When It Comes To Taking Notes, Here's What Really Matters (Organize Your Life) | Cal Newport

Summary

This script discusses the importance and types of note-taking for knowledge workers, emphasizing the need for a working memory extender, an obligation tracker, and a system for capturing broader ideas and life reflections. It also addresses the feasibility of balancing multiple hobbies with work, suggesting a quantitative approach to scheduling and adjusting commitments for a sustainable lifestyle. Additionally, it critiques the reliability of YouTube for study advice, advocating for books with proven effectiveness as a better source of study strategies.

Takeaways

• 📝 Note taking is defined as recording information on a durable written medium for future reference.
• 💡 Three critical types of note-taking systems are highlighted: working memory extender, obligation tracker, and idea capture.
• 🖥️ For working memory, a text file can be used to temporarily hold information that exceeds one's immediate cognitive capacity.
• 📋 The obligation tracker is a system to maintain information for every task or obligation, ensuring nothing is forgotten.
• 💭 Idea capture is for recording broader thoughts, plans, and reflections, which is where most people focus their note-taking efforts.
• 🗓️ Balancing hobbies with work-life fundamentals involves scheduling and quantitatively assessing the feasibility of activities within a week.
• 🎸 For pursuing hobbies, consider seasonal pursuits or adjusting the time spent to ensure a sustainable balance without over-scheduling.
• 📚 When seeking advice on studying and organizing learning, look for sources with incentive structures aligned with effectiveness, such as books rather than YouTube.
• 📖 Books like 'How to Become a Straight-A Student' offer practical advice that has been validated through word-of-mouth success, focusing on academic tasks rather than tools.
• 🔍 Incentive structures in advice platforms matter; podcasts and books tend to provide more reliable advice as their success is based on effectiveness rather than algorithmic promotion.

Q & A

What is the general definition of note-taking provided in the script?

Note-taking is defined as recording information on a durable written medium, allowing you to collect information in a written form that you can reference later.

What are the three critical types of note-taking systems mentioned in the script?

The three critical types of note-taking systems are: 1) a working memory extender, 2) an obligation tracker, and 3) a system for capturing key ideas and broader reflections on work and life.

How does the script suggest using a working memory extender?

A working memory extender is used for temporarily holding onto information as you engage with the inflow of information throughout your workday, such as meeting notes or email actions.

What is the purpose of an obligation tracker in note-taking?

An obligation tracker maintains all relevant information for every obligation you have, serving as a durable record of tasks and responsibilities that you don't need to keep in your head.

How does the script differentiate between note-taking for obligations and note-taking for broader ideas?

Note-taking for obligations is about capturing specific actionable items related to tasks and responsibilities, while note-taking for broader ideas is about recording interesting thoughts, reflections, and plans that are not immediately actionable.

What tools does the speaker use for each type of note-taking in their life?

The speaker uses a plain text file for working memory, Trello for obligation tracking, and a digital notebook (Remarkable 2) for capturing broader ideas and reflections.

Why does the script advise against mixing different types of notes in the same system?

Mixing different types of notes can lead to confusion and overwhelm, reducing the effectiveness of note-taking. Separating them helps maintain clarity and focus on each type of information.

What is the script's stance on using YouTube for advice on studying and organizing learning?

The script suggests that YouTube may not be the best source for advice on studying and organizing learning due to the incentive structure of the platform, which favors views over practical effectiveness.

What alternative does the script propose to YouTube for learning about study habits?

The script proposes reading books, particularly those that have sold well over time without major promotion, as a more reliable source of advice on study habits.

How does the script justify the use of podcast content on YouTube?

The script justifies the use of podcast content on YouTube by stating that podcasting has a better incentive structure similar to books, where the advice has to be effective to grow the audience.

What is the script's advice for someone trying to balance multiple hobbies with essential life habits?

