The Real Note Taking Hack
The Art of Note Taking
I was talking about building the habit of taking notes to a junior analyst the other day. I was sharing with them the importance of simply writing things down and then converting them to notes. Basically build the habit of note taking. Later I realized I forgot to teach them The Real Note Taking Hack. This hack is simple and summed up in one word: introspection.
Introspection is a vital part of the note taking lifecycle which often is ignored or forgotten. As the old saying goes “we learn from our past mistakes”, introspection gives us this superpower. I’ll give you a few tips and insights on how I review my notes and gain insight. In the end I hope you learn something new or least remember this “real” note taking hack.
Introspection
Merriam-Webster defines Introspection as:
a reflective looking inward | an examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings
We can achieve this by simply reading through our old notes. Let’s be clear this is not about organizing your notes. Organization is useful for but it is a different part of the note taking lifecycle. And though I sound like I’m talking about journalling I am not. In my opinion journalling is for personal growth and introspection.
For me I achieve introspection when I have a conversation with my daily notes. I sit down and simply reflect on why I took my notes in the way I did. I think on how I can improve my notes. I ask myself if there things I can learn from my notes.
In my opinion the note taking lifecycle goes:
- Take notes
- Organize your notes
- Talk to your notes
- Repeat
A few hacks
When I follow my own advice and take the time to talk to my notes I learned a few hacks that can help. Take notes on what you learned from your notes. Yes, take notes on your notes! It sounds funny but I really do mean “talk” with your notes. It’s a simple hack but a vital part of the introspection process.
Talk to others about what insights you may have gained. This helps with mastering your own thoughts and insights. Plus if you learned something new, teach it to someone so it really sticks in your mind.
I’ll end with a quote from Plato.
…why should we not calmly and patiently review our own thoughts, and thoroughly examine and see what these appearances in us really are?” — Plato
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