The Best Notebooks for Organizing Your Thoughts

Notebooks for Organizing Your Thoughts

I love a nice, new notebook. While I rarely stick with a planner full-time, I love the idea of having all of my to-do lists and upcoming appointments in one place. Sure, my iPhone notes app works, but it’s not as satisfying to delete a line in my list as it is to completely cross it out. Some of the best notebooks are the simple ones, I’ve found, and these are what helps me stay organized from week to week. If you’re looking for the best notebooks for organizing your thoughts and to-do lists, you’re going to want to check these out.

Rifle Paper Co. notebook and coordinated pen
<em><a href=httpsamznto2Osl16K target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>Garden Party Stitched Lined Notebook<a> with a Rifle Paper Co pen <a aria label= opens in a new tab href=httpsamznto37YFast target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>similar style available here<a> and <a aria label=here opens in a new tab href=httpsamznto2Ur1Uxq target= blank rel=noreferrer noopener>here<a><em>

Rifle Paper Co.

I love anything and everything Rifle Paper Co. makes. The colors and artistic design are just top notch, and the prices are generally pretty affordable. Plus, they’re based in Winter Park, right by where I grew up.

I love these little lined notebooks for making grocery lists, blog post idea lists, or the like. They’re small, easy to carry in a purse or bag, and surprisingly durable.

Lively Floral Stitched Lined Notebook Set // Garden Party Stitched Lined Notebook Set

Oh, and if you are in the market for a planner, Rifle Paper Co. won’t steer you wrong. I picked up this soft-back version — basically, a larger, planner version of the notebooks pictured above — and really do love it for social media planning. It would have been a great size for me during law school, too!

Shop Rifle Paper Co.’s latest designs of notebooks and planners here.

Decomposition Notebooks

If you’re looking to mirror the composition notebooks from grade school, I highly recommend the Decomposition Book notebooks. These notebooks look a lot like composition notebooks, but generally feature funky or whimsical covers, like the two pictured here. For the most part, these notebooks come with a traditional composition book binding, but they can also be found with spiral bindings, if you prefer. Amazon has a decent selection of them, but I’ve had the best luck finding them at small, independent bookstores. 

Notebook Coil Pocket Sized Humpback // Book Decomposition Spirit Animal

One of the coolest part about this option, besides the nostalgia, is the fact that they’re made out of post-consumer-waste recycled paper. This makes these some of the best notebooks both for keeping track of your day-to-day, as well as helping keep the planet healthy!

Shop the different styles of Decomposition Books on Amazon here.

Moleskine Notebooks

Moleskine Notebooks are just classics. I’ve been using these little pads since I was in high school. Like the Rifle Paper Co. notebook described above, the Moleskine options are some of the best notebooks for on-the-go. Whether you’re keeping it in your pocket, backpack, purse, or just at your desk, these are small, low-profile notebooks that will ensure you have paper ready whenever you need it.

Coral Moleskine Classic Notebook // Myrtle Green Moleskine Classic Notebook // Sapphire Blue Moleskine Classic Notebook

One of the coolest parts of the Moleskine line is not only that they come in hard cover and soft color, but that they also are available with gridded lines as well as regular lines.

Shop the latest offerings of Moleskine Notebooks from their Amazon shop here.

If you’re a notebook lover like myself, I have a feeling you’re a reader, too. If that’s the case, I’d love to introduce you to my my What to Read series, where I share themed reading lists and book guides based on genre, time period, theme, or author.
You can peruse more of my What to Read reading guides here!

 *This post was originally published in 2020. It was most recently updated on June 24, 2023.