Moleskine/Notebook Spiritual GTD Hack

Looking for a way to track your spiritual life, thoughts, prayers, notes, etc? Here's a little hack I came up with for my notebook that puts a spiritual spin on the typical GTD hacks. Enjoy!

First, choose a notebook. I prefer the little black notebooks with the elastic strap. Several companies make them, and the one I use comes with pre-numbered pages, blank index pages, higher quality paper for writing with fountain pens, stickers for labeling the spine, and of course, a pocket in the back for odds and ends.

If your notebook doesn't have page numbers, you'll want to write them in. One of the most valuable resources in your notebook will be the index. From time to time I've wanted to go back and find an entry in a journal. Keeping an index and logging page numbers cuts a lot of time out of the page skimming process.

You'll want to figure out how to divide your notebook up into the categories most beneficial for you. I am currently using five major categories. They are as follows, in this order:



1). Memory Verses
2). Scripture Reading, Notes, Applications
3). Journal and Prayers
4). Spiritual Inbox (working from the back, after the index, towards the front)
5). Index (starting at the back)

Of course, you'll want a tracking system to find these sections quickly. Some people use little sticky tabs and label them with the sections, but personally I don't like tabs hanging out of the side of my notebook. For me, I found some people simply coloring the side of the notebook with different colors to mark where the sections are (see picture above). It's a simple, quick, clean, and free way to divide up the notebook.

As far as the sections, I'll start with my favorite...the Spiritual Inbox. This is the place where all things get dumped. If someone mentions a good book to read, a good album to buy, a church to check out, or you have a thought or prayer or project idea you want to follow up on - whatever it is - dump it into the Spiritual Inbox right away so you have it written down to explore later. When you do explore those further, you can use the Notes or Journal/Prayers section to write about it all.

My Spiritual Inbox sections includes the following: Hashtags (to quickly locate topics), a date column (not shown in the picture), and a page column (so I know what page to turn to after I've followed up on the though in one of the other sections). See the picture to the right.



The other sections are pretty straight forward. A few pages at the beginning to jot down several memory verses I want to focus on while having that notebook.

The Scripture Reading/Notes/Applications section is where I can keep sermon or Bible study notes, write about what I'm reading in Scripture, or exploring music or theological ideas, or whatever else I want to make notes on.

The third section is for my journal and prayers. I like to write my prayers, as I find it keeps me focused and more intentional.

The very last section is the index. I designate a few more pages than I think I'll need, started with the very last page and working towards the front. The Spiritual Inbox begins at the end of the Index, also working from back to front, so eventually the journal and inbox run into each other, and all of the notebook gets used up.

Just another tool for your toolbox to try as you explore what works for you as you grow in your relationship with Christ.

Take the idea, modify it, make it work for what you need, and enjoy growing in your faith.