Note taking

Note-Taking Systems

Zettelkasten Method

Three note types form a processing pipeline:

Note type	What it is	Where it lives	Lifespan
Fleeting	Raw capture — thoughts, highlights, quick ideas	Inbox	Days
Literature	Processed from a single source, in your own words	Reference	Permanent
Permanent (Zettel)	Single idea, linked to related ideas, evergreen	Main slip box	Permanent

Permanent Note Principles (atomic notes)

• One idea per note — split if a note covers more than one concept
• Write in your own words — paraphrasing builds understanding
• Link explicitly — every note links to at least one related note
• Title is a full sentence or claim: "Spaced repetition beats massed practice for long-term retention"
• Notes should make sense without context (standalone)

Zettelkasten Workflow

1. Capture fleeting notes throughout the day (phone, paper, app)
2. Process fleeting notes daily/every 2 days → literature or permanent notes
3. Write permanent notes — formulate the idea, find links
4. Link to existing notes — this is where insight emerges
5. Review periodically — notes surface connections over time

PARA Method

Four categories for organizing all digital information:

Category	What belongs	Time horizon	Examples
Projects	Active work with deadline/outcome	Weeks-months	"Launch feature X", "Write article on Y"
Areas	Ongoing responsibilities, no deadline	Indefinite	"Health", "Finance", "Engineering"
Resources	Reference material for future use	Indefinite	"CSS patterns", "Tax info", "Book notes"
Archives	Completed or inactive from above	Permanent	Finished projects, past references

PARA Rules

• Every piece of information belongs in exactly one location
• Projects drive organization — resources exist to support projects
• Move items to Archives when no longer active (don't delete)
• Review quarterly: promote resources → projects, archive completed projects

Progressive Summarization

Four layers of highlighting to distill information over time:

Layer	What you do	When
0	Save the source note	When captured
1	Bold the most important passages (10-20%)	When reading/processing
2	Highlight the most important bolded passages (10-20% of layer 1)	When revisiting
3	Write a short executive summary at the top	When actively using

Layer 4: Express — turn the note into your own output (article, presentation, decision).

Key rule: Only add a layer when you revisit the note for a real reason. Don't pre-summarize.

Capture Workflow

What to capture

• Ideas that surprise you or challenge your assumptions
• Connections between unrelated concepts
• Questions you want to explore
• Counterarguments to things you believe
• Anything you want to be able to find again
• Not: everything — selectivity is a skill

Capture tools by context

Context	Tool
Mobile / walking	Voice memo, Apple Notes, quick capture app
Desktop	Dedicated inbox in PKM tool or browser extension
Reading (physical book)	Pen + paper → transfer during weekly review
Reading (digital)	Readwise, Kindle highlights, browser clipper
Meeting	Dedicated meeting note template

Inbox Zero for Notes

• Process capture inbox at least twice a week
• Each item: delete / file as-is / develop into permanent note
• Nothing stays in inbox > 1 week

Tool Comparison

Tool	Best for	Strengths	Weaknesses
Obsidian	Zettelkasten, local-first, power users	Linking, plugins, local markdown files	Setup complexity
Roam Research	Bidirectional linking, daily notes	Block references, networked thought	Cost, proprietary
Notion	Teams, PARA, databases	Flexible, collaborative	Slow, poor linking
Apple Notes	Quick capture, iOS integration	Fast, reliable, search	No linking, basic
Logseq	Open-source Roam alternative	Free, local, outline-based	Smaller ecosystem

Atomic Note Template

# [Claim or concept in full sentence]

[2-5 sentences explaining the idea in your own words]

## Evidence / Examples
- [Supporting example or data point]
- [Counter-example if relevant]

## Why this matters
[Practical implication or why you captured this]

## Links
- [[Related note 1]] — [how it relates]
- [[Related note 2]] — [how it relates]

## Source
[Author, Book/Article, Date, Page/URL]

Review and Maintenance

Daily (5 min)

• Process fleeting notes from yesterday
• Write 1 permanent note minimum

Weekly (during weekly review)

• Process literature notes backlog
• Check notes related to active projects

Monthly

• Browse randomly through 10-20 notes
• Update outdated notes
• Merge duplicates

Signals that your system needs attention

• You can't find notes you know you took
• Notes exist but never get used
• Capture is high but processing is zero
• Too many orphaned notes with no links