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.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Enhancing Note-Taking Efficiency

The speaker discusses the importance of not just taking notes but also effectively using them. They introduce their personal system for processing notes, which includes rereading, highlighting key points, rewriting main points in their own words, and linking to other notes. Additionally, they suggest using a 'random note' feature in note-taking apps like Obsidian to review and work on notes that might have been neglected. The speaker also emphasizes the value of adding a summary to notes for quick reference and the benefits of publishing work online to solidify understanding and build an online presence.

05:02

🌐 Utilizing Data Views and Publishing for Note Integration

In the second paragraph, the speaker focuses on the use of data views and tables to pull in summary information from notes, allowing for a quick overview of content without needing to open each note. They also stress the importance of publishing notes online, whether through a personal blog or other platforms, as a means to fully develop ideas and establish an online presence. Publishing work is portrayed as a long-term investment in one's career and personal growth, with potential benefits such as attracting professional opportunities and enhancing understanding of topics through the act of writing and sharing thoughts.

Keywords

💡Note Taking

Note Taking refers to the practice of recording information from various sources, such as meetings, books, or articles, for later reference. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of not just taking notes but also processing and using them effectively. The concept is central to the video's theme, as the speaker has developed systems to ensure that notes serve as a functional 'second brain' rather than just stored information.

💡Obsidian

Obsidian is a popular note-taking application mentioned in the video. It is known for its flexibility, customization, and ability to link notes together, creating a network of interconnected ideas. The speaker discusses how Obsidian can be used effectively to build a 'second brain' and highlights features like the random note button and graph view to help users manage and review their notes.

💡Second Brain

The concept of a 'Second Brain' refers to the idea of creating an external system, like a note-taking app, that helps store and organize knowledge in a way that mimics the brain's natural processes. In the video, the speaker challenges viewers to ensure their second brain is functioning effectively by not just taking notes but actively using them through various methods such as processing, reviewing, and linking notes.

💡Processing Notes

Processing Notes involves reviewing and refining the notes you’ve taken to ensure they are clear and useful for future reference. The speaker describes this as rereading notes, bolding key points, and summarizing main ideas. This step is critical to make notes more valuable and ensure they contribute meaningfully to the 'second brain' system.

💡Random Note Fridays

Random Note Fridays is a habit suggested by the speaker, where users dedicate time each Friday to review random notes from their collection. This practice helps in revisiting older notes, fleshing out ideas, linking them to other notes, or deciding if they are no longer useful. It encourages continuous interaction with one's notes, preventing them from becoming forgotten or unused.

💡Graph View

Graph View is a feature in Obsidian that visually displays the connections between notes as a network of nodes. In the video, the speaker discusses how this view can be used to identify 'Lone notes'—those that are not connected to others. By finding and linking these notes, users can ensure that all their ideas are integrated into their overall knowledge system, making the second brain more cohesive.

💡Summary Property

The Summary Property is a metadata field that users can add to their notes to include a one-sentence summary of the note's content. This feature is highlighted in the video as a way to quickly understand what a note is about without having to read through it entirely. The summary also serves as an indicator that a note has been processed, helping users keep track of their note management.

💡Digital Gardening

Digital Gardening is a metaphor for the ongoing maintenance and cultivation of one’s digital notes and knowledge base. The speaker likens the process of managing and linking notes in Obsidian to pruning a tree, where regular attention ensures that the system remains organized and all notes contribute to the overall structure. This concept emphasizes the importance of continuous care in managing a second brain.

💡Publishing Your Work

Publishing Your Work refers to the act of sharing your processed notes, thoughts, and ideas publicly, such as through a blog. The speaker strongly encourages this as it forces you to fully develop your ideas, enhances your understanding of topics, and creates an online presence that can be valuable for career growth. The speaker also shares a personal anecdote about how publishing work online led to career opportunities.

💡Zettelkasten

Zettelkasten is a note-taking method that emphasizes breaking down ideas into small, atomic notes and linking them to create a web of interconnected knowledge. The speaker mentions this method as an inspiration for their own note-processing system, which involves refining notes and linking them to others. Zettelkasten serves as a foundational concept for building an effective second brain.

Highlights

Developing a system to effectively use notes beyond just taking them is crucial for a functioning 'second brain'.

The process of 'processing notes' involves rereading, clarifying, and emphasizing key points for future reference.

Using bold and italics to highlight main points and helper phrases in raw notes aids in quick recollection.

Rewriting main points in one's own words at the top of the note aids in internalization and provides a quick summary for future review.

Linking notes to other relevant notes and adding tags is an essential part of the note processing system.

Random Note Fridays is a practice to review and work on notes that might have been overlooked.

Obsidian's random note feature can be used to revisit and potentially refine older notes.

Using a plugin like 'Smart Random Note' can help in processing notes based on specific properties.

Graph view in Obsidian can be utilized to find and connect 'lone' or unattached notes.

Adding a 'summary' property to notes provides a quick overview and aids in identifying unprocessed notes.

Using data view tables to display summaries of notes can streamline the process of revisiting and understanding notes.

Publishing notes online, such as on a personal blog or professional platform, can enhance the value of the notes and demonstrate expertise.

Publishing work online can lead to career opportunities and establish an online presence.

SEO and search engine optimization can make self-published content discoverable and potentially popular over time.

Forcing oneself to publish notes compels deeper thinking and understanding of topics.

The act of publishing notes can improve one's note-taking skills and overall thought process.

