5 Ways to Actually USE the Notes You Take

Summary

This video provides practical strategies for effectively utilizing the notes you take, beyond just storing them. It introduces methods like processing notes immediately after meetings or reading, revisiting old notes through random selections, using graph views in Obsidian to link isolated notes, and adding summary properties for quick reference. The video also emphasizes the importance of publishing your work online, not just for visibility but as a way to deepen your understanding. These tips aim to enhance your note-taking system, making it more functional and impactful.

Takeaways

• 📝 Takeaway 1: The importance of not only taking notes but also processing them effectively to utilize them as a 'second brain'.
• 🔍 Takeaway 2: Developing a 'processing' habit for notes, inspired by Zettelkasten method, to ensure clarity and future usefulness.
• 🖋️ Takeaway 3: Rereading notes to flesh out ideas and highlight key points for easier future reference.
• 🔄 Takeaway 4: Rewriting main points in one's own words to aid in learning and internalization of information.
• 🔗 Takeaway 5: Linking notes to other relevant notes and adding tags for better organization and retrieval.
• 📚 Takeaway 6: The practice of 'Random Note Fridays' to review and work on notes that might have been overlooked.
• 📊 Takeaway 7: Using graph view in note-taking apps like Obsidian to find and connect 'lonely' or unattached notes.
• 📑 Takeaway 8: Adding a 'summary' property to notes for a quick overview and to indicate processed notes.
• 🌐 Takeaway 9: The benefits of publishing notes online, such as personal blogs or websites, for idea consolidation and potential career advantages.
• 💡 Takeaway 10: The long-term value of note-taking as a form of thinking, which improves understanding and note-taking skills over time.

Q & A

What is the main challenge with note-taking according to the speaker?

The main challenge is not just taking notes, but being able to do something useful with them, essentially making the 'second brain' function effectively.

What is the term used by the speaker for reviewing and refining notes after initial creation?

The term used is 'processing my notes', which is a practice loosely based on Zettelkasten.

What is the first step in the speaker's note processing method?

The first step is to reread the notes, flesh out ideas, and clarify the content for future reference.

How does the speaker suggest highlighting important parts in the notes?

The speaker suggests using bold for key points and italics for helper phrases or related information in the raw notes.

What action should be taken after highlighting the notes according to the speaker?

After highlighting, add a section at the top of the note rewriting the main points in your own words, link to other notes, add tags, and optionally write a one-sentence summary.

What is the purpose of 'Random Note Fridays' as suggested by the speaker?

The purpose is to review and work on notes that haven't been seen in a while, ensuring they are fleshed out, linked, and integrated into the larger note system.

Why is using the graph view in Obsidian useful for note processing?

Using the graph view helps find unattached or 'lonely' notes, which can then be linked and incorporated into the larger system, ensuring no note is left unprocessed.

What is the benefit of adding a 'summary' property to notes?

Adding a 'summary' property provides a quick overview of what the note is about, aiding in quick recall and indicating whether the note has been processed.

How does the speaker emphasize the importance of publishing work based on notes?

The speaker emphasizes that publishing work forces one to fully flesh out ideas, creates an online presence, and can lead to career opportunities, as it did for the speaker.

What is the long-term benefit of consistently publishing notes according to the speaker?

The long-term benefit is the compounding interest of value in writing, which can improve one's understanding of topics and overall note-taking skills.

How does the speaker suggest finding notes for review if the random button in Obsidian becomes less helpful?

The speaker suggests using a plugin like 'Smart Random Note' that allows specifying properties to find notes that need review, making the process more targeted.