Keeping zetel notes: productive or counterproductive approach.

Posted by Beck
Dec 4, 2018 at 05:35 PM

Hi everyone, ߑ‹, thought I’d chime in here.

First, I think it’s important to point out that my zettelkasten is untested for its ability to recall and reference. It’s working well for me as a learning tool, as has been noted by others in this thread. My current approaches are an evolution of strategies that have or have not worked for me over these last few years as I have needed to synthesize, remember, and connect a greater pace and volume of ideas. I will continue to share how it changes and if the zettelkasten succeeds at meeting the demands I throw at it.

Secondly, what Paul wrote here is of particular resonance:

Paul Korm wrote:
I generally have an aversion to the modern preoccupation with
>“productivity” or “workflow”, which seems to be a recurrent topic in
>many forums. Coming from a manufacturing and service company
>background, “productivity” is something we do to improve machine or
>workforce throughput and output, not ourselves. So, in my mind, the
>highest purpose of note taking is learning and enrichment.

Last year, I wrote a piece called “Reading is Useless” — https://medium.com/@10ch/reading-is-useless-644399af3cce — which may go a long way in positioning where I stand with regard to productivity and efficiency, which is to say I think they are complex ideas, in some ways full of merit and in others ways manipulative and not necessarily in our best interest.

https://medium.com/@10ch/reading-is-useless-644399af3cce

To lay all my cards on the table, I’ll say this… I used to judge the way I spent my time: this is a good way, that is a bad way. Now, I look I see life being lived in either way. Either is good. This orientation means that I do a lot of things in my life that causes some people to question why I spend so much time doing things that could be done faster if they were purchased or algorithmically approached, etc., but to me it’s life being lived in either case. I don’t have to value efficiency, I can value other things… like the joy of wrestling with an idea, creating a beautiful map, or sharing it on Youtube. :)

Third, regarding scope of the system. I certainly do bound what goes in, but by what I’m unsure. It’s probably some sense of what the 10-years-from-now me would want to have available to her. It’s just a guess, of course, a gut instinct, but there’s a lot that doesn’t go in when looking at it that way. (And also a lot that does.)