A pen is one of the most versatile everyday carry items you can have in your rotation. If you added one, what kind of stuff would you write down?
- To-do lists: A daily list of things you must do, times you’ve committed to, or even those 5 things you need to pick up at the grocery store on your way home from work
- Goals: What are you moving towards and what steps do you have to take to get there? What is on your bucket list? Have you set small steps to get you there?
- Ideas: Brainstorming that idea you came up with
- Phone numbers: Quick; recite the phone numbers of the five people you call the most. Can’t do it anymore? Write those numbers down so when your phone dies, you can get ahold of someone to help you out
- Doodles: Put down Clash of Clans and get back to what you did in 5th grade–drawing superheroes
- Journal: Writing out thoughts, feelings or just logging what you accomplished
Even with the rise of smartphones, tablets and other modern technology, the ability to write something down can still be one of the most critical things you do. Let’s explore five reasons why you need to start carrying a pen and notebook.
1. It’s more likely to stick around
The human mind is a fickle thing. We may remember the shirt we were wearing back in 2005 or every single lyric to that Jonny Cash song, but we won’t remember the ground-breaking idea we had in the shower just last week. Or, even what we ate for dinner last night.
A 2014 study published in Psychological Science found that students who wrote out their notes on paper instead of typing them out on a laptop learned more. Why? Mueller and Oppenheimer’s theory is that taking notes by hand requires different types of cognitive processing than just typing them out on a laptop (or for most of us, our smartphones). Writing stuff out by hand is typically slower, so students had to engage in more “mental lifting” to listen and comprehend what they were hearing instead of just typing out what they heard.
Taking the time to write your thoughts down means that you are also taking the time to think through what you’re putting on paper. This creates a much stronger memory association with our thoughts.
Not only will your ideas stick around because you can physically refer to it later, but it will stick around in your memory much longer.
2. It creates a note-taking habit
Carrying a pocket notebook and a pen on your person (not in a bag or in your car) creates an environment where you can write down important notes as soon as they happen. Like any good habit, it takes time to remember that you have the ability to write stuff down, but once the habit is created, it can positively impact other parts of your life.
Advantages include:
- You better plan for your day because you can write down what you need to accomplish
- You become more reliable because you will be less likely to forget what you need to get done
- You become more goal-oriented because ideas and solutions that you come up with aren’t quickly lost
- Your memory improves, because of memory association of writing things down (see #1)
Carrying a pen (and notebook) with you pulls your thoughts out of your mind and down onto paper. The mental lifting to write it down means you’ve taken the first step to making your thoughts become reality. It creates good life habits that make you more of an action-oriented, reliable, goal-oriented person.
3. It’s more reliable
How many smartphones have you gone through? How many times have you been out and your phone battery dies? For most people, it’s not unusual to have either lost a phone, dropped it or have dunked it in water (or soup . . . or the toilet . . .). Technology is great when it works.
If you’ve created the habit of taking notes (see #2), your pocket notebook is now full of things that you don’t want to lose. Don’t let your thoughts just live on a device that can easily be lost, stolen or ruined.
Could you lose your notebook? Yes. But a $3 notebook full of your scribbles is much less desirable than your $1000+ iPhone X. An EDC pen keeps your notes, phone numbers, ideas and lists around much longer after your smartphone has bitten the dust.
4. You have a history
When we write stuff down, we can access it later.
Here at Option Gray, we keep our old notebooks and journals because they offer a history of where we are, what we’re doing and what is going on in our lives. Some of us just throw them in a drawer or basket, but others keep them somewhat organized in chronological order to reference–everyone is different.
A stack of some of our current and past pocket notebooks.
As you become a more goal-oriented person (see #2), it’s encouraging to go back and see where you were three years ago. Maybe it was the “to-get” list for your first child, the brainstorming of company names for your new start-up, or even your bachelor grocery list. The history of our day-to-day life can be insightful, encouraging and resourceful.
