Note-taking plays a role in everyone’s life, no matter age, profession or background. This is all the more reason to make sure your note-taking techniques are effective and efficient. After all, what good are notes with information that you can’t understand or retain? To help you ensure the production of useful and meaningful notes, there are certain steps you should take.

1. Make a Note of It…and WRITE it Down
Throughout every facet of life, note-taking plays a role. What better reason to make sure your note-taking
techniques are optimized because, after all, what good are notes with information that you can’t
understand or retain?
While everyone has their preferences on how to keep notes, we
always like to point out one simple fact. Studies have
consistently shown that when you write your notes out on paper,
your retention of that information skyrockets versus typing or
audio recording them as you go. Again, you may have your own
technique for note-taking that is equally effective—we encourage
you to use whichever works best for your style.
No matter what method you use, there are certain steps you
should take to help you record better notes. First and foremost,
take notes as you go. Don’t wait until after a meeting or the end
of the day. Waiting to jot down your ideas and important
information can lead to the omission of key points or great ideas. Don’t let these slip through your fingers.
In addition to recording your notes in a timely fashion, here are some additional actions you should
include in your note-taking process:
 Keep your notes all in one place, like a journal or business notebook
 Don’t write down everything you hear—focus only on the core ideas, and make certain to listen
carefully in order to identify those key points
 Maintain a “flow” of information—keep things in chronological order as much as possible to avoid
jumping around from subject to subject
 If the information pertains to a date or event, add it to your planner or calendar
 When appropriate, use subheads to group sets of related notes together (e.g., holiday planning,
staff meeting)
While this is not an all-inclusive list of note-taking techniques, it gives you a good sense of what you need
to do in order to produce useful and meaningful results. Be sure to make a note of them!
About Day Runner
At Day Runner, our mission is to assist people in “designing their day” with a touch of fashion and
function. Many products can be configured for individual planning needs. Our loose-leaf day planners
allow users the flexibility to easily select the page formats and style that they like and put them where
they need those most. Our products are available from many office product retailers and dealers
nationwide and can also be found in office supply catalogs. For more information or to order your
planning and organizing tools, visit www.dayrunner.com.