Transcripts

if you're anything like me you have

become a diligent Note Taker whether

you're in meetings taking notes on that

or studying a topic or anything else you

have obsidian or another not taking app

you've built systems you've built

customizations and you've gotten really

good at taking notes but that is just

the first step what you need is to

actually be able to do something with

those notes and that is by far the

hardest part so you have your second

brain but is it actually functioning

like a second brain so I've developed a

few different systems that I use to

actually use the notes that I'm taking

and I want to share some of those with

you just to note this is not definitive

there are lots of additional things you

can be doing and I think technology is

eventually going to catch up too but for

now I think that these are some really

great ways you could actually use the

notes that you take these are five ways

to actually use the notes that you're

taking always process article book or

meeting notes after writing or importing

I've developed a practice that I like to

call processing my notes it's sort of

loosely based on zel Ken and the process

is outlined in this book how to take

smart notes but it's been modified for

my use and I'm going to show you kind of

what that means here too at some point

you will finish writing a note whether

that's after a meeting is over or after

you finish reading an article or reading

a book and you'll have a list or a note

full of things that you wanted to

remember from that not note there are a

few different steps after that point

that I take in order to process my notes

the first is actually reread everything

and as I'm rereading it I flesh out the

ideas I make sure everything that I'm

writing is clear enough for my future

self and as I'm going through it I will

bold and italicize certain parts of

those raw notes so key points that I

want to jump out at me when I reread

this note I'll make in bold and helper

phrases or anything kind of related to

that I'll add in italicize after that's

done I'll add another section to the

very top of the note where I rewrite the

main points in my own words this forces

me to actually think about what I'm

learning and internalize it plus it's a

gift for my future self when I return

back to this note to remember what I

found valuable from it this is also the

point where you link to your other notes

you add tags you do all that

housekeeping stuff and optionally if you

have a property tag for summary write a

one- sentence summary and I'm going to

talk a little bit more about that later

in this video start doing random note

Fridays there is a button on the left

hand side bar of obsidian that looks

like a die and when you click it it

opens a random note this isn't just

gambling it's actually a great way to

review notes that you might not have

seen in a while so dedicate maybe 30

minutes 45 minutes every Friday and

click that note and go back and review

random notes in your system but don't

just read them actually do work on them

so flesh out the ideas link them to

other notes in your system or if

relevant copy that stuff from that note

and paste it into another note that you

have and just delete the the note that

you're not really using that much if you

have a big Vault and eventually you will

the random button might not be as

helpful to you so you might want to look

at a plugin there's one called smart

random note where you can specify

certain properties of notes that you

would like to be uh bubbled up when you

click the button so it's not quite as

random as the built-in random note but

it'll help you actually process notes

that you want to be looking back and

reviewing implementing a habit like this

is going to be great for reviewing old

notes and remembering what you wrote use

graph view to find Lone notes and make

them less lonely the graph View and

obsidian can be mesmerizing and is a

particular draw to people that are new

to obsidian but as you work in the

system you find that you just don't

quite use it that much because it's just

not that useful except for one way if

you use your graph view to find

individual nodes that are unattached

that's a great way to go through your

system and find notes that might not be

processed so when you jump into those

notes see if there is a link to any

other notes in your system do the sort

of housekeeping that you would do on any

of your other notes and make sure that

those ideas in those unattached nodes

are incorporated into your larger system

this can be done on Friday like your

random note habit or just anytime you

want to get a little bit done in your

Vault if you're approaching your Vault

like a digital Gardener this is sort of

like pruning the tree add a summary

property to all applicable notes I

mentioned before that you might want to

have a property of your notes called

summary and this is great for meeting

notes I talk about it in my meeting

notes tutorial uh video but it's also

really handy for a lot of other notes in

your system basically you can add a

property called summary and then for

notes that are applicable just add a

one- sentence summary as to what that

note is about then you can use data view

tables and that data view table table

can p pull in that summary information

on a map of contents or any other page

that you create that you list all of

those notes that way when you're seeing

a list of all of your notes you have a

quick summary at a glance so you know

what is in that note so you don't have

to jump into it and reread it every time

you want to go back through that

information you'll have a nice summary

for yourself and it's also a really

great indicator if you have already

processed that note or not if you add a

summary then you can look through all of

your notes and see which have summaries

and which don't and then jump into those

ones that don't have a summary because

those are kind of on your to-do list

that you want to revisit at some point

and lastly and most importantly publish

your work I can't emphasize this enough

publish your work it could be a personal

blog that you do it could be WordPress

Squarespace whatever you want to do

please just get your work out there it's

really great in terms of forcing you to

fully flesh out your ideas and even if

nobody's reading it it will compound an

interest for you in terms of the value

of this note because in the future you

may have somebody Googling your name

because they're thinking about hiring

you or you want to have some sort of

online presence and having this writing

online will show proof that you are

thoughtful that you're thinking of a

variety of topics and it has been the

most valuable thing for me in my career

and it will be for you as well many

years ago when I was working retail I

created a WordPress website and I just

started randomly publishing things

because of that I happened to get my

very first job as a staff writer based

on this portfolio of work that I just

personally self-published you can create

content that is kind of niche in terms

of your specialty and then even if

nobody's reading it immediately you'll

eventually that SEO or search engine

optimization juice you never know what

of your writing is going to pop off and

get popular but doing this and doing it

for a sustained amount of time will

provide value like I said it's

compounding interest of value in your

writing and as I mentioned in a previous

video writing is thinking so forcing

yourself to publish is forcing you to

think and you will understand topics

better and just be a better note taker

in general and those are some tips for

actually using the notes the you write

I'm curious if you have any ideas ways

that you are using your notes after you

write them please let me know in the

comments below I don't just say that to

get comments I want to actually

incorporate these ideas myself so I

would love to hear from you if you have

a good system for actually using your

notes as usual if you've liked this

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will see you in the next

video