The Art of Note-Making
Cultivating Your Garden of Knowledge
Dear friends,
Today, I want to share some insights on a topic that's close to my heart and has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth: the art of note-making. This isn't just about jotting down information; it's about cultivating a garden of knowledge that can truly transform your life. Let me walk you through my journey and the principles I've developed along the way.
The Shift from Note-Taking to Note-Making
When I reached the point of note-making mastery, I realized something profound: the system doesn't matter. Whether it's PARA, Zettelkasten, or any other method, they're just systems. What truly matters is writing notes skillfully.
Here's the fundamental cognitive shift we need to make:
Instead of seeing your notes as a collection of information, view them as the place where you do your deepest and best thinking.
Your note-taking system is the garden where you cultivate your knowledge. Like a medieval monk tending to his herb garden with total concentration, you must start tending to your notes as if they were fragile plants that need great care.
The Three Principles of Note-Making Mastery
To help shape the art of note-making, I've created the following set of principles:
1. Write, Don't Highlight
Before I attained note-making mastery, I highlighted passages extensively in books, believing this practice would aid my learning. However, I realized that I rarely, if ever, revisited these highlights.
Instead of highlighting or copy-pasting, write your notes in your own words. This forces you to engage deeply with the material and truly understand it.
2. Curate, Don't Collect
Thoughtfully consider each addition to your note-making system. Your notes are your garden of knowledge, which you are cultivating with great care and attention.
Always try to enhance your existing notes by reflecting on how new information relates to other areas of your life and knowledge.
3. Refine, Don't Rush
Spend quality time with your notes. Start seeing the act of note-making as active self-development, like meditation or exercise.
Analogy: Imagine a blacksmith in his forge. He keeps heating the steel, hammering it out on his anvil, and carefully examining the result. Then he heats it again and keeps hammering at the area that needs improvement. Like a well-forged blade honed to perfection, build your notes with purpose, clarity, and precision.
The Power of Note-Making
Note-making is not just about organizing information; it's about transforming information into personal knowledge. Here's why it's so powerful:
Deep Understanding: Writing notes in your own words demands deep thinking and forces you to grapple with the material until it's truly understood.
Revealing Knowledge Gaps: When you encounter difficulties in the process, it serves as a clear indicator that you need to delve deeper into the subject.
Personal Growth: The strenuous feeling indicates that you are literally changing your mind. This is the true purpose of note-making - to reveal gaps in your understanding and to crystallize your own thinking.
My Personal Journey
Learning to write skillfully crafted notes has changed my life forever. It's the single skill that enabled me to transition from a nurse to a DevOps engineer and successful entrepreneur, now making over $150,000 a year. Note-making is my superpower, and you can achieve the same.
Wrapping Up
Internalize these teachings, and your questions about where notes should go will disappear. Focus on the act of note-making instead of worrying about categorization. These questions will answer themselves as your own garden of knowledge unfolds before your eyes.
Like anything good in the world, it takes discipline, effort, and time. But I promise you, it will change your life for the better.
If you want to learn these skills directly from me and join a community of like-minded professionals, check out my exclusive community on Skool. You'll get access to weekly group coaching calls, over 30 hours of premium content, and a chance to connect with over 400 engineers all aiming to 10x our careers, lives, and income.
Until next time, may your notes bring you as much joy and prosperity as they have brought me.
Happy note-making!
Mischa
P.S. Remember, we're not just taking notes; we're cultivating knowledge. Start your journey to note-making mastery today!
Brilliant