Resurfacing Some Old Posts On Note Taking

28 May 2026 #misc

Inspired by Herman’s idea of resurfacing old posts, here are some of my old posts on note-taking:

#1. Back in 2020, I learned about the Zettelkasten method. I was so intrigued that I read How to Take Smart Notes, probably the most popular book on the subject.

#2. Being a plain text lover, I started my own perverted digital version. Instead of using separate “literature” and “main” notes, I kept them in the same file.

I realized I had notes of books I didn’t remember reading. I was collecting notes without purpose. Just a hoarder. Eventually, I stopped using the method.

#3. After learning about being an Idea Machine, I ditched my second brain and started to write 10 ideas after reading a book.

#4. More recently, as an experiment, I decided to start a physical Zettelkasten. As a creative constraint, I considered writing a book only from my notes.

#5. Looking for a how-to book, I found How to Make Notes and Write. A simpler approach: two types of notes—source and point—focused on writing as output.