the Substack is growing. I’m a parent. I have a day job. I have a paid tier now, and the Analog Card Club. Staying consistent without overdoing it and burning out is something I’m navigating.

The heads grow back. That’s the point of the hydra.

So if you feel the call to create, do it. Commit to it. Don’t worry about the outcome. Create consistently and see what happens.

Answer the call to adventure.

-Mark

Can a pocket notebook help you be a better spouse/partner?

My wife and I are celebrating 9 years of marriage today, which has me thinking: has my pocket notebook habit improved our marriage?

Pocket notebooks have actually been a key part of our marriage. I wrote my wedding vows in a Field Notes notebook.

Then, for our 1st anniversary, my wife helped kick off my daily pocket notebook habit by giving me a few sets of Field Notes.

But those are the bigger moments. What about the day-to-day rhythms of marriage?

Marriage is about paying attention. My pocket notebook helps me do that.

I referenced this quote last week, but it’s too perfect not to use again: “Paying attention to things is how we show love.” (The Last of Us TV show)

Here’s how to use a pocket notebook to be a better spouse:

Remembering dates

If you write down the date in your notebook every day, you know what’s not going to slip your mind? The fact that it is your anniversary or your wife’s birthday, and you haven’t even written a card.

Side note: you should write your partner a card more often.

How to use it in your notebook: write down the date every day, remember important dates, write a card.

Being a better listener

When my wife tells me something that she needs help with or gives me feedback on something that I can do better, I write it down in my notebook. If I don’t write it down, I will probably forget it. Now that I am looking for things to write down, I am more of an active listener.

I also will go back and review what she told me in the past so that I can remember it and put the knowledge to use.

How to use it in your notebook: be an active listener, write down what you need to remember or take action on in the future.

Looking back

My pocket notebooks are now not only a log of my life, but of my wife's and my’s relationship. It’s fun that I can look back at old notebooks and get little tidbits of what our relationship was like back then. Here is a page from 2015 (!) when I was brainstorming what to do for our first Valentine’s Day together (it says non-Valentine’s date because I was trying to think of unique ideas).

How to use it in your notebook: brainstorm date ideas in your notebook. The dates will be more thoughtful, and you’ll have something fun to look back on in a few years.

Following through

When I tell my wife that I will do something, I like to write it down in my notebook so I will do it promptly (still working on the prompt part). Currently on my to-do list: call the vet to schedule the yearly check-up for our dog.

How to use it in your notebook: write down what you tell your partner you’ll do, then consistently check them off.

Noticing

Using a pocket notebook makes you a more aware person. I am always on the lookout for things to notice, and that includes what my wife or family may want or need. I used to be so consumed by my cell phone that I would miss so many things. My wife is really good at noticing things, especially when it comes to our family. The better I can get at noticing when our children need something, the more supported my wife will feel.

How to use it in your notebook: pay attention, write down what you notice, be proactive.

My pocket notebook helps me remember, listen, and follow through in our marriage. I talk about giving your life the attention it deserves; remember to also give your relationships the attention they deserve.

Do you use a notebook in your relationships? Let me know in the comments.

-Mark

What does a good day look like to you? This is what mine looks like:

• Being present with my family

• Using my phone minimally

• Noticing the little things

• Reading a book

• Writing in my notebook

• Spending time outside

It’s not complicated, but it’s easy to let it slip away.

Good days do not happen on their own. Making one takes deliberate effort, day after day. Without effort, the day will drift.

I write down 10 things in my pocket notebook every day because it’s the best ritual I have found that helps me find the good in each day and prioritize what matters to me the most. Writing down things like what I’m grateful for, what I notice, and the best part of my day focuses my attention more than anything else.

There is much I don’t control, but I want to focus on what I do control to stack good days. I get to choose to notice birds and flowers on my walk. I get to choose to put my phone down.

I don’t have a glamorous life, and I don’t want one. I want a life that embraces the joy of everyday life. I want a life that looks like this:

We make life wonderful by the attention that we give it.

That’s why I write this newsletter, so we can learn to stack these good days together.

The paid tier is where I put tools for doing this on purpose. Every month I’ll create a resource for you to live a more intentional life and make the most of your days. Every day I’ll send a quote to keep you noticing. You’ll also get instant access to The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide.

We already have a community of people in The Pocket Notebook chat connecting and choosing to live with intention. After you become a paid subscriber, come introduce yourself!

Today is the final day to join the paid tier and receive a handwritten print mailed to you. Plus, you’ll get 20% off the annual paid tier plan. Sign up by 11:59 PM tonight.