The script advises to become quantitative, schedule the hobbies into a calendar, and objectively assess if the schedule is sustainable. If not, it suggests reducing the quantity or slowing down the pace of the hobbies.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Note Taking for Knowledge Workers

The speaker discusses the importance and definition of note taking, emphasizing its role in recording information for later reference. They identify three critical types of note-taking systems for knowledge workers: a working memory extender, an obligation tracker, and a system for capturing key ideas and reflections. The working memory extender is for temporary storage and organization of information, the obligation tracker maintains information related to tasks and obligations, and the idea capture system is for broader reflections and inspirations. The speaker uses specific tools for each system, such as a plain text file, Trello, and a digital notebook, and stresses the importance of not mixing these systems to manage complexity effectively.

05:03

🎼 Balancing Hobbies with Life Fundamentals

The speaker addresses the concern of balancing hobbies with essential life habits, suggesting a quantitative approach to scheduling. They recommend time blocking and experimenting with an 'autopilot' schedule to see if the desired activities fit into one's weekly routine. If the schedule feels too crowded, they advise scaling back or considering seasonal pursuits. The emphasis is on quality engagement rather than the quantity of activities, suggesting a slower pace for learning new skills to maintain a sustainable schedule.

10:05

📚 Effective Study Habits Beyond Apps

The speaker critiques the reliance on YouTube for advice on studying and productivity, pointing out the incentive structure that drives content creation towards views rather than effectiveness. They recommend books as a more reliable source of advice due to their incentive structure being based on word-of-mouth and actual results. The speaker self-references their book 'How to Become a Straight-A Student' as an example of a resource that focuses on practical and effective study techniques, rather than trendy apps or tools.

15:05

🎙️ The Value of Podcasts and Books for Advice

The speaker concludes by distinguishing between the incentive structures of different media, highlighting podcasts and books as sources of advice that are more likely to be effective because their growth relies on the quality of the content. They clarify that while the advice is being shared on YouTube, it originates from a podcast, which, like books, is driven by the effectiveness of the advice rather than algorithmic feedback loops. The speaker encourages seeking advice from sources where the incentive is aligned with the advice working well.

Keywords

💡Note taking

Note taking, as discussed in the video, refers to the act of recording information on a durable written medium for later reference. It's a critical skill for knowledge workers and is essential for managing information effectively. The video emphasizes three types of note taking: working memory extender, obligation tracker, and idea capture. These methods help individuals to organize their thoughts, tasks, and ideas, ensuring that nothing is forgotten and that information is readily accessible when needed.

💡Working memory extender

A working memory extender is a note-taking system used to temporarily hold information that exceeds one's immediate cognitive capacity. In the video, the speaker uses a text file named 'working memory.txt' to jot down tasks and information that come up during meetings or while processing emails. This method allows for the expansion of one's working memory, ensuring that all necessary details are captured without being lost.

💡Obligation tracker

An obligation tracker is a system for maintaining all relevant information for every task or obligation one has. The video mentions using a tool like Trello to organize tasks, with each card representing an obligation and containing all related information. This type of note taking is crucial for ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks and that all commitments are accounted for.

💡Idea capture

Idea capture in the context of the video refers to the note-taking practice of recording key ideas, thoughts, and insights related to one's work or personal life. This could include brainstorming sessions, reflections, or articles of interest. The speaker uses a digital notebook for this purpose, organizing it into different virtual notebooks for various topics. This method helps in consolidating and reviewing ideas at a later time.

💡Knowledge workers

Knowledge workers are individuals whose primary job function involves working with information, such as analyzing, creating, or manipulating knowledge in various forms. The video suggests that note-taking systems are particularly critical for knowledge workers, as they need to manage and organize a vast amount of information effectively to perform their jobs.

💡Digital notebook

A digital notebook, as mentioned in the video, is a type of software application used for capturing and organizing notes, ideas, and information digitally. The speaker uses a device called 'remarkable 2' for this purpose, creating individual virtual notebooks for different categories of thoughts and ideas. Digital notebooks offer the convenience of easy organization, searchability, and the ability to integrate with other digital tools.

