Write down stories in your notebook. Use different-colored pens for specific parts of the story (i.e., plot, climax and conclusion). When you go back and look at your story ideas, the color references will help you sort out and improve each individual story. Or opt to write each story in a different color to help you easily find specific stories.
Write poems in your notebook. Notebooks are the first step toward your final draft, so use the room to scratch out lines and rework the poems to be exactly how you want them. If you write free verse that involves the shape of the poem, opt for a notebook without lined pages. For example, if you are writing a poem about love and want the poem to take on a heart-shape, it is easy to create the heart shape in a blank sketchbook.
Every writer needs to brainstorm, so make your notebook your brainstorming tool. Fill it with ideas you can easily access when you need one. You can draw diagrams or characters or outline stories. Blank notebooks make good brainstorming tools because they do not limit the way you write notes, especially if pictures and doodles are a part of your process.
Write down lists. These can be to-do lists, lists of things you like or lists of goals. These lists not only help you stay focused, but over time you can look back and see how you have changed. Date your lists. Use colored tabs to organize your lists.