Join now

-Mark

There are 3 reasons people want to use a pocket notebook but don’t:

1. They don’t know what to write in it

2. They don’t know how to set it up so it’s useful

3. They start, but don’t maintain the habit

These problems used to be an issue for me, too. I liked the idea of using a pocket notebook regularly, but I didn’t know what to write in it or how to make it useful. I had a collection of notebooks around my house, unused.

Now, I’ve had a daily notebook habit for 8 years, and it’s my most useful tool. It helps me make the most of each day and do what I say that I’ll do. So, I made a guide to solve all 3 of those problems: The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide.

The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide

This guide dives into why to use a pocket notebook, how to set it up, and what to write in it.

It also includes a 7-day checklist to help you build a pocket notebook habit by writing in it for just a few minutes each day. The checklist is designed to be printed and placed in your pocket notebook for quick reference.

The great thing about using a pocket notebook is that it’s not a 30-minute journaling commitment. It’s 10 minutes a day, and it will help you find more joy and follow through on what matters.

The guide comes in two formats: one is for digital viewing, the other is for printing if you prefer a physical copy.

The guide is instantly available to paid subscribers. Become a paid subscriber, and you’ll receive The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide, as well as these benefits:

• Exclusive Posts - Posts only available to paid subscribers

• A Monthly Download - a new resource each month to help you put knowledge into action

• The Member Vault - a library of tools and resources to help you live with intention. Everything I’ve made, all in one place.

• The Pocket Notebook Chat - A daily quote to write in your notebook and weekly prompts to help you pay attention to your life. Plus, connect with The Pocket Notebook community.

• Future access to group challenges, book clubs, and more

Become a paid subscriber

Launch week bonuses

I launched my paid tier this week, and so I’m offering a few bonuses if you sign up before the end of the day on August 10th:

• A 5.5” × 8.5” print in my own handwriting, with a quote on each side, mailed to you to sit on your desk or wall as a small reminder that every day is worth noticing.

• 20% discount off the annual plan

You must join by 11:59 PM on August 10th to receive these bonuses.

I’m excited to get The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide into the world and see how it helps you use a pocket notebook to be more intentional and grounded.

Get The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide

-Mark

I’ve wasted too many days.

Too many times in my life I have caught myself sitting on the couch after 9 PM, scrolling on my phone and wondering, “Why did I spend so much time on this today?”

My days were slipping away. That’s why I decided to make a change.

The next day I picked up my pocket notebook and decided to use it as a tool to foster the kind of life I wanted, one day at a time. I found a way to direct my attention away from screens and toward the real world.

Notebooks only work if you know what to put in them. After years of experimenting, I now have a system that helps me pay more attention to my life, do what I said I would do, and reduce my screen time.

I’ve been writing about that for a year, and now I’m ready to go deeper.

The Pocket Notebook Paid Tier

I’m launching a paid tier. A space to provide the resources to help you pay more attention and live with intention.

What you’ll get out of it

• Look up from your phone and notice your life

• Find the joy in ordinary days

• Create more good days, not just a record of them

• Strategies and ideas for using a pocket notebook every day

What’s included with the paid tier

• Exclusive Posts - Posts only available to paid subscribers

• A Monthly Download - a new resource each month to help you put knowledge into action

• The Member Vault - a library of tools and resources to help you live with intention. Everything I’ve made, all in one place.

• The Pocket Notebook Chat - A daily quote to write in your notebook and weekly prompts to help you pay attention to your life. Plus, connect with The Pocket Notebook community.

• Future access to group challenges, book clubs, and more

Ready to join? Click here.

Founding Tier

For those who would like to go even deeper and support my work, check out the founding tier, which includes:

• Everything in the paid tier

• A handwritten note from me

• A Field Notes Brand pocket notebook from my personal collection

Join today, and you get this immediately

Join today, and you will immediately receive your first Monthly Download: The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide - a guide with everything you need to know to get started and sustain a pocket notebook habit. There will be a digital version and a printable version so you can print yours out like this:

Get The Pocket Notebook Starter Guide

Launch week bonuses

Join as a paid subscriber this week, and you will receive:

• A 5.5" × 8.5" print in my own handwriting, with a quote on each side, mailed to you to sit on your desk or wall as a small reminder that every day is worth noticing.

• 20% discount off the annual plan

You must join by 11:59 PM on August 10th to receive these bonuses.

Is this for you?

The paid tier is for you if you’re tired of your days slipping by and you want to live more intentionally. You’ll be given tools and strategies to help you step back from a life dominated by screens and embrace more analog living. If you want to live with purpose every day, this is for you.

I believe that every day is the most important day. I want to do everything I can to notice it and find joy in it. I built the paid tier so that you can do the same. I’d love to have you join me. It’s not just more content; it’s a community of people choosing to pay deep attention to their life. Join us.

