The art of note-making is both subtle and important. Without a note-making habit and system, you are bound to become a much less capable knowledge worker, whatever your field. Our modern age is defined by high levels of consumption. Without an effective system as to how to manage all of the information that you come across in such a way that it builds value over time, your brain (and therefore knowledge and wisdom) will be like a leaky bucket - never able to accumulate or keep the thing you're searching for. There is a lot to be said about note-making. This page is an index for all things related to the goal of maintaining more of the information we consume. ## Meta - [[Note-making vs Note-taking]] - [[Structure your notes for writing and reading]] - [[Questions can be good note titles]] - [[Note taking tools]] ## Principles - [[The daily and weekly review is the lynchpin habit that holds the entire system together]] ## Rules - References and Related materials at the bottom - Use hashtag-"tags" only for document statuses # References (Most of this comes from [[Andy Matuschak]]'s blog) ## Principles of effective note-making - [Evergreen notes should be atomic](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zNUaiGAXp21eorsER1Jm9yU) - [Evergreen notes should be concept-oriented](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/z2hQEhqWkdRLL9JUwfawZZx) - [Evergreen notes should be densely linked](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zF8xCU4BwXwbmSyp7tmff9i) - [Prefer associative ontologies to hierarchical taxonomies](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/z8SU3r8xyZyvwRhyDdJasJ2) - [Write notes for yourself by default, disregarding audience](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zXDPrYcxUSZbF5M8vM5Y1U9) - [Prefer fine-grained associations](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zS27HJzP3uD366crN7PYDQU) - [Prefer note titles with complete phrases to sharpen claims](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zLhoRUyjKU665EY16u4XXJy) ## Implementing an evergreen note practice - [Write about what you read to internalize texts deeply](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zB74H9CuWrosEuqve7jZyCo) - [A reading inbox to capture possibly-useful references](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zDXBGEWk7msyonQ2Ngnrf8h) - [A writing inbox for transient and incomplete notes](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zUP4GuzPF33dWkZPiu9N6V5) - [Executable strategy for writing](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zCknixwETdFm1MWdWPwMcXs) - [Evergreen note titles are like APIs](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zDh1yhNFQNxDEre12B4zd8k) - [Create speculative outlines while you write](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/z79rMNNuLrUj6R8q1CXSpDm) ## Why make and write notes? - It helps you generate insights and think more clearly - [Knowledge work should accrete](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zTn3g4wTm1hbkNFUvLLjpev) - [Evergreen note-writing helps insight accumulate](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/z4EXkuLjdBrBZe7PVAGXc5a) - [[Leaps of insight emerge from prior thought]] - [Evergreen note-writing as fundamental unit of knowledge work](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zR6RRbCfY5rFkiimFnaJZKB) ## Further reading - [Taxonomy of note types](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zTDjZQbKAT9pALtsk2HfePx) - [“Better note-taking” misses the point; what matters is “better thinking”](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/zAf4oNSV9qB38ncSvYEZGAb)