
Not many people take notes in their personal lives, even though it can be infinitely more powerful there. But this is note-taking on a very basic level: it’s action-oriented, and usually doesn’t contribute to higher-level ideas. If you have an office job there’s a good chance you already take notes, since it’s essential to record what was discussed and what the action points are. Most people probably understand the importance of note-taking. And, more importantly, even if you do remember something, it’s not going to be integrated into your existing web of knowledge. Of course, even if you don’t take notes, you might remember some of what you’ve read, but chances are you will forget most of it relatively fast. So what happens if we don’t take notes? Well, for a start it means being exposed to information only superficially in one ear and out the other. Notes are also essential in personal knowledge management to connect separate pieces of information, and to ‘create’ knowledge and ideas (and to start using them). Most people view note-taking as something we do to help recall information later on, and while this is true, it’s also incomplete. While you can always adjust tactics for note-taking and knowledge management, changing the overall system and strategy is more tricky and time-consuming – so it’s best to put some thought into it before you get started.Īt the core of any personal knowledge management system are notes, the things we write down when faced with new information, data or ideas. This requires some upfront choices about how you want to approach knowledge management, and what your personal preferences are. When it comes to choosing a personal knowledge management solution you need to make a decision on the overall strategy you want to take. And thirdly, how such a system can help transform basic facts or information to something that can actually be applied. Second, what exactly personal knowledge management means. First, why and how note-taking forms the basis of a personal knowledge management system. Well, before looking at the different systems and tools themselves it’s important to understand a few things. So what exactly is a personal knowledge management system? And finally, it helps us to think more clearly and come up with new ideas. It summarizes and synthesizes our knowledge.

It allows us to go back and view the notes we took in the past.


It helps us to remember – or at least not to forget things. It contains the sum of your personal knowledge, but, at the same time, it is also a pathway for using that knowledge in practice, and can help to generate new insights.Īny person who tries to learn something can benefit from using such a system. It doesn’t just store the information you’ve read, heard, or watched, but it also helps you to connect the dots between those individual pieces of information. One of the best ways to think about a personal knowledge management system is to view it as your second brain.
