Tip of the Week #349: How to Never Lose Gift Ideas Again

by | Dec 13, 2025 | Tip of the Week

Digital planners are convenient, but it turns out pen and paper work better—at least for me.

Writing by hand slows your thinking, sharpens your memory, and makes ideas feel real—not swipeable, dismissible, or forgotten.

I tried using only digital planners this year. I didn’t accomplish much. So I switched back to pen and paper. These are the journals I always have in my back pocket. I’ve used them for years: https://amzn.to/4aNOkve

I made the switch after listening to The Pledge by Michael Masterson.

I’ve read it more times than I can count, but too much time had passed, and I had forgotten some of the lessons—like how pen and paper are often better than digital. (If you’re younger, fair warning: the book is PG-13.)

One of the biggest benefits of carrying a paper notebook is simple: you capture gift ideas in the moment.

When someone casually says, “I love dark chocolate” or “I’ve always wanted a LEGO Technic set,” write it down immediately.

When birthdays or holidays arrive, you already know what to buy. I really wish I had done this consistently in 2025.

If, like me, you get lost in all the digital options, try pen and paper.

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Almost every Saturday, I send out a Tip of the Week.  The tip of the week is usually something I have picked up along the way that may make your life a little easier.

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If you want a more professionally filmed Latin learning experience, check out the best-selling DVD series: Visual Latin.

Or, if you want to skip Latin, and just jump right into learning English words from Latin and Greek roots, you may enjoy the series Word Up!  Warning.   Word Up! is a bit wacky.  You will learn a lot… but, you may find yourself rolling your eyes, too.

I teach other languages on my site, too.  The current schedule is here: https://dwanethomas.com/schedule/

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