I bet you’re reading this through a laptop, computer, or mobile phone. Later today, you’ll write and reply to emails. Then, you’ll probably send reminders to your colleagues via email or your favorite messaging app.

You also probably brought your laptop with you in your most recent meeting so you could jot down notes, right?  

In today’s world, when you say you’re “taking notes,” it usually means you're typing on a computer. I mean, it’s faster and it saves time. Plus, you can write way faster, so it’s better overall, right? 

Wrong.

Several studies prove that taking notes by hand keeps you engaged, helps you process deeper, and helps you remember more.

Additionally, research from Harvard Business Review revealed the following two surprises:

1. Those who wrote notes by hand scored better overall on a sample test;
2. Those who took notes using laptops recorded more words, BUT they still scored lower on comprehension, even after being given a week to study!

Bottom line: You can record more words using laptops, but your brain only remembers what it needs to type next and not the good material you are learning. It’s mindless.

But when you take down notes by hand, you end up also thinking and processing information.

Next meeting you go to, blow everyone’s mind when you walk in with a pad and a pen.

When they ask you about it, tell them you’ll forward them a (great!) blog so they can see the research for themselves.

Have a great week!

Dr. Rob