roam/20200716231656-how_to_take_smart_notes.org

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:ID:       cd8821fe-f770-480c-baad-ec1e8463f0a2
:ROAM_REFS: cite:SonkeAhrens1962
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#+title: How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers
#+filetags: :literature:books:

A book by Dr. Sönke Ahrens.

* Chapter 1: Everything You Need To Know
#+begin_quote
I never force myself to do anything I don't feel like. Whenever I am stuck, I do
something else.

--- Niklas Luhmann, creator of [[id:d3c18b58-db42-4c5f-a1e4-12382a900f4b][Zettelkasten]]
#+end_quote

The goal of a good note-taking process is to free yourself from the structures
that get in the way of discovering and capturing ideas. This reminds me of [[id:0cf298df-4f53-45b5-acb4-0b3ce2d00faa][The
Zettelkasten Method - LessWrong 2.0]], in which the author finds the linear
approach of filling a whole page restricting, and instead prefers taking many
/small/ notes and building connections.

[[id:3dc8df7d-0050-4afb-9c93-5d0c50d324d0][Taking better notes]] builds a knowledge-base which, as it builds in content and
in trust, allows you to hold less in your head, freeing you up and improving
focus. While my [[id:83e30fce-a1f0-4684-8a73-a5e5b2d7cc62][Work log]] does a good job of archiving what I've been up to, the
handful of fuller, separate documents I occasionally write up tend to be more
useful, and certainly easier to find what I need in.

* Chapter 2: Everything You Need To Do
#+begin_quote
Don’t cling to an idea if another, more promising one gains momentum. The more
you become interested in something, the more you will read and think about it,
the more notes you will collect and the more likely it is that you will generate
questions from it.
#+end_quote

The [[id:d3c18b58-db42-4c5f-a1e4-12382a900f4b][Slip-box]] is intended to give you the freedom of hopping from one train of
thought to another, following distractions and disjointed ideas, and having them
all saved for later expansion and development. The insights gained from
following a variety of things that catch your interest and the connections that
form will be worthwhile, and the whole point is to enjoy the process rather than
force it down your own throat.

Take fleeting notes and literature notes while reading through something, and
take some time (ideally, that same day while they're still fresh) to form them
into broader permanent notes based on your own thoughts, questions, and goals.
[[id:dd4a78ca-e525-47be-bb13-5b54b2397957][Write them out fully]], as though [[id:b3bb163c-4f36-4060-bf9d-47a478914b5b][explaining them to someone else]], because these
notes will be what explains them to you again later on.

Link permanent notes together in broader topics that serve as an index to a
variety of thoughts and ideas. These notes can later be referenced when building
up a full piece. In all likelihood, they won't be copied straight in, but
instead built upon further.

Link notes together based not on a hierarchy of topics, but by /what will help
you to remember them later/. Doing so will keep your notes [[id:a7e4c85d-ee34-4ec4-bc78-560b3484cc7f][easy to find]] when you
need them.

* Chapter 6: Simplicity Is Paramount
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#+begin_quote
A typical mistake is made by many diligent students who are adhering to the
advice to keep a scientific journal. A friend of mine does not let any idea,
interesting finding or quote he stumbles upon dwindle away and writes everything
down. He always carries a notebook with him and often makes a few quick notes
during a conversation. The advantage is obvious: No idea ever gets lost. The
disadvantages are serious, though: As he treats every note as if it belongs to
the “permanent” category, the notes will never build up a critical mass. The
collection of good ideas is diluted to insignificance by all the other notes,
which are only relevant for a specific project or actually not that good on
second sight. On top of that, the strict chronological order does not offer any
help to find, combine or rearrange ideas in a productive sense. It is not
surprising that my friend has a bookshelf filled with notebooks full of
wonderful ideas, but not a single publication to show.
#+end_quote

The goal is to build a [[id:d3c18b58-db42-4c5f-a1e4-12382a900f4b][Slip-box]] thats value only grows the more that is added to
it. This requires the notes that are added permanently to be sufficiently well
written to be understood later, and also to be found when needed. Doctor Ahrens
describes three separate types of notes at play: fleeting notes, project notes,
and permanent notes.

Fleeting notes are not meant to be the [[id:d3c18b58-db42-4c5f-a1e4-12382a900f4b][Slip-box]], or at least not for long.
Theyr'e meant as quick snippets captured while doing something else. They're
intended to be taken with minimal interruption, and revisited within the day or
so while they're fresh to be elucidated upon, and then discarded once notes of
value are generated from them.

Project notes exist for the specific purpose of supporting a particular effort,
and should be clearly delineated from the rest of the notes, while still being a
part of the overall collection. This is done to allow them to be [[id:a7e4c85d-ee34-4ec4-bc78-560b3484cc7f][discoverable]]
while working on the project, but easily filtered when not, and to eventually be
archived off when the project is complete.

Permanent notes are the ones that remain valuable independent of any particular
project. It is these that you'll retain and revisit, and should be clearly
written using organized, [[id:dd4a78ca-e525-47be-bb13-5b54b2397957][full sentences]] with enough context to be understandable
on their own.

Fleeting entries lack substance or context and clutter the collection.
Project-specific notes hold little relevance beyond the project itself, in
content and in timeliness. They should be regularly pruned and archived to keep
the experience of the [[id:d3c18b58-db42-4c5f-a1e4-12382a900f4b][Slip-box]] frustration-free. To reiterate an idea from
earlier chapters, the ideas is to keep the experience pleasant, and avoid losing
trust in the quality and usefulness of the tool. By remaining diligent about
what goes into the [[id:d3c18b58-db42-4c5f-a1e4-12382a900f4b][Slip-box]] and what stays, you can avoid falling into the trap
of large repeated clean-ups and other chores.