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-Mark

P.S. Remember to sign up by August 10th to receive the print in the mail and the annual plan discount.

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Can a little notebook change your life?

It has for me.

I used my first pocket notebook in 2009 when I was 17 years old.

I started using one consistently in 2014.

Since 2018, I have been writing in one daily.

It’s the only journaling habit I have ever been able to keep consistently. It’s the perfect combination of beneficial, easy, and portable.

Here’s why I use mine:

It is a record of my life

Since 2018, I've been writing down what I’ve done every single day. I love that there’s a record of my life somewhere. When I look back at my old notebooks, I instantly have context for my notes and ideas. I’m hoping that it’s something my kids will be interested in one day as well.

It helps me get things done

Digital to-do lists never work for me. My tasks get lost in the app or lead to me getting distracted. Having an analog to-do list actually helps me to get things done because it’s distraction-free. I also transfer my to-do list over when I start a new notebook, so there’s an accountability to keep checking things off the list so that I don’t have to keep writing them down over and over.

It helps my memory

I don’t have the best memory. Having somewhere to write down my ideas and what my wife said to me is incredibly important to me. I don’t want to miss these things. If I write it down, I don’t forget it.

It makes me more creative

My pocket notebook is crucial to this newsletter becoming a reality twice a week. I write down ideas, I brainstorm, I draw mind maps. Having a place to think through ideas without the distraction of a screen is a must for me.

My notebook also makes me more creative in the simplest sense of the word. I draw, I get out scissors and glue and add quotes, poems, pictures, and more. All of us need to create with our hands, and my notebook is the first place I do it.

It decreases my screen time

A pocket notebook helps reduce how much I look at my phone. Like many of you, I have a screen time problem. I use my phone and laptop too much. When I’m on screens a lot, I’m scattered and constantly grabbing for my phone to check it again. The notebook breaks the loop for me and gets me back to the slower, more present way of living that I love.

It makes me feel grounded

There’s a lot in life that I don’t control. But one thing I do control is the ability to sit down each day and write in my pocket notebook. It’s simple, it’s quick, it makes me feel grounded. Using pen and paper helps me slow down.

It connects me to the natural world

I write down the weather, sunrise/sunset times, and the phase of the moon every day. We spend so much time indoors, surrounded by screens and in air-conditioned rooms; it’s easy to let the natural world fly by us without a thought. But connection to nature is so important to us as humans, and writing down these things helps me be more aware of the rhythms of nature.

It helps me be a better husband

I use my notebook to write down tasks I tell my wife I will do and important things my wife tells me about herself that I want to remember. I have so much growing to do as a husband, but this moves me in the right direction.

As Frank said in The Last of Us TV show, “Paying attention to things is how we show love.”

It helps me notice more

My pocket notebook helps me notice so much more about the world. Every day I write down something I noticed, and the result of that is that I am always on the lookout for things to see. This morning, within 5 minutes of waking up, I stepped outside and saw the pink colors of the sunrise, the moon, and a gardenia bloom.

It inspires me

Every notebook I use has poems and quotes in it that I can refer to throughout the day. These quotes help me to remember the kind of person I want to be and inspire me to live well. I need these reminders daily: “The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” (Eden Phillpotts).

It helps me make the most of every day

The biggest benefit of using my pocket notebook is that it helps me make the most of every day. I think about this line from Mary Oliver constantly: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

My notebook helps me live with attention and intentionality every day. I know that if I’m proud of how I spend my time each day, I’ll be proud of the life I lived. To me, there’s nothing more important than that.

Let me know in the comments why you use a pocket notebook (or why you need to start).

-Mark

There’s an enchanted landscape right outside your window.

That’s what J.R.R. Tolkien teaches us in The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien constantly reminds us to pay attention to the world around us. He is known for his long descriptions of the landscape of Middle-earth, which not only help us picture that world in our imagination but also help us see our own world with greater clarity.

One of the purposes of fantasy, according to Tolkien, is a “regaining of a clear view…We need, in any case, to clear our windows; so that the things seen clearly may be freed from the drab blur of triteness or familiarity.”

Noticing the detail Tolkien writes with can help you to see the details outside your home.

Take a moment to read this passage from The Fellowship of the Ring slowly:

Frodo ran to the eastern window, and found himself looking into a kitchen-garden grey with dew. He had half expected to see turf right up to the walls, turf all pocked with hoof-prints. Actually his view was screened by a tall line of beans on poles; but above and far beyond them the grey top of the hill loomed up against the sunrise. It was a pale morning: in the East, behind long clouds like lines of soiled wool stained red at the edges, lay glimmering deeps of yellow. The sky spoke of rain to come; but the light was broadening quickly, and the red flowers on the beans began to glow against the wet green leaves.