💡Autopilot scheduling

Autopilot scheduling is a method of time management where routine tasks or activities are scheduled into a calendar or planner to the point that they become habitual. The video suggests using this technique to test the feasibility of fitting hobbies and other activities into a weekly schedule. By scheduling activities like guitar practice or drawing sessions, one can objectively assess whether the schedule is sustainable or if adjustments are needed.

💡Seasonal pursuits

Seasonal pursuits refer to the practice of focusing on certain hobbies or activities during specific times of the year. The video uses gardening as an example, suggesting that one might focus more on this hobby in the spring, while dedicating winter to indoor activities like guitar playing. This approach allows for a balance between different interests and the practical considerations of time and environment.

💡Deep life fundamentals

Deep life fundamentals, as discussed in the video, are the core habits and practices that form the foundation of a fulfilling and effective life. The speaker suggests that while pursuing hobbies and interests, it's important to maintain a focus on these fundamentals to ensure overall well-being and productivity. This includes activities that contribute to personal growth, health, and long-term goals.

💡Incentive structures

Incentive structures refer to the underlying motivations or rewards that drive certain behaviors or actions. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses how the incentive structure for YouTube content creators is to gain views, which can lead to content that is optimized for algorithms rather than for providing effective advice. The speaker contrasts this with books and podcasts, where the incentive is more aligned with providing valuable and effective information.

Highlights

Note-taking is defined as recording information on a durable written medium for later reference.

Three critical types of note-taking systems for knowledge workers include a working memory extender, an obligation tracker, and a system for capturing key ideas and reflections.

A working memory extender helps in temporarily holding more information than one can remember, such as meeting notes or email action items.

An obligation tracker maintains all relevant information for every task or obligation, ensuring it's accessible and organized.

The third type of note-taking is for capturing broader ideas, such as interesting articles, brainstorms, and life reflections.

Different tools can be used for each type of note-taking, such as plain text files, Trello, and digital notebooks.

The frequency of refreshing and resetting note-taking systems varies based on their purpose, from real-time during meetings to less frequent for capturing ideas.

The separation of note-taking systems is key to managing complexity and avoiding confusion between tasks, long-term goals, and miscellaneous notes.

For a balanced life, one can schedule hobbies and interests using a quantitative approach to determine if they fit into the weekly routine without compromising essential life habits.

If hobbies and interests do not fit into the schedule, it may be necessary to reduce, slow down, or seasonally adjust these pursuits.

Studying and organizing learning effectively does not necessarily require the use of note-taking apps or to-do list apps.

Books may provide better advice on studying and organization due to a different incentive structure compared to platforms like YouTube.

The incentive for book authors is to provide effective advice that leads to word-of-mouth recommendations and sales.

Podcasting, like books, has an incentive structure that rewards effective advice and content that resonates with listeners.

YouTube content creators may be influenced by the algorithm's feedback loop, which can lead to advice that prioritizes views over effectiveness.

When seeking advice on improving study habits, look for sources with incentive structures aligned with providing effective, practical guidance.

The transcript emphasizes the importance of aligning incentive structures with the advice given to ensure it is practical and effective for the user.

