Why you should "let go" when making notes?
Last week, I came across the process of taking smart notes. It comes in four simple steps:
- Make fleeting notes.
- Make literature notes.
- Make permanent notes.
- Put permanent notes to the slip box.
I get all excited and make a challenge to write 3 notes for my slip box every day.
Itās harder than it sounds. The real practice is agonizing. Every time I try to turn my fleeting notes into permanent notes in my slip box, my brain gets all fuzzy. I couldnāt think straight. As a result, it takes ages to produce the notes.
So as attractive as the process may seem, at some point I feel itās a practice reserved only for the experienced knowledge worker.
Moreover, I find ideas wonāt come if I force myself to write. In fact, it has the counter effect. The harder I push, the more challenging it gets to put words on paper.
It works better if I loosen up. Instead of pressing myself to write notes for my slip box, I should just make notes to free my mind ā keep those notes short, sweet, and to the point.
I donāt need to deliver the whole point. Snippets of thoughts work just fine.
If the notes add up to my existing knowledge, it's splendid. If it doesn't, I can always come back and improve it.
And if my brain feels all muddy during the whole process, I should leave the edits until later.
As I adopt this mindset of āletting goā, making notes becomes less painful, and ever more enjoyable.
Things work best when they give you the serenity.