Field Notes notebook
Small stapled pocket notebook, 48 pages, sold in three-packs
Field Notes are pocket-sized memo books, stapled, 48 pages inside a kraft cover, made in the United States. Three-packs are the standard, alongside a rotating run of limited editions. Ruled, graph and dot-grid versions all exist. The format suits carrying, filling and using up rather than keeping neat, which is why people reach for one for daily task lists, site notes, shopping and the ideas that would otherwise go into a phone.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- David SparksDoes it
Apple productivity writer · MacSparky
Carries a Field Notes book in his pocket with a page for each day, and says the digital tools boil down to the few items he writes there. He moved over from Ugmonk cards because a notebook holds future days too. Daily pages run front to back, stray notes back to front; when they meet, the book is done.
Source: MacSparky: Sparky's Tech Stack for 2026“A note handed to you is something to review. A note you wrote yourself is something you already know. I realized that writing the list is how I find out what’s on it. … For a long time I’ve had an analog version of the Daybook. It’s a Field Notes notebook I carry around with me. The technology is wood and graphite and paper.”
MacSparky: Why I Killed My Daybook (opens in a new tab) · 8 Aug 2026
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under productivity or focus.
- Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it
- Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Standing desk
A desk that raises, so part of the working day happens on your feet
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Paper notebook
A bound notebook for thinking on paper away from a screen
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Phone lockbox
A lockable box with a timer that puts the phone out of reach for a set period
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.