Note-making, also known as notetaking, is the process of summarizing key information from a source (like books, lectures, or conversations) in a structured manner to aid recall and understanding. It is essential for effective learning and information management.
In a discussion on the Modern Wisdom, Chris Williamson explains his preference for reading on a Kindle and employing progressive summarization, a technique where key content is highlighted during reading and later summarized to emphasize important takeaways. These summaries can be archived and revisited, such as with tools like Readwise, which delivers these key points daily for reinforcement 1.
Additionally, the concept of likening notetaking tools to a computer's memory system is explored. Jonny describes using tools like OmniFocus and Evernote as akin to a computer's RAM and hard drive, where immediate tasks and long-term storage, respectively, are managed. This analogy portrays the dynamic storage and retrieval capabilities that effective note-making tools can provide, ensuring that information is accessible when needed in the future 1.
Effective Notetaking Strategies
Chris shares his preference for using Kindle and progressive summarization highlighting for deep reading and efficient notetaking. He also mentions the benefits of Readwise for daily delivery of key takeaways. Title: Organizing Information with Digital Tools Topics: OmniFocus, Evernote, Craft, Roam Summary: Jonny explains his analogy of OmniFocus as RAM and Evernote (or similar tools) as a hard drive for organizing information. He emphasizes the importance of making notes findable for future reference and learning. Title: Building a Tagging Structure for Notes Topics: Tagging, Notebooks, Hierarchical structure Summary: Yusef discusses the need for a tagging structure as the number of notes increases. He highlights the benefits of tags and notebooks, including the ability for tags to straddle across multiple notebooks and the emergence of cross-links between notes. Title: The Quirks of New Evernote Topics: Evernote, Legacy, External brain Summary: Chris and Yusef share their experiences and opinions on the New Evernote, including its quirks and the possibility of downgrading to Evernote Legacy. They humorously compare it to the Men in Black flash and discuss Thiago Forte's tweet about the New Evernote randomly forgetting certain notes. Title: Physical Life Hack: Arsepod Topics: Physical life hack, Arsepod Summary: Yusef introduces a physical life hack called Arsepod, which can be found on Amazon or AliExpress. The speakers briefly discuss its origin and availability.
