These $11 pocket notebooks use a simple but highly effective organizational system to help you manage tasks and goals

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• Finding the right system to help you manage your to-do lists and goals takes some experimentation. For me, traditional bullet journals were too intensive and time-consuming, but I still wanted to use some kind of written notebook.
• I discovered Word. notebooks ($10.99 for 3), which employ a simple, effective, and streamlined system to help me be productive in my personal and professional life.
• Thanks to this unique organizational system, the durable, pocket-sized companions are versatile enough to be used for everything from weekly grocery lists to long-term personal goals.

If you've ever resolved to be more productive and get more organized with your goals, you've probably considered bullet journaling as a potential solution. You could scroll for days on YouTube browsing bullet journal how-tos and Erin Condren's "Plan With Me" videos, then spend an equal amount of time inspecting the more than 3.2 million carefully arranged flat-lays on Instagram sporting the #bulletjournal hashtag.

While I love feeling productive simply by association of learning the ins and outs of bullet journaling, experience has taught me that attempting to execute my bullet journal vision is intimidating and inefficient. I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make my journal "perfect" (getting all the lines straight kills the dream every single time) rather than focusing on its actual purpose.

Good on the people who are avid bullet journalers, but full bullet journaling just isn't for me. In search of a to-do and goal-tracking system that's a little more simple and easy to maintain, I stumbled across Word. notebooks ($10.99 for 3) while browsing notebooks on Amazon.

Word. was created by a group of daily notebook users who wanted to develop a small, stylish, and functional notebook for all the lists of everyday life - packing, grocery, restaurants to try, errands, workouts, holiday shopping, and more. The standardized organization system (below) is straightforward and easy to immediately grasp.

Every page looks the same, with a blank circle located on each line. Dot the center to make your note or task a bullet point, outline the circle to mark it as important, put one slash to show you've started on it, and slash through one more time to mark it as complete.

It's just systematic enough to provide direction, organization, and clarity as you glance through your notebook, but not so full of unnecessary intricacies that it takes away from the efficiency of creating and completing your to-dos.

Read more: The best planners for students and professionals

I'm realizing more and more that I can't rely on my brain alone to remember big and small tasks alike. I use my Word. notebook to remind myself to make health appointments, keep track of products I'm testing, and even call my parents or friends. Its versatility lends itself to any purpose, personal or professional, and you won't need to switch notebooks or shift organizational styles as you sift through your various priorities.

There was virtually no learning curve to embracing the Word. system, but it has already made a marked difference in how I organize my life. It even works for larger, long-term goals because it encourages you to break them down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

The other advantage of the Word. notebooks is that they're small (3.5" x 5.5") and contain 48 pages, the perfect size for monthly or quarterly time periods. The covers, available in a variety of styles from a simple black to quirky Rad/'80s, are durable and made from recycled paper.

Everyone has a different organizational style, but I've found Word. notebooks perfectly align with mine. Since they're so affordable, I would highly recommend giving them a try.

Shop all Word. Notebooks (3-Pack), from $10.99, at Amazon here

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