Pippin looked out of the western window, down into a pool of mist. The Forest was hidden under a fog. It was like looking down on to a sloping cloud-roof from above. There was a fold or channel where the mist was broken into many plumes and billows: the valley of the Withywindle. The stream ran down the hill on the left and vanished into the white shadows. Near at hand was a flower-garden and a clipped hedge silver-netted, and beyond that grey shaven grass pale with dew-drops.

The amount of detail that Tolkien captures here is astonishing. The way he describes the setting makes it sound like a magical landscape filled with wonder. But here’s the great part: it’s just the world outside someone’s house. Nothing he describes here is exceptionally grand, but he makes it grand with the attention he gives it.

That’s the same opportunity you have every day. The world outside your house is amazing, if you notice it.

Look outside your window; what do you see?

Can you describe what you see in Tolkien’s style? Here is my attempt:

I see a world that is alive. The wind is howling, the leaves are rustling. The grass is reaching for the sky. Light reflects off the leaves like a still pond. The view is screened by a row of trees elbowing for more room. Near at hand, the garden is bursting with pink, orange, and green. Beyond is the blue-grey sky.

Bonus points if you go outside and write in your pocket notebook.

There is so much for us to see and marvel at if we do the slow work of looking. As Mary Oliver says, “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”

-Mark

Do you ever avoid doing something you know you'll enjoy because it's a little inconvenient?

Yesterday I rode my bike to the post office. Within moments of getting on my bike, I had a big smile on my face, and I wondered to myself why I don’t do this more.

I haven’t ridden my bike in a while. It’s hot in Nashville, and so I opt for the car when I need to go somewhere. But yesterday I wanted to add some fun to my day, so I pulled my bike out. It had cobwebs on it.

It was hot on the ride. I arrived at the post office and was covered in sweat. I’m sure I looked a little wild compared to the people who walked in from their air-conditioned vehicles.

I was sweaty, but that bike ride was the best part of my day. I love the feeling of going downhill on two wheels or nailing a tight turn.

That moment earned its place in my notebook for the day:

Then, I cooled off in a few minutes. Being sweaty isn’t a big deal, and the bike ride was worth it.

Now I’m a little sad that I have been avoiding my bike for the past couple of months because I didn’t want to be uncomfortable briefly.

There is a temptation every day to follow the path of least resistance, but that path rarely includes what you most enjoy.

We have to pay attention to what makes us smile, and then do more of it. Intentionality like this is the difference between drifting through life and creating a life you love.

That’s the great thing about keeping a pocket notebook. It’s a physical reminder to do everything you can to have a good day today. Do what you enjoy, then write it down.

-Mark

P.S. Join a community of people who are striving to make the most of every day (and use a pocket notebook). Subscribe here:

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The other day I was looking through my past pocket notebooks, and I kept coming across unique pages that made my notebooks not only fun to look back on, but also a picture of who I am.

Your notebook should be a representation of you. Your interests, your focuses, your struggles. It should show what you notice and what brings you joy. Your pocket notebook should be unique to you.

Adding some silliness and texture to your notebook is a great way to be more creative and add some whimsy to your day. All you need is a pocket of time to slow down.

Here are 7 ways to have fun with your notebook:

Borders

This is a super simple way to add some fun to the daily page in your notebook. Either draw a box on the edges of your pages, or get a little fancy and draw a frame with stars or swirls on the outside.

Embrace the season

I love how a pocket notebook can help me embrace the seasons of the year. Since I’m carrying it with me, I am constantly reminded to live with the rhythms of the calendar. For a past Christmas, I glued in this scene from Elf (my favorite Christmas movie).

Book passages and illustrations

Either write out or print/glue a favorite book passage into your notebook. It shows what you enjoyed on that day, and it gives you something to read in idle moments instead of scrolling.

You can also glue in illustrations from books. Just last week I added this illustration from Galahad and the Grail.

Draw

Draw in your notebook. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE GOOD. Give yourself the freedom to do it poorly, or copy a drawing. I can’t draw well, but I copied this drawing of Gandalf. Pick something you love, and draw it.

Use a brush pen

I found out about these from . A brush pen is a great way to make your notebook look unique without any illustration skills. My favorite part about these pens is that you are forced to slow down as you write. It’s like a combination of painting and writing.

Write in large font

This is another super simple one. Use an entire page to write a couple of words like PAY ATTENTION or EMBRACE THE ORDINARY. Ideally, it's a phrase that helps remind you to use your time well."

