flâneur

§Note-writing systems | Knowledge work should accrete | Spaced repetition memory system

notes.andymatuschak.org · 395 words · saved by 1 readers

A core book on §Note-writing systems practice. Sönke focuses largely on the benefits of a Zettelkasten for the academic writing process. One of the core ideas here is that creative writing can become relatively closed-form and actionable; it can be made executable, GTD-style, through a series of steps drawing on a densely-connected note system. Many activities in Knowledge work seem to be ephemeral efforts, their outputs mostly discarded after they’re completed. You might wake up to a really tricky email and realize that it connects to something you’ve been thinking about for a while. You might spend an hour writing a careful reply, capturing your latest thinking. And now… it lives in your “sent” folder, and briefly in the impression on your and your colleague’s mind. The effort accumulates only insofar as that work subtly influences your and your colleague’s thinking over time. Likewise, Most people take only transient notes, though with effective practices, they’re an essential found

Andyʼs working notes About these notes Principles: Evergreen note-writing as fundamental unit of knowledge work “Better note-taking” misses the point; what matters is “better thinking” Knowledge work should accrete Note-writing practices are generally ineffective Note-writing practices provide weak feedback Reading and note-writing Write about what you read to internalize texts deeply Evergreen note-writing helps reading efforts accumulate Collecting material feels more useful than it usually is Do your own thinking Understanding requires effortful engagement Writing forces…

saved by

related reading