A few years back I got a Call Tracking Calendar from the local telephone company. It's about 5" X 8", and originally had about 450 pages, and was close to an inch think. It's still close to 3/4" thick.
I've got it on a table next to the end of the couch, and a plastic tray on a bookcase, with a bunch of colored pens, el cheapo Pentel type pencilss, calculator, and so on.
I use it to write down ideas, e-mail addresses I find in magazines, basically anything I want to keep handy for awhile.
I can visualize things I want to make, so seldom make any plans of projects, other than maybe a, usually, very rough sketch, and maybe a measurement or two. Works for me. However, I also use the call tracker to sketch out some things, so help me compare different ways of doing something. I can actually sketch freehand with pretty good detail - but no need for stuff like that. If I do want detail, I use a mechanical pencil, sketching lightly, then going over lines, erasing if needed. If people would try something like that, they could come up with some pretty detailed drawings even if they have little artistic talent. But, most of the time I just grab a pen, and make a rough drawing, no attempt at scale or detail. Pages I want to keep, I leave in. Other pages get pulled out, and shredded - just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after me.
At times, when I'm having a problem working something out on a project, I'll make a sketch, or several, maybe with notes, then leave it. Later, maybe days, maybe weeks, later, I'll recheck and maybe get new ideas on it. Right now I'm doing that with the end of a chair arm - I can't quite come up with a shape I'm content with. So, I do searches of chair, for inspiration, and go back, and make new sketches. One day I'll hit on one I like.
If you don't keep a pad and pencil handy, I would advise you to start.
JOAT Failure is ALWAYS an option.
- JOAT