Add photos

Of course, the best way to make a notebook unique to you is to put photos from your life into your notebook. I use a Canon Ivy Mini, which prints small photos with a sticky back, so you stick them right onto the page.

As life becomes more online, we have to find ways to be more offline. One of the best things you can do in modern life is prioritize things that are tactile and add fun to your life. You get enough screens and enough work. Make time for things that you can hold in your hands and bring you joy.

Which of these will you try this week?

-Mark

It’s summer. Let’s have some fun.

In summer, everything around us is warm and alive. The trees are full of green leaves, gardens are bursting with flowers and vegetables, and lakes and oceans are ready for us to swim in.

Summer is the season of whimsy.

Being whimsical is about choosing how you live. It’s not about being silly; it’s about understanding that you have the ability and responsibility to embrace the joy of being alive.

Whimsy doesn’t take a lot of effort, but it does take some effort. You have to choose it.

Modern life is a little too comfortable.

We have so much technology at our fingertips that we are just comfortable enough and don’t try new things. Eventually the comfort of our screens turns to restlessness.

Whimsy is the antidote to restlessness.

One of the most whimsical things I have done lately is going to a Full Moon Pickin’ Party with my family. The Pickin’ Party is held in a huge field at a local park. There are bluegrass bands, food trucks, and a bunch of people having fun.

When I think about the Pickin’ Party, I’m reminded that life can be incredibly fun if we just take a small step to do something unique.

One of the best parts about being whimsical is it helps us celebrate normal days. It’s about finding the magic in ordinary life. You don’t need to travel to find joy. There are a ton of activities you can do around your neighborhood today that are whimsical.

Plus, you don’t have to do an activity to be whimsical. I have a watch that makes me feel whimsical every single day (yes, it’s a watch that tracks the phase of the moon).

Summer is the best time to embrace being more whimsical. So, I put together a list of ideas for you to infuse your life with whimsy.

1. Carry a pocket notebook with you (obviously)

2. Put fresh flowers on your desk

3. Make pour-over coffee

4. Wear a fun watch

5. Read a poem out loud

6. Go for a walk, count how many animals you see

7. Look up the birds in your area

8. Make homemade ice cream

9. Create a fun summer drink, give it a name

10. Ride a bike

11. Draw something outside (even if you can’t draw)

12. Use a film camera or old digital camera

13. Go to the farmers market, buy some fruit

14. Visit an independent bookstore

15. Carry a book with you everywhere

16. Create something with your hands

17. Plant some flowers

18. Write a letter

19. Turn your phone off and go somewhere without it

20. Have a picnic in a park

21. Go to a local outdoor concert

22. Swim in a lake or ocean at sunrise

23. Watch the sunset and note the exact time it drops

24. Send a postcard in the mail

25. Watch the lightning bugs light up at dusk

26. Make a fire during the next full moon (July 29th)

27. Invite friends over for a home-cooked meal and dessert

28. Leave a random gift on a friend’s doorstep

I also asked a few people on Notes what they do to feel whimsical, and here are some of my favorite ideas people shared:

• Adam puts on a hand-woven and embroidered poncho from Guatemala, which holds 22 years of memories!

• Stephen paints whimsical things

• Lorraine makes time every day to go see her baby goats

• Ember wears a shiny pair of silver Converse

• Mercy talks to animals

• Rachael listens to tavern music while cleaning

• Siné brings flowers from her garden inside in unconventional vases.

I made a checklist that you can fill in to help you remember to be whimsical. Print it out, pick 10 things from my list (or make your own). Download it here: The Summer Whimsy Checklist.

Or, write your list in a pocket notebook.

What would you add to the whimsy list?

Let’s get out there and have some fun this summer.

-Mark

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A pocket notebook won’t just record your good moments. It will give you more of them.

Life gives you plenty to be negative about. Often, life is hard, and there is no use pretending otherwise.

What you can do is actively focus on the good things that happen every day.

It's easier to dwell on the negative than to notice the positive, just as it's easier to pick up your phone than to put it down. When you’re in the day-to-day, if you are not intentional about paying attention to the good in your life, you will dwell on the negative.

A pocket notebook helps you focus on the good

One of my favorite things about a pocket notebook is that it helps me focus on the goodness of life.

A pocket notebook is a tactile thing that grounds you and centers you. It forces you to get away from the screens. It forces you to focus on what you love about your life.

That’s why every day I write down what I’m grateful for, what I noticed, and the best part of my day.

What I’m grateful for

I write down what I’m grateful for so I remember that even on the days when it feels really hard, there is so much that I’m grateful for. If you asked me ten years ago to describe my ideal life at 34, it would be pretty close to the life I have now. It’s important to remind myself of that.

