Be more productive by taking better notes

We all have to take notes, and if you’re like most people you were probably never taught how to take effective notes in school or university. Perhaps you feel like your notes should be of a higher quality or that you should be taking more notes, more often.

The main reason people seem to give for not taking more notes is not a lack of something to note, but a lack of confidence in their notes or a feeling that their notes aren’t that useful, which is most likely due to little or no organisation or structure. Effective notes should enable you to be more productive by allowing you to completely dump the topic at hand from your head with absolute confidence that you’ll be able to find anything you need to know at a moments notice, and recall it as if you’d only just written it down, freeing your brain to solve more important problems.

In this session I’ll teach you how to improve every aspect of your note-taking, starting with the physics behind paper and pen selection, including the different types available and why you should choose certain ones. The different types of notes, their individual techniques, and where and when they should be used (including a few you probably won’t have seen before).

Finally, I’ll show you how to organise your notes in such a way you’ll never lose anything again, renewing your confidence in your notes and ultimately increasing your productivity by allowing you to free up your brain power for problem solving and product building, rather than data retention.

Transcript

1. BE MORE PRODUCTIVE BY TAKING BETTER NOTES Codeconnex Maastricht - November 2013 Adam Brett
2. How can you be more productive by taking better notes
4. Your app makes me fat http://bit.ly/16svn7q
5. Heart and Mind in Conflict: The Interplay of Affect and Cognition in Consumer Decision Making http://bit.ly/16py3rA BABA SHIV, ALEXANDER FEDORIKHIN (1999)
6. Group A Group B Memorise these 2 numbers... ! 6, 4 Memorise these 7 numbers... ! 1, 6, 5, 8, 9, 2, 1 Now would you like a snack? Now would you like a snack?
7. Group A Group B Memorize these 2 numbers... ! 6, 4 Memorize these 7 numbers... ! 1, 6, 5, 8, 9, 2, 1
8. The participants who memorised the seven-digit number were nearly 50% more likely than the other group to choose cake over fruit.
9. This is known as Ego Depletion
10. Ego depletion refers to the idea that self-control or willpower draw upon a limited pool of mental resources that can be used up. http://bit.ly/177Fkeb
11. Ego depletion refers to the idea that self-control or willpower draw upon a limited pool of mental resources that can be used up. Single
12. This is the same single limited pool as used by cognitive processing
14. How can we avoid depleting our cognitive resources?
16. Writing things down means we don’t have to use our limited resources remembering them.
17. This means you can get more done with less
18. How do you take better notes?
19. Three Components • Tools (pens, paper, etc) ! • Technique (lists, mind-maps, wireframes, etc) ! • Organisation (how you find stuff)
20. TOOLS
21. Three main types of pens • Ballpoint • Rollerball • Fountain Pen
22. Pens work by friction
23. Dragging a pen across the page deposits ink
24. More friction = slower writing Less friction = faster note taking
25. Ballpoint • Rugged • Cheap • Thick Ink • Disposable • Can be stressