# Note-taking is a vital skill - [[Capturing ideas is a critical part of being able to turn those into reality]] - [[If you fail to capture ideas, they might fade into oblivion and be lost forever]] - [[Note-taking makes it easy to remember everything, to organize and connect our thoughts]] - But [[Many people forget or neglect to take notes]]. And when they do, those often end up lost because they don't have a proper PKM system in place - Having a clear and systematic process makes a huge difference in one's ability to re-discover notes, ideas and thoughts, and to connect those together - Even if we don't have time to review/process our notes right away, if way have a system in place, then we'll know where to go when we get the time - The best ideas can pop at any time in our minds; often when we're on the move and while our unconscious mind is working in the background - [[The more we take notes, the more we improve our memory]] - Instead of focusing on remembering things, we focus on what they mean. - Consistent + Simple > Complex - [[Consistency is key in a PKM system. Complexity should be avoided whenever possible]] - Our PKM system should be as simple as possible, but no simpler - The simpler the system, the easier to remain consistent and the harder to get frustrated or distracted - [[Tips to retain more of what you read]] - Ask critical questions. Question the writers' assumptions, their analysis, analyze their data, explore their sources - Then try to answer those questions while exploring the book - Take note of ideas and thoughts that pop up while you're reading. Explore those as well. Try to link new and past ideas - Don't focus too much on tools. Tools are personal. We need to find those that correspond to ourselves, our goals and life circumstances ## References - https://medium.com/@nam1/note-taking-the-underrated-productivity-tool-757412f21f70