Recently, I was discussing my approach to note-taking with a friend. I have been using the Zettelkasten method for a year or so. In the beginning, it was extremely beneficial for me, but gradually my notes turned into a collection of random definitions that were not particularly helpful for anything. As we talked, I discovered that even though I was well aware of the method’s key principles, I had been neglecting them.
As of today, I will follow the Zettelkasten approach more strictly. Namely, I am going to make the following four changes:
Avoid using tags in any form
Using tags to categorise notes leads to a hierarchical structure in your note-taking system. Even if you are using a graph-based editor, you end up with a bunch of “folders” with “files” in them. This significantly undermines the extensibility and flexibility of the way you link related ideas together.
Instead of relying on tags, you should only rely on backlinks. This way, you are not just saying that two ideas are related, but also describing how exactly they are related. In a way, this is similar to the “Subject, Predicate, Object” relation - an important concept in the study of Grammar as well as the way to store information in Knowledge Graphs. Using backlinks in a free text format instead of tags helps to keep the context of how exactly ideas in your notes are connected to each other.
Anything that sounds like a tag, a category, a collection, an index, and represents a different type of note is making things worse. In the past, I have made a mistake by avoiding “tags” but still having other similar structural elements that made my note-taking and thinking limited and rigid.
Search within your note-taking graph is a more powerful way of finding related ideas than grouping them by categories and exploring these categories later. During the early days of the Internet, website catalogs were the primary way people found what they were looking for on the Web until search engines made them completely redundant. The same is true for personal note-taking systems as they grow.
Avoid using note-taking for collecting interesting ideas
I have a major tendency to collect things. I love making lists of movies, songs, books. I have starred over 2K repositories on GitHub. However, when it comes to note-taking, it is important to switch off the inner collectionneur. Note-taking shouldn’t be about collecting ideas, mental models, tools, techniques or theories. Anything that just seemed useful shouldn’t be written down. Your notes should be a reflection of your thinking.
For example, if you have recently learned about some interesting technique, just writing it down will not help you. Unless you use it in practice and reflect on the experience, you will forget about it.
If it feels like bookmarking, you are probably falling into this trap. Use a separate bookmarking system if you need, but don’t pollute your knowledge graph. Remember, you are not trying to recreate your personal version of Wikipedia.
Avoid copy-pasting when creating new notes
It is important to avoid copy-pasting because that prevents you from thinking through the idea that you are writing about. It distracts you from the real-time flow of writing as you think. This flow is about writing down your thoughts as they appear. It’s a great way to slow down your thinking and zoom in on the ideas.
Copy-pasting doesn’t only refer to actual copy-pasting. Reading each sentence, paraphrasing, and writing it down is still copy-pasting. Describing larger chunks of information in your own words works better, as well as summarising large ideas and concepts. But ultimately, aim to express your own ideas that build upon what you have learned.
Use clear and meaningful titles for notes
It is important to name notes meaningfully. The title of a note should be indicative of its content. The title itself should contain valuable information.
In the past, I have used fancy titles like “the turtle theory” or “the secret of 3 monks” - which make no sense without knowing the content of the note. Fancy titles are good if you are writing an article or a book, but in note-taking, they create unnecessary complications. Titles like that indicate that you are probably trying to collect someone’s metaphor or story, and this is an example of the collecting mistake discussed above.
Another important takeaway is that reviewing your note-taking process with friends is very beneficial. As I was describing my approach to my friend, I realised that I had been breaking my own rules in many cases without even being aware of it. Discussing with a friend helps you step aside and have a fresh look at your system.
Note-taking and Zettelkasten related links:
- Getting Started - a great introduction into the Zettelkasten method
- Note-taking tools that I have been using so far: Roam Research, Logseq
- How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens - a book that describes Zettelkasten
- Zettelkasten method in Roam Research - a short video walkthrough of the method