Tip: Reserve the first or last page of your notebook to keep a “Table of Contents” of the date, situations, time in your life, etc. that you used the notebook for.
5. It can provide a form of self-defense
You’re asking, “A pen for self-defense?”
There has been a huge surge in the market for “tactical” pens, which are more aggressive-designed pens carried for self-defense (sometimes marketed as “glass-breakers,” which could be needed in an emergency situation). Although we’re not necessarily on board with some of these very aggressive-looking pens, you can carry an all-metal body pen which can be used for self-defense.
You can’t always carry a gun and even knives can be limited due to your clothing, activity, situation, or location. That leaves you with your natural, God-given talents and any training you’ve acquired and practiced with. Having an improvised weapon like a tactical or all-metal pen can’t hurt.
Why Carry a Pencil?
#1 No shelf life
You don’t have to worry about ink drying out or any similar problems and pencils. They seemingly last forever. In all seriousness, pencils will eventually run out, but in most cases, they last much longer than an ink cartridge.
#2 Erase your mistakes
Make a lot of mistakes like me? A pencil eraser is an old school backspace key for the modern-day renaissance man. Just erase that “uh-oh” and get back to the grind.
#3 They are easy to carry
It’s hard to beat the lightweight aspects of a pencil. Do you want to shave some weight off of your Primary EDC? Easy…just knock that pencil down a few inches and save those precious grams. The shorter length also makes it a bit easier to stow in tight spots.
#4 Works on many surfaces and papers
Can be used on multiple surfaces and will work on a variety of papers. Plus, the graphite won’t bleed through like heavy inks. Pencils have no issues with water and won’t fade in the light.
#5 Can be used at any angle
What do you think NASA used prior to Paul Fisher developing the Fisher Space Pen? That’s right, a pencil. Do you work regularly in zero gravity? Maybe not, but if so, the pencil won’t let you down.
#6 Multi-use for sketching, writing, doodling, and even to-do lists
Pencils seem to be more versatile for the jack-of-all-trades. Want to sketch, write, doodle, etc…your trustworthy pencil has you covered. The versatility of a pencil also allows it to be used to produce different degrees of darkness. Perfect for all you aspiring artists.
# 7 They can be broken into multiples
Do you and your “non-EDC buddy” need to jot down some ideas or sketch out the next big thing? Not a problem. Since you are intentional with your EDC and you are prepared, just break that pencil in half and share the love. A little sharpening with your favorite blade and you and your buddy are both ready to go.
#8 Pencils are a cheap addition to your EDC setup
I have lost some expensive pens over the years and the loss can sting for a while. Lose a pencil…who cares? For most people, they can lose a cheap pencil and it’s not a big deal. Pencils are also readily available almost everywhere you go.
# 9 You’ve got to sharpen them
Taking the time to sharpen a pencil has added hidden benefits. This process allows you to slow down a bit and forces you out of the rush of life. This type of mental break can really help your productivity levels while breaking the monotony of whatever you’re doing. Who likes boredom anyways?
#10. Pencils are TSA-approved
Want to fly somewhere and take your beloved pencil with you? No problem! TSA should not give you any trouble unless you have been giving the screener the stink eye as he’s going through your stuff. Why might it be important to have a pencil on you when you fly? No, I’m not talking about Sudoku. Check out the “Bonus Reason” below.
#11 Bonus: A pencil can be used as an improvised weapon
The worst-case scenario is you find yourself in a life or death scenario and you’re in some sort of non-permissive environment. A pencil can be a discreet weapon for the gray man. Let me reiterate, a pencil should not be your first choice for a personal defense weapon…heck, it shouldn’t even be your second or third choice. However, don’t rule out its effectiveness if you find yourself in a bad spot.
Remember what Viggo Tarasov said in John Wick …
“John is a man of focus, commitment, sheer will… something you know very little about. I once saw him kill three men in a bar… with a pencil, with a f****** pencil.”
Have you tried a pencil as part of your everyday carry? Which one do you use?
Let me know the reasons why you carry a pen and notebook as part of your EDC?