The art of note making

by Mischa van den Burg

• The system of taking notes doesn’t matter. Writing notes skillfully is all that matters.
• The system will build itself when you see your notes as the place where you do your deepest and most meaningful thinking.
• Your note taking system is the garden where you cultivate your knowledge. You must start tending to your notes as if they are fragile plants that need great care.
• Therefore, we should start calling the exercise Note making instead of Note Taking.
• A skilled note maker is not hoarding information.
• A skilled note maker does not copy and paste text into his system
  I think this is fine as a general rule but I wouldn’t hold on to it hard and fast. I’ve definitely had some instances where I’ve found usefulness in things I copied and pasted. But I do accept that most of the time when I copy and paste something into my notes, that’s the last I see of it.
• A skilled note maker takes the information he consumes and converts it into his own knowledge assets.
• We don’t just copy and hoard, we cultivate and refine.
• The foundation of note making is that you must always write everything in your own words (see note above). But be prepared, note making feels exhausting and arduous in the begin. This is fine. You are challenging your thinking and verifying your understanding. Rewriting things in your own words requires deep thinking and requires that you grapple with the information until it is deeply understood. You can’t do it passively to a lot of success.
  

Note making Principles

1. Write don’t highlight
   • Don’t direct clip into your note taking system. While convenient it prevents deep engagement with the material.
2. Curate don’t collect
   • Thoughtfully consider each addition to your note taking. system. Like a well tended garden each plant has it’s place in the composition and see how it contributes to the overall ecosystem. There’s no merit to a huge collection of notes that don’t carry any meaning.
3. Refine don’t rush
   • Spend quality time with your notes. Start seeing the art of note taking as active self development like meditation of exercise. Writing is thinking on paper and as you refine your notes, your thinking will deepen.
   • This reminds me of Slow Productivity by Carl Newport

• Build your notes with purpose, clarity and precision.
• See your note taking as a craft, use it to sharpen your thinking.
• Write and rewrite your notes until they are crystal clear without impurities.
  

References

• The Art of Note Making - YouTube