What I noticed

Writing down what I noticed that day helps me remember that just stepping out my front door can be a unique experience. On Monday, I noticed how the underside of leaves is lighter, and how cool it looks when there is a gust of wind that blows them around.

Best part of the day

Thinking about the best part of my day and writing it down is especially useful at the end of the week or month. When I flip back through my notebook and see what the best part of each day was, I realize how many good moments I had.

A walk with my dog, dinner with my family, coffee with a friend. These are the best parts of my days recently. It made me smile to look through my notebook and remember them. Sometimes you have to zoom out to see what you’re blessed with.

The good in your life becomes pretty clear when you write all 3 of those things down every day.

You can create goodness

The notebook doesn’t just record the good things that happen in your day; it helps you recognize more of them. If you know that you want to write the best part of your day down later, then you start to be more aware of the positive parts of your day as they happen. In my experience, this can lead to a compounding of goodness in your day.

Plus, you can create the best part of your day. Call a friend. Go for a longer walk. Read a book outside. Your day just got better because you took an extra step.

Of course, some days are really hard, and you won’t feel like writing the good things down. Do it anyway. Find the smallest good thing you can. Write down that you’re grateful for coffee.

The point of all of this is to learn to see the goodness in your everyday life. It’s easy for me to know that the world is beautiful when I’m in Glacier National Park, but I don’t live in a national park. I don’t get to spend all of my time there. We must learn to see the goodness that we’re surrounded with every single day.

The little moments of every day matter. If you don’t write the little things down, then a year from now you won’t remember them. You’ll only remember the big moments. But life is made up of little moments.

Try it today. Write down:

• What you’re grateful for specifically from today

• Something you noticed that brought you joy

• The best part of your day

It’s up to each of us to pay attention to the goodness of life, and to write it down so that we remember it.

-Mark

You might have noticed that I changed the name of my Substack. I wanted a name that was more aligned with what I’m writing about. My writing will continue to be about pocket notebooks, analog living, and paying attention.

Last week, my wife had a great idea.

One of our favorite things about living in Tennessee is when the lightning bugs (fireflies/whatever you call them in your area) come out in the summer.

My wife’s idea was to keep our toddler up after her little sister fell asleep so she could see the lightning bugs and watch them light up our backyard. Oh, and we also made a fire and s’mores.

After our 8-month-old was in bed, we all went to the backyard, started a fire, and waited for the lightning bugs to come out.

It’s an interesting feeling waiting for something to happen in nature. You expect it will happen because it has happened before, but you don’t know it will happen. The beauty of it is that you don’t control it.

So we were waiting for the lightning bugs, hoping there were a lot of them so that our toddler was amazed.

Around sunset, they started to show up, giving us nature’s light show that my wife and I have loved our entire lives. Our daughter loved it, and the only thing more amazing than the bugs was seeing her face light up.

As we sat by the fire making s’mores, I remember thinking: this is a magical night, and it didn’t even take much effort.

It made me realize that we are all only a few intentional steps away from a magical life. Life is pretty amazing on its own, but we do need to make the effort of stepping into it.

The best part about it is that this doesn’t require a grand activity. Hiking to the top of a mountain at sunrise isn’t needed. Sometimes all you need to do is walk outside at the right time of day and watch the world light up.

So, try mixing it up. Make a small extra effort and do something that sounds exciting to you.

Go watch the sunset in a new place, have a picnic in a park, go swim in a lake at sunrise.

Or go watch the moon rise over the ocean like my parents did for the last full moon:

Life is as magical as you make it; let’s make it magical.

-Mark

A pocket notebook is not efficient.

Apps are faster. Your phone is more convenient. It will be easier to find something “in the cloud” a year from now than it will be to find something in your notebook.

That’s the whole point.

We use a pocket notebook not because it’s the most efficient thing we can do, but because it helps us slow down. It creates friction, and that’s a good thing. Viktor Frankl, in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, said, “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.”

The friction is a feature of using a notebook, not a bug to optimize away.

Most modern technology is trying to remove friction from your life, and make it easy. If you’re reading this, you’re probably not interested in the easiest path, but the most human one.

Because that’s what getting out paper and pen every day does - it makes us more human. It gives you a tactile thing to do with your body. It grounds you in the real world and helps you slow down. A worn-down notebook in your pocket or bag is a physical reminder that there is more to life than looking at screens.

Choosing the slow, analog path in a world built for speed and efficiency is a small act of rebellion.

Using a pocket notebook is about being the kind of person who intentionally slows down and doesn’t want to be connected to the internet at all times. It’s about noticing the color of the flowers on your walk and remembering that the barista complimented your watch (that happened to me yesterday, and yes, it’s in my notebook).

