The most overlooked size of notebook is definitely the A6. Yes, this is probably because it is the smallest (at least that we have readily available) but that doesn't mean that it can't pack a powerful punch! Let's have a look at how you can use an A6 journal for both your productivity and your wellness.

Size matters

Hi team! Jess or JashiiCorrin from YouTube / Instagram and I have quickly become quite a fan of the A6 notebook. When I first received one I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with it, it’s so little! I soon realised it's actually a brilliant size for a lot of uses, so we're going to look at why the A6 is awesome, how you can use it, and some general layout ideas.

Supplies

It pays to be prepared, so it’s time to grab some supplies! I used the equipment below which you may also find helpful. Remember you can use my code JASHIICORRIN10 for 10% your orders at Archer and Olive; we love savings!

• A6 Archer and Olive notebook
• Pens and markers of choice

Of course, what you end up using the notebook for is very much going to dictate your supplies, but starting with a good notebook and a pen is an excellent idea.

Why go for A6 though?

Different notebook sizes are going to lend themselves to different uses. One of the biggest factors that the A6 has going for it is that it is compact. The smallness of the notebook really lends itself to being transportable, making it super easy to take the notebook on the go with you. If you wear “typical” women-focused clothing, you might not be able to quite fit it into your pocket, but the A6 a great size to chuck into a handbag for when you're out and about.

Because of the notebook’s transportability, the A6 is an excellent size to be able to record information on the go. It can be kept handy in your carry bag so it’s readily available to jot things down. Not only is it easy to take with you, but when it comes to writing information in your A6 notebook, you also don't need to have a journaling place that has a lot of space. Whether you’re pinched for space at home, or out and about looking for a flat surface, having a smaller journal size can increase your options for where it suitable.

Another bonus of the compact size is that an A6 notebook is a perfect to hold information that you realistically don't need that much space for. Dedicating an entire A5 or even B6 journal to some topics would feel a little bit wasteful. In those sizes, you may not have enough that you want to record to use up enough space to make it feel worthwhile. The A6 on the other hand, having a smaller page size and also typically less pages, means that you can avoid those feelings while still capturing the stuff you want to.

Ways to use an A6 notebook

When thinking about the way you want to use any notebook, it's good to consider what the size is going to best lend itself to. In terms of an A6, this really comes down to being more transportable, having less page space, and having fewer pages.

General A6 uses

On the go

The A6 notebook is great for it's transportability. If you find yourself out and about wanting to write a note down but don't necessarily have the space to pull out your full everyday journal and supplies, grabbing out an A6 notebook and a pen to get those things written down is a good way forward.

Often we'll have a bunch of ideas throughout the day, whether they be things we want to do or ideas in general, but actually keeping those in our heads long enough to be able to make it back to our journaling space and write them down can be a challenge. Because your A6 notebook is easy to tote around with you wherever you go, this can be a great place to capture those fleeting thoughts so that you can transfer them into a more appropriate space when you get back to your other notebooks.

Low-commitment anything

One of the problems that I always had with long-form journaling is that I don't really enjoy writing. I know that there are huge benefits with being able to get your thoughts out onto paper, but the idea of having to write a full page and an A5 notebook was just super daunting. Doing this in an A6 though is a lot more approachable. This type of low commitment approach to recording things pairs perfectly with a smaller notebook.

Short term use

If you have a project or topic that is only going to last a shorter span of time, then an A6 journal can be really useful for this. Because the notebooks have fewer pages and less page space available, there isn't as much real estate within the notebook meaning that for those short term uses, you won't have as much “wasted” space.

Trial runs

I'm always on the lookout for new journals that I might want to add to my line-up. Whether it be a reading journal, goals journal, long term collections journal or otherwise, I always want to give them a go and see if they work for me. The problem with setting each of these up in their own larger journal though is that if they don't work out, I feel like I've wasted a notebook. What we can do here is use the A6 to do a trial run. Because it has a smaller size and less pages, this can give us a little taste test of whether we actually want to set up this journal and whether we're going to use it in the long run.

Specific A6 uses

While there are effectively an endless number of ways you can use an A6 notebook, the ones below have been specifically selected because they lend themselves well to that size. Of course you can put any topic in your notebook, and I do have a separate list of ideas for what you can use a blank notebook for, but I’ve picked out these ones because they would be great in a more compact journal.

A6 layout ideas

Once you know what you’re using your A6 notebook for, that’s when the real fun starts! I love designing layouts for all notebook sizes, but when it comes to planning a new layout it can be beneficial to have an idea of what you want before putting pen to paper. To make this easier, I’ve made a digital spread planner that you can download by pressing the picture below. This just helps you get your sizing and spacings right before you commit to the pen. Hope it’s useful!

There are a lot of options when it comes to designing the layouts in your notebook. Some collections are going to be better as simple lists while others will lend themselves to more complicated designs. Check out the video below to see some of the different ways you could set up your pages in your A6 notebook!

Mini but mighty

While these are just some ideas, the possibilities are practically endless! If you were wanted more collection ideas in particular, then my blog post on +550 collection ideas is the next one to check out! We would love to see any A6 layouts you make, so if you post them on Instagram be sure to tag me, @jashiicorrin, and Archer & Olive, @archerandolive, in any of your posts!