Nov 7, 2022
Taking Meaningful Notes Becomes Simple When You Understand This
Here’s Why Your Notes Are Useless Clutter (And Prevent You From Achieving Your Goals)
Over the years, I’ve taken thousands of useless notes.
I was stuffing more and more information into my note-taking apps, but then came to the painful realization that my notes were… useless.
But during the last two years, everything changed.
I totally revamped my note-taking workflow.
Today, my notes are more helpful than ever. I learn better, come up with unique idea combinations, and share those ideas with the world.
But all this was possible because of one thing: taking fewer notes. Who would have thought of this?
In an age of information abundance, It’s not about the amount of information you save but what you do with it that matters.
So if you want to turn the notes you amassed into something valuable, understand this simple idea: It’s all about consuming less.
More is less. Notes no exception.
Here’s how to get started.
Identify the garbage from the gold
Today’s world is not about paying attention. It’s about paying inattention.
In other terms, it’s all about identifying the garbage from the gold. What’s worth your attention, and what’s not?
Truth is, 95% of things you pay attention to are not worth your time.
The intrusive ad before watching your TedTalk. The cat video you just got on WhatsApp. And the latest bestselling recommendation you heard on a podcast.
Once you identify what’s worth reading, watching, or listening to, you automatically limit your choices. Having less to consume prevents you from overconsuming content. It helps you slow down, regulate your information intake, and encourage active thinking. Not only passive consuming.
As an example, I stopped reading social media newsfeeds. I don’t consume short-form videos. I only read 5+-year-old books or curated articles from trusted authors I know I’ll benefit from.
This allows me to spend more time thinking about what I’ve consumed rather than stuffing more garbage into my first (and second) brain.
The first step to reducing useless note-taking is identifying what’s worth consuming.
Engaging is more important than saving
Don’t treat your notes as a one-night affair.
When you take a note, it means that the idea it contains has the potential to be valuable. So don’t let it die inside your note graveyard.
Remember that notes are here to be engaged with. The best way to engage with your note is to ask yourself the following question: What does this note remind me of?
This is called note-linking. Linking your notes is powerful because this mimics how our brain naturally processes information.
This allows you to rediscover old notes that you may have forgotten and thus come up with new, valuable insights.
The bottom line: Engage with your notes by linking them together.
Leverage big-tech privacy intrusions
You can retrieve most things in ten seconds with a Google search.
Thanks to the billion data points and privacy violations, search engines and algorithms know more about us than our parents. So here’s a simple rule that you can implement today: if you can find it with a 10-second Google search, don’t save it into your notes.
Privacy has already been violated and will be completely annihilated in the years to come.
Take advantage of Big Brother.
The power of less
Less information is more.
Your brain needs time to think about information. It’s not just about consuming. Once you revamp your note-taking workflow to be geared towards thinking instead of consuming, everything becomes easier.
✍️ Want to improve your note-taking skills? Get my FREE 7-Day email course by clicking here (Safe link to my website)