It might not be the most efficient, but I can tell you that on July 8th, 2023, I had a wonderful Saturday filled with peaches, the farmer’s market, pool time, and whiskey at a friend’s house to cap the day off. If I tried to put all that in “the cloud,” it would probably be lost to the mountains of data on my phone.

Thanks to my notebooks, I’m reminded that every day has goodness in it.

Choose the harder (and more meaningful) path. Use a pocket notebook.

-Mark

I’m teaming up with to do a special giveaway this week.

Honed Journal is an online publication sharing the stories that showcase life in the Midwest. They also make leather notebook covers for daily use. Drop them a message on Substack to get your hands on one.

The winner of the giveaway gets:

• Pocket notebook leather cover

• Field Notes notebook

• Analog Card #002 from the Analog Card Club

To enter:

• Must be subscribed to my newsletter and to Honed Journal’s newsletter

• Comment LEATHER on this post

• Restack this post for an extra entry

We’ll pick a winner on July 13th.

-Mark & Luke

When I travel, I always carry a pocket notebook.

A pocket notebook is a complete tool to help you prepare for, enjoy, and remember your trips. With the right method, your notebook will become a keepsake you can look back on in the future to remember your trip in greater detail than your memory alone.

Traveling is a special thing. So it’s important to make sure you maximize enjoyment and the memories of the trip. A pocket notebook will help you do that. Here are a few ways I have used my notebook to amplify the trips I go on:

Prepare for the trip

History and fun facts

Before you go on a trip, spend some time researching where you’re going and its history. This will vary widely depending on where you’re going, but I find that I’m always more interested in a place if I know something about it.

I also think it’s interesting to learn fun facts. I especially love doing this when I travel to national parks. Here are my prep notes from when I went to Glacier National Park:

Packing list

I really like writing my packing list in my notebook. Whenever I have a packing list on my phone, I become constantly distracted. Every time I go to check something off, I end up doing something else that takes five minutes. Packing that would take thirty minutes ends up taking an hour. So, write down your list in your pocket notebook.

Itinerary and Flight Information

Before your trip, write down what you plan to do. This will help give you peace before the trip, and structure when you wake up each day.

If you’re flying, write down your flight times and information. When traveling, it’s always helpful to have analog backups to your digital information.

Feel grounded during the trip

Bring your routine with you

I love to travel, but one of the challenges of traveling is that I am a very routine-oriented person, and so I end up feeling ungrounded when I travel. I have found that writing just a few things in my pocket notebook each day is a very anchoring experience. Like at home, I try to spend a few minutes in the morning writing in my notebook.

A few years ago at a friend’s lake house, I went to sit on the dock for a few minutes in the morning, and it was one of the best parts of my day. I like to start my days with coffee, a book, and my notebook, and that’s true when traveling, too.

Have fun on the trip

Stickers

I love turning my pocket notebook into a bit of a scrapbook when I travel. So whenever I am at a coffee shop or any place that has a sticker, I get one and put it in my notebook.

Stamps

I love it when a bookstore has a stamp. I’ll ask them to stamp the book I buy as well as put a stamp into my notebook. Here’s my stamp from Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris.

Draw

Drawing what you see is a great way to have some fun while you travel. It doesn’t need to be a good drawing. Above are drawings that I did of the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe. They are obviously not good drawings, but they do take me back to that time and place. So even if you’re not a good drawer like me, do a little doodle. It will help you live in the moment a little more.

Remember the trip

Log everything

When you travel, log everything that you do and everything that happens. Log the coffee shops you go to, the restaurants you eat at, and whatever events you do. Write it all down so that you can remember them later. As I’ve written this post, I’ve had a great time looking back at some of my old notebooks and remembering things and places that I’ve been that I definitely would have forgotten if I hadn’t written them down.

I can tell you the hotel we stayed at in Madrid, the restaurants we ate at in Barcelona, and I can tell you the hikes that we did in Yosemite National Park. I try not to rely on my own memory too much, and this is a really helpful way to remember the traveling that I did.

Print photos

I always travel with my mini printer because it is very fun at the end of each day to pick a favorite picture from the day and then to print it out and put it in the log for that day.

Conversations with strangers

Write down any conversations that you have with strangers. When I was in the Pacific Northwest with my friend Justin in 2025, we had a very interesting conversation at a campground with a man named Hans who gave us some pretty poor directions for finding the water source at the campground, and we got lost. Hans found us being lost and walked us to the water source. If I hadn’t written down about our water adventure with Hans, then I definitely would have forgotten it. These are silly things that I want to remember.