Transcripts

what is note taking for I found note

taking most useful in the short term

grounding me in my current task or

noting a few Todo throughout the day

almost all them almost all of them are

immediately disposable it seems like no

taking can become fairly Naval gazing

and doing it successfully takes away

from execution it's a good question

because we see this a lot in our

discussions of organization notes and

note taking is an excessively broad term

it covers lots of different things and

for a lot of people like Mark these

things get all mixed up and they're

thinking well I I don't know I'm I'm

sitting here journaling all day is this

note taking what should I be doing what

should I not be doing so what I want to

do here is step back let's give a

general definition for note taking and

then I want to highlight what I think

the three critical types of note taking

systems you need in your uh in your life

if you work any sort of knowledge job

and then we can from there move on to

talk about more advanced options

so let's define note taking more

generally to mean recording information

on a durable written

medium so anywhere you're collecting

information in a written medium that's

durable that will then you you have it

outside of your head so you can

reference it later here are the three

types of this note taking that I think

are critical especially for most

knowledge workers one some sort of

working memory

extender this is where I use my text

file on my desktop on my computers

working memory. txt this is for strictly

expanding the amount of information you

can temporarily hold on to as you engage

with the inflow of information

throughout your workday so as things

come in you're in a meeting and people

are suggesting next steps you can just

write this information down in whatever

medium you use for your working memory

extender because it's probably more

information you can keep in your head so

there it is I write it down right there

or I'm going through my email inbox and

uh I need to remember different notes I

need to act on schedule this get back to

them I can write it into my working

memory. extender these are notes that

exist outside of your own brain allows

you to hold on and organize more

information than you could do just

strictly within the confines of your own

neurons now this is something that

resets all the time it is a it's a

durable form but you reset it all the

time so as I'm going through a meeting

I'm taking quick notes on here's the

five things I need to do after that

Meeting those notes will then get

processed out of my working memory file

into calendar reminders into my

obligation system so it's a a temporary

storage but it allows me in the moment

to keep track of more things that my

brain can do on its own that's note

taking but of a very temporary type next

comes what I just cited which is your

obligation tracker some system that

maintain all of the relevant information

for every obligation on your plate this

is also notetaking written durable

information that you don't have to keep

track of in your head so somewhere here

are all the things I have to do probably

categorized here is all of the

information related to each of these

things all in this one

place you want that information

accessible and captured somewhere that's

note

taking then finally we get to what most

people think of when they think about

note taking and this is more where

you're capturing key ideas about your

work in your life could be interesting

ideas interesting articles

brainstorms concerns that you have this

is the broad category that captures what

people normally think about in

notetaking I might be journaling my

thoughts about things I might be writing

down my plans for how I want to improve

my life I might be capturing articles

that are relevant to the newsletter that

I run and things I want to

remember and this is where you're going

to use uh whatever type of system you

like to capture things in you have a lot

of different choices here all three of

these things are notetaking you need

some sort of system for

each so in my own life I use a plain

text file for working memory I use

Trello for obligation tracking Notes One

board per roll one column per type of

obligation one card per obligation all

of the relevant information for that

obligation on the card and I use my

remarkable 2 digital notebook for

everything else inside my remarkable 2 I

have dozens of different individual

virtual notebooks for keeping track of

ideas Reflections concerns Etc so those

are the three categories Mark do those

three categories different tools for

each different rates of refresh and

reset for each working memory you're

resetting this every 10 minutes or so

your obligation list you're working with

every day your bigger idea capture is

something you maybe go over in detail

much less often hey I'm going to have a

summit now to rethink this part of my

business let me go back and look through

my notes maybe that's just once every

few months or so so that's really

it um there are more complicated systems

and methodologies you know we have a lot

of fans here of zle casin type systems

we also have a lot of fans here of

interesting note taking software that

really gets into the details of how you

store notes how you connect notes the

format in which the notes are stored

that is optional it's more about your

interest if you like information

management as a hobby you can build more

complicated systems around it but you

