Nicholas Bate

Grey's Anatomy and Moleskine

fans, take note here.

Tuesday Eight

1. Go wild for the new range of red moleskines. And patent leather, too. Don't strecth the brand too far, guys. Please! You know it will end in tears...
2. New ChangeThis.Com manifestos are out. This one from John Kotter is great: the essence of his new book.
3. At long last, a shift in productivity from just 'executing stuff' to thinking what it's really about. Here's a blogger who's really making the change.
4. Matt's been on the case for some time.
5. Here's a serious book launch from Tim Sanders.
6. Meanwhile my Instant MBA is fully shipping. Thanks to all of you who pre-ordered it.
7. Finally read How Starbucks Saved My Life on the flight back from LA. A lot of reviewers have given it a hard time, but in essence it's a light read with an up-lifting message and buried within its pages are plenty of good reminders for us. One key one of course is how in the 'mentally active' world in which many of us live, physical labour can be very grounding and in fact essential for our sanity.
8. Love the pink shoed bride.

The A to Z of Moleskine: Z is Zen and the Art of Moleskine Maintenance

Maintaining i.e. writing in, drawing upon, doodling therein, creating action lists....your Moleskine allows you to realise the best version of you; make it a daily practice. And if you haven't read the famous book by Robert M Pirsig, this week-end would be a perfect time. Or dust off your copy and re-read it. And make a few notes in your Moleksine.

Have a brilliant day.

The A to Z of Moleskine: Y is You

That moleskine of yours: hard-back or soft-back. Small or large; even in the new vivid colours-it's abolutely definitely you. Your thinking, your creativity, your sketches, your worries, your hopes, your lists, your actions, your vision. And that's good: you need to spend more time with you in this busy, busy world.

Open it up: get to work.

The A to Z of Moleskine: X Marks the Spot

As with any good treasure map (whatever happened to those?), X marks the spot. Pick up your current moleskine or one of your stored/old/filed copies. Open a page at random, stab a point. You'll find wisdom and reflection from an earlier you. When you're a bit unsure or you need some direction, mark a spot with an X and start from there.

A to Z of Moleskine: W is Who?.. Why?...What?..

Your moleskine is a lot more powerful than Wikipedia. It's the way you get your answers to your questions. The things you need to think about. The stuff that is troubling you. Those actions you need to take. Ask a W question and you get an answer.
"I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who"
(Rudyard Kipling)

The A to Z of Moleskine: V is Volant

What? You are a moleskine lover and user and you haven't yet seen nor handled the new vibrantly coloured moleskine volant notebooks? Time for a trip to the shops!

A to Z of Moleskine: U is Uber

Your moleskine notebook is your uber note-book. A mis-use of the true German word sounds terrific and reminds you what a great decision you made with your choice of record-keeping: the best.

The A to Z of Moleskine: T is Turning

Turning the pages of your moleskine notebook is always an enlivening experience. Turning pages on which you have already written or sketched or painted allows a reflective pause: so that was me?! Last week or last month. Or years ago. In London or Oxford or Tokyo or Munich or San Diego. That was me. Flicking forward through empty pages causes the mind to buzz; far better than any espresso doppio: the potential. The open prairie. The city at 5am. The board room. The playing children. The long highway. Yes: potential.
Turning.

The A to Z of Moleskine: S is Silence

Ahhh! The joy of silence. After the clicks of the keyboard, the oomph of the text message and the clatter of the mobile, the silence-absolute and pure-of the moleskine notebook provides a sanctuary for great thinking and reflection. Non-scratchy paper, a non-cracking spine and perfectly dimensioned no-need-to-snap elastic complete the picture.

Silence.