Next time you travel, bring a pocket notebook. Use it to prepare, use it to enjoy the trip more, and use it to remember the trip afterwards. Just like every single day, traveling is more enjoyable when we take the time to slow down and pay attention.

Do you travel with a notebook?

-Mark

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How do we live fully engaged lives?

That’s the question that Joseph Campbell attempts to answer in his book, The Power of Myth. Campbell gives his thoughts on everything from myths to the hero’s journey to marriage to finding meaning in your life.

Campbell is a master storyteller who devoted his life to understanding the power of story and how it can impact our lives directly.

There are so many lessons to take from this book. It helped me see my life as an adventure and that there is meaning to be found every day. There will be challenges, and that’s okay. The adventure is all about being awake in your own life and choosing your path.

The Mystery of Life

Campbell believed that life was charged with meaning and mystery, which we get to participate in.

“To see life as a poem and yourself participating in a poem is what the myth does for you.”

To him, the greatest mistake is not being awake and alert to what life offers us.

We are all heroes on the journey of living a full life, and that begins with knowing yourself.

According to Campbell, we need to stop and participate in the wonder of life.

“When before the beauty of a sunset or of a mountain you pause and exclaim, ‘Ah,’ you are participating in divinity.”

This is why we must be intentional about noticing and documenting what makes us pause and exclaim “ah!” each day. The “noticing” and “best part of my day” sections that I write down every day in my pocket notebook are made for this. On June 24th, I noticed how amazing the world is early in the morning. The light is perfect, the birds are singing. The beauty is always there; I just need to go outside and see it.

“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive”

Follow Your Bliss

One of Campbell’s favorite phrases to use is “follow your bliss”.

You’ve got only one life to live…Pay attention to it…The way to find out about your happiness is to keep your mind on those moments when you feel most happy - not excited, not just thrilled, but when you really are deeply happy. This requires a little bit of self-analysis. What is it that makes you happy? Stay with it, no matter what people tell you. This is what I call “following your bliss.”

Campbell recommends setting up a “bliss station” for yourself.

You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.

My bliss station is at my desk in my garage. I love sitting down with my notebook or getting out some glue and scissors and making something. Reading this book reminded me that I need to be more intentional about creating a dedicated time to sit down without any technology. It doesn’t need to be an hour like Campbell recommends, but even 15 minutes a few times a week can make a big impact.

It’s important to take time to find out what your bliss is, so that you don’t wake up and realize you’ve always lived your life according to the terms of others.

You may have a success in life, but then just think of it, what kind of life was it? What good was it - you’ve never done the thing you wanted to do in all your life. I always tell my students, go where your body and soul want to go. When you have the feeling, then stay with it, and don’t let anyone throw you off.

Facing Trials and Challenges

Campbell believed that trials and challenges are a crucial part of life. They help you to grow and increase your confidence. This only comes from having the courage to step into the challenges.

Trials are designed to see to it that the intending hero should be really a hero. Is he really a match for this task? Can he overcome the dangers? Does he have the courage, the knowledge, the capacity, to enable him to serve?

We all ask ourselves, am I capable of this? Going through challenges helps us answer that question.

All of these dragon killings and threshold crossings have to do with getting past being stuck.

The rituals of primitive initiation ceremonies are all mythologically grounded and have to do with killing the infantile ego and bringing forth an adult

As Aemon Targaryen said to Jon Snow in A Song of Ice and Fire, “Kill the boy, let the man be born.”

If you’re stuck, you need to take action and move in a new direction. How do we cross the threshold and slay our dragons?

If the work that you’re doing is the work that you chose to do because you are enjoying it, that’s it. But if you think, “Oh, no! I couldn’t do that!” that’s the dragon locking you in. “No, no, I couldn’t be a writer,” or “No, no, I couldn’t possibly do what So-and-so is doing.”

For years I couldn’t cross the threshold of being a writer. I knew I wanted to write and build a community online, but a “dragon” always emerged to throw me off course. Then I’d quit, thinking exactly what Campbell said I would: “Oh, it doesn’t matter, I can’t be a writer like these other people.” Last year I decided to let go of all of those fears and create consistently. I don’t know where writing will lead, but I’m going to keep going until I find out.

Living Your Adventure

Ultimately, Campbell believes that life is an adventure of becoming fully alive.

The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure…the adventure of being alive.

Why go on the adventure? Why answer the call? Because if you don’t, you will not be alert and awake to the beauty of life.

Life can dry up because you’re not off on your own adventure.

The adventures don’t have to be big. I think paying attention to your life is quite the adventure. Grab a notebook and think of ideas, and then act on them. Daily acts of adventure can change your life. Start the newsletter, make something with your hands, go for a walk and count how many birds you see.

Say yes to the adventure of being alive.

-Mark