How to Get Organized at Work

You know by now that I like to plan and have a system for every area of my life.

Organised chaos.

I want to keep my chaos as organised and as manageable as possible. I want to be able to grab what I need, flick through the pages, and write down a thought or idea in the right section, with the right context.

I’ve talked about this quite a lot on my YouTube channel. I started using a TN Journal as my dedicated notebook for my 9–5 life. I have a couple of TN inserts, along with a dedicated planner and journal for work, so I can separate and deal with this area of my life more pragmatically.

Building My TN Journal System

I first decided what I wanted my TN Journal to do for me.

I wanted to be able to plan, jot down ideas, and structure my thoughts — all in one place.

For the leatherbound, I went with one from an Indonesian brand, Mynty Mint . If you’re a fan of leather goods, this brand might be worth looking into. The material is made from horse leather, and what makes this particular leatherbound special is that it’s handmade, with the leather stitched using hand needles.

Because of that, every leatherbound you own might not be exactly the same as another. There are little differences in each one, which makes it feel much more personal.

Inside My Mynty Mint Travel Notebook Journal

I tested a few different types of inserts, made mistakes, and learned along the way before I finally found a structure that worked for my 9–5 journal.

My current setup consists of:

1. Planner I use a ready-printed monthly calendar layout because I find it incredibly easy to immediately write down important dates.

2. Catch-All Journal for everything that doesn’t have an obvious home yet, I use this when I am having a meeting, a discussion. I keep it next to me so that I can simply scribble down random thoughts or idea that came to mind as I work.

3. Thinking Journal for working through ideas and structuring my thoughts. What normally came out of this journal will be actions that I will migrate into my planner or Project Management tool like Trello, Notion or Jira.

4. Thought Journal This is where I write long-form thoughts, more like my morning pages. Sometimes, I write when I just need a minute away from everything that’s overwhelming me at work, especially in between meetings which, more often than not, is the people and the overload of information coming my way as a PMO Analyst

Keeping It Organised

Of course, having multiple inserts only works if I can actually find things when I need them.

So I use:

1. A tabbing system to make it easy to find the notes I’ve written.

2. A dedicated function for each insert so I know where something belongs before I even start writing.

The goal isn’t to have a perfectly neat notebook. It’s to have an organised system that makes sense to me.

Why I Like This System

1. It’s easy to carry

The leatherbound is relatively light, although it might be slightly heavier than the standard Traveler’s Company TN.

It’s quite rough texture compare to Traveler’s Company leatherbound. But over time, the leather has become softer, and I love seeing how it darkens with everyday handling. The patina is what drives a lot of leatherbound journalers crazy and honestly, I get it.

It’s to die for.

2. I can customise it around my needs

Because I can choose which inserts to keep inside the leatherbound, the system is incredibly versatile.

My work needs change from day to day, and I can adjust the notebook accordingly. I can add, remove, or replace an insert without having to redesign the entire system.

3. Everything is together

Having everything in a single notebook makes it much easier for me to switch contexts.

When I move from planning to writing, or from capturing random notes to working through an idea, I don’t have to reach for a completely different notebook.

Everything is right there.

Still Perfecting the System

I’m still working on perfecting the right system for my TN Journal, but one thing I know for sure is that this system is much more forgiving than an A5 Bullet Journal. And that’s ultimately what made me convert my system to this size.

With an A5 Bullet Journal, I often felt like I had to commit to a particular structure. With a TN-style system, I can experiment more freely. If an insert doesn’t work for me, I can simply change it. There’s less pressure to get everything right from the beginning. And for someone who likes systems but also likes to experiment with them, that flexibility matters.

There’s no right way to build your own TN Journal. So be brave enough to figure out what works for you.

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