don't need complicated systems to

successfully take notes those are the

three areas you have to take notes just

make sure those are all three covered

with some sort of reasonable techno

system um and then you're doing a fine

job but I think that separation is key

don't mix all this stuff together don't

have a mol skin somewhere in which

you're trying to keep your tasks next to

your vision for living on a cabin in 20

years next to a grocery list you want to

remember when you go to the store we

need some separation for note taken to

keep up with the complexity of Modern

Life all right what do we got next Jesse

next question is from reab as a

26-year-old software develop developer

who has recently landed a well-paying

job I'm looking to pursue my interest in

learning to play the guitar drawing and

some days gardening however I'm

concerned about whether it's feasible to

schedule all these activities into a

single week while maintaining a focus on

deep life core fundamentals in your

expert opinion would it be possible to

balance all these Pursuits effectively

within a given week without compromising

on essential life habits well I think

this is a objective question for which

you can get an objective answer by

becoming

quantitative so let's just work with

your calendar I'm assuming you're

professionally speaking you're organized

you time block your days you have a

clear shutdown there's some clarity

about your time outside of

work play with that

time so start autopilot scheduling some

of these Hobbies maybe you guard in on

weekday mornings maybe you

alternate a guitar practice session and

what was the other thing drawing

practice session on different days you

do it an hour before dinner autopilot

this

out see if it fits and if the stuff does

fit execute this autopilot schedule for

a while and and say does this feel

sustainable or do I feel like I'm I'm

constantly running from one thing to

another or it's overfilling my

time I used to run this exercise with

undergraduates who are trying to figure

out their academic programs and their

extracurricular programs and I would say

we got to sit down and just build a plan

for your proposal here you want to do

these five extracurriculars in double

major show me the time then they would

go through and block off the time for

studying and how long is this going to

take and put on their meetings and the

time to work on their activities and it

either fit or it didn't and sometimes if

it just barely fit they would come back

a week later and say this is crazy every

minute of my life is scheduled so if it

doesn't fit or it fits and your life

feels too crowded then you just pull

back you're getting an objective

feedback here you pull back and it

doesn't matter if you're pulling back

these are Hobbies the thing is you want

to be spending quality time outside of

work on things that matter the quantity

isn't important so if it doesn't fit or

it barely fits maybe you do seasonal

Pursuits

in the spring I'm working a lot on my

garden and in the you know winter I'm

spending a lot more time on guitar

because that's sort of inside and I do

drawing in the fall you could have

seasonal Pursuits you could stack these

one over another or maybe what you need

to do is just slow down your ambition

for these

Pursuits and instead of saying look I'm

going to do four hours of guitar a day

and I want to be shredding in like six

months you say I'm going to spend less

time good hard practice like we talked

about the Deep diet trying to move up

the stair steps towards uh expert

knowledge but I'm just willing for this

to take longer a few years from now I'll

be a pretty good guitar player but I'm

playing you know just an hour every

other day that doesn't take up as much

time I'm doing so I have a drawing class

I take once a week and on Fridays I I

get out of work early and go to a park

to work on the drawing this is maybe I'm

going to learn these skills slower but

that makes their footprint on my

schedule smaller and I have more give

and more flexibility and don't feel like

I'm over scheduled so treat this like a

quantitative question get clear feedback

if it's too much reduce or slow down it

doesn't really matter for your goal here

which is just to make sure that you're

engaged in deeper Pursuits that's what

matters not the speed at which you're

getting better at things not the

quantity of things that you're actually

going

after all right who do we got next next

question is from Craig I'm a college

student trying to be more smart smart

about how I study and organize my

learning I'm relatively new to this

stuff strangely most productivity tips

on YouTube are about the top 10 to-do

list in notet taking apps will I'd be

less effective if I don't use one of

those apps it seems like a lot of work

and setup to learn all those apps to be

efficient and I dread thinking about the

heavy lifting prep those apps require

what should I do well I think my answer

here at first is going to be ironic

because you may be listening to this

answer on YouTube but I'm going to tell

you in a second why what I'm about to

say here is not

oxymoronic don't use YouTube to get

advice on

studying so when you're getting

information especially information on uh

improving your life you have to

understand the incentive structures in

place and for people who are purely

doing YouTube so I'm if you're a pure

study habits

YouTuber the incentive structure is for

views that's what you look about that's

what you care about I want more views on

my videos to get more views on your

videos on YouTube you have to to work

with the idiosyn

idiosyncratic properties of the

recommendation algorithm and you get

into this feedback loop where you your

your

content it morphs more and more towards

what's giving you this better feedback

from the algorithm and after a while

it's the algorithm specifying your

content so you may be started out as a

YouTuber saying I want to help students

study better because this is an audience

out there that cares about

this and after 6 months of interacting

with the algorithm it's you know the top

10 to-do list apps or whatever because

this is what's getting them the best

view numbers the advice might have very

little to do however with the nuts and

bolts of becoming a better student so

the incentive structure matters so if

you want to become a better student and

this is going to sound very self-serving

but I'm going to say read my book How to

Become a Straight A

Student now why is that better because

what is the incentive structure of books

when you write a book like how to become

a straight A student let me tell you

this from experience this is not a we're

going to go hard out of the gate there's

going to be a number one New York Times

bestseller I'm going to be on the Today

Show talking about this book and every

major podcaster wants to have me on that

is not the play when you write a book on

student advice the play is this better

work so some people will buy this

because they heard about it from me or

solid on a

table I'm embarrassed to admit this

Jesse but when that book came out it was

read my first my first year at grad

school at MIT I would sometimes go to

the Harvard

Co-op as they call it the coupe and I

would uh it was on tables and kind of

hang around people would pick up the

book and look at it but that's like how

people discovered it at first I didn't

have a social there was no social media

back then wasn't on a big podcast people

would find it on tables and then it's

all word of mouth and what is going to

make someone recommend a book to someone

else this

worked this made me get better grades

you should read it my kids grades got

better after they read this so what you

want to look for if you want to align

incentive structures with advice here is

you want to find a book on student study

habit advice that just had a quiet entry

into the marketplace and overtime sell

sell sell Sals and I just looked it up

before the show I think the sales um on

how to become a St student is

approaching 250,000

copies a book that has never had any

major promotion has never been talked

about on a single major podcast show or

had any footprint on social media that's

all word to

mouth so there you verify the incentive

there for me to make that book sell that

many copies I was obsessed about this

better work what really works so books

have a better incentive structure

surrounding their information than

YouTube

does so you buy my book or any other

book that has sold a lot of copies that

focus on this topic you're much more

likely to get advice that works and

you're not going to hear any about note

taking apps or to-do list in that book

my book gets right down to the Brass tax

of what are the different academic tasks

you have to do what is the right way to

do these how do you take information

from a textbook and learn it efficiently

to the point that you can do well on a

test how do you write a paper how do you

break that down into multiple steps so

that it's a good paper that you're going

to get good grades on how do you learn

mathematics to the level that you can

sit down for a mathematics exam and get

a really good score on it well here's

exactly how you want to organize your

notes here's how you should study it

these would make excessively boring

YouTube videos from the perspective of

the algorithm but they also lead to

notably High

gpas all right so now let's come back to

the oxymoronic uh fallacy early on

aren't you hearing advice now on YouTube

well here's how I I exempt what we're

doing here is that this uh if you're

watching this on YouTube what you are

seeing is the video of a

podcast right the podcast is the game

here we put the video of the podcast on

YouTube podcasting has a good incentive

structure it's similar to books uh there

is not an algorithm to please in other

words there's not an A A Hard

inscrutable complex feedback mechanism

that drives your content in podcasting

it is just like books if someone likes

your show they will tell someone else

about it and your audience grows a

little bit and that's how podcasts grow

is people uh find what you're talking

about to be effective enough that they

will then go on to tell someone else

about it so that's what I think saves us

here if you're watching this on YouTube

is that what we're trying to do is get

more podcast listeners and I see that

the exact same way as trying to get more

book readers the stuff's got to

work we play some tricks with the uh the

thumbnails and the titles to try to get

some algorithmic juice or YouTube guy

does that but the content comes out of

the

podcast so I think incent of structures

matter so keep that in mind so uh pure

YouTubers are not necessarily a great

source of advice on a lot of topics you

want to find sources of advice where the

incentive structure is for the advice to

work that's what's going to make it

actually do better hey if you like this

video I think you'll really like this

one as well check it out