71–80 of 143 posts
I still keep copious notes every workday of everything; e.g., hyper parameters for modeling, server info, URIs to useful documentation, etc.
I knew what I wanted in a digital notebook, so I spent an afternoon writing one. This: * no explicit saving or loading, everything automatically persisted as plain text * infinite persistent undo / replay of text entry, for retracing steps; can double as work logging; this uses a log file alongside the plain text; this also lets text be deleted without being lost, which helps with clutter * "most recently edited firs…
Nice! This is basically Notes on MacOS, which seems to basically do this (minus infinite undo/redo). I use Notes extensively and it works really well.
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On the other hand, based on my personal experience, maintaining a constantly growing archive of things, be it notes, bookmarks, emails, etc. turns out to be not very useful. Also, it gradually becomes something that you spend more time on than on other things. I now prefer to be more spontaneous, try to minimize the number of things that drag me into the past, start things as if from scratch, "reset" myself, dismiss…
A shudder went through me when I read the parent post you replied to. Based on my personality that wouldn't work for me, and over time I've had to learn to better understand and work better with people that work that way. I've had people comment on me as sloppy, uninterested etc. when they make the observation I'm not a detailed note-taker which is quite frustrating. I've mentored enough colleagues that I've come acr…
Which makes me think there is something not so obvious that accompanies effective note taking.
For me, note-taking is something which helps me digest complex ideas. It's a valuable thing and something you can improve at with time.
Then I read the reasoning behind why others don't take notes and I stop to think. Hmm, maybe there is such a thing as too much. Maybe note-taking has a fine balance. Breaking up complexity and summarizing it with notes can be very helpful with getting something finished. Writing journals of everything you do daily probably detracts time from actually performing the tasks required.
There's some science out there on how dopamine gets released when we TALK about performing an action with desirable results. (I'm going to create this project, I'm going to workout this summer and lose weight, I'm going to read 12 books this year). Basically, you're being rewarded for not doing but just saying. If you spend too much time note-taking on a plan or project, you might be getting the dopamine fix, which might make it harder to execute.
Similar comparisons are with startups and large companies. Startups work fast and can ship products quicker, at the cost of maintainability. Large companies have to take their time documenting, grabbing requirements, assigning the team, and following internal processes. The process kills productivity, in favor of predictability and maintainability.
The commitment to taking good notes has been one of the best decisions of my life -- not just professionally. I use my standard text editor (Textmate 2), and have a "notes" project, with all manner of categories organized by folder. I take notes on articles I have read, take notes on any presentations I watch or educational courses I take, or books I read. Moreover, I now take much better in person notes -- I take th…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A shudder went through me when I read the parent post you replied to. Based on my personality that wouldn't work for me, and over time I've had to learn to better understand and work better with people that work that way. I've had people comment on me as sloppy, uninterested etc. when they make the observation I'm not a detailed note-taker which is quite frustrating. I've mentored enough colleagues that I've come acr…
I would bet those who are successful have some pretty good reasons for taking notes, while those who are not do it as an end until itself (e.g. "because that's what successful people do") Which makes me think there is something not so obvious that accompanies effective note taking.
Taking notes about routine everyday stuff is boring and worse than useless, because the notes are full of duplicated information that makes searching slower. I imagine the people who take notes for it's own sake are basically listing everything that they do, whether they gained any new insight or not.
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Get a Samsung Note 8. Use wacom pen to take notes. Carrying around dead trees is archaic.
Reminds me of the anecdote about the Russians using a pencil in space (vs. a $1000 pen specifically designed to work in weightlessness).
The commitment to taking good notes has been one of the best decisions of my life -- not just professionally. I use my standard text editor (Textmate 2), and have a "notes" project, with all manner of categories organized by folder. I take notes on articles I have read, take notes on any presentations I watch or educational courses I take, or books I read. Moreover, I now take much better in person notes -- I take th…
I.e., how often do you actually read the things you write down?
PS: Have you ever thought about using a "lifelogging camera" instead? :)
I recently moved off Basket and after an extensive search, found QOwnNotes seemed to fit my brain the best.
The commitment to taking good notes has been one of the best decisions of my life -- not just professionally. I use my standard text editor (Textmate 2), and have a "notes" project, with all manner of categories organized by folder. I take notes on articles I have read, take notes on any presentations I watch or educational courses I take, or books I read. Moreover, I now take much better in person notes -- I take th…