So I’ve been using paper for outlining, mapping out my day, and for on-the-go capturing for a long time. It helps me keep things moving. There’s just something about it.
But there had been something missing. Actually, to be more specific, there had been too much of something. That would be the amount of pens I’d been using in order to keep things clearly separated on paper.
When I used to use this kind of system, I abandoned it because I thought the system was a problem. But I have come to realize it was the sheer amount of tools that the system required that led to its abandonment. When I used this system back in my school days, I had one of those Bic multi-pens. I had one pen that handled it all, and that was crucial considering there were no viable digital alternatives back then. So I started to search for a new multi-pen to call my own.
And I knew exactly where to start my search.
I listened to the episode of The Pen Addict called Multi-Pen, Multi-Tasking, where host Brad Dowdy offered up a slew of multi-pen options during the show. After hearing what Brad had to say, I started to look around further. There are plenty of options out there, but ultimately I settled on the Ohto Multi-Slim4.
I like the fact that this pen holds 4 different writing options (blue ink, red ink, black ink, and a mechanical pencil), but its form factor sealed the deal. It is the slimmest multi-pen I’ve ever seen. When I showed it to the crew over at Baron Fig (the company that makes my notebooks of choice), they were impressed by its size and its versatility as well.
(Just to clarify…I use the Baron Fig Squire pen and Archer pencils while at home because I have other coloured pens there I can grab from my desk. The Ohto MultiSlim4 is my “travel” writing utensil. The Baron Fig Vanguard pocket notebook is my “everyday carry” paper-based tool.)
I know I can use my digital task app of choice to manage my day at a glance. But I do like the idea of paper being in front of me – connecting me to the tasks. What I don’t like is having to cart around 4-5 writing utensils to make it work for me.
Once I started using the Ohto Multi-Slim4, it made the use of paper even more enjoyable than it already is. When a product can make something you already do better, then that’s a great product.
You can get an Ohto MultiSlim4 for yourself here.
Photo credit: Melanie Cook (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
