Posts like these make me wish I could be consistant and keep a single notebook until its done and then move to the next. I always end up starting a project or scibbling down a thought on random scraps of paper. I try to organize and consolidate but really there is not much point after the fact since, if the note is made, transfering it is just busywork.
I leaned into it last couple of years, I have a 2 corkboards (a bit larger than A4 sized) on the back wall of my desk and I actually mounted a stationary clamp under one to have blank papers (A6) handy. It works pretty well until I fill them and move on to another notebook scrap paper etc.
I wish I could stick to a notebook and have everything from each time period but I have too hectic thought process I think. Maybe I could somehow combine them...
I bought a Supernote recently as a note-taking device, and that's worked out really well. It's almost like pen on paper to write on, but I can open new documents freely to make notes in, then consolidate them later because they're all already in one place. The stuff that's just working out or temporary diagrams I can delete later, and the rest I can archive.
On the other hand, I have gone from having a clutter of paper on my desk to having a clutter of notes on my Supernote, so maybe I've just moved the clutter from one place to another. But at least it's now less visible!
Digital notes are not for me, they seem to put up a mental barrier and have tradeoffs that I am not thrilled about. The epaper/e-ink ones have the best battery life, best feeling when writing but the delay when the display changes just halts my thinkin. When changing documents to reference especially. Also the process of changing implements (e.g. from pen to highlighter) in tablets in general just annoys me.
They are awesome for pdf annotation though, If they ever get to be a bit more affordable I would enjoy having one of these just for that purpose (maybe even in color! probably in about 10 yrs).
As i said on another comment: I tried to keep a physical notebook/common-place book, several times, but after a while i just stopped. I like handwriting but since i started using obsidian i don't believe i will return. I'm thinking perhaps of using papers as first draft or impromptu writing, and then final drafts will be stored or transferred to Obsidian.
I leaned into it last couple of years, I have a 2 corkboards (a bit larger than A4 sized) on the back wall of my desk and I actually mounted a stationary clamp under one to have blank papers (A6) handy. It works pretty well until I fill them and move on to another notebook scrap paper etc.
I wish I could stick to a notebook and have everything from each time period but I have too hectic thought process I think. Maybe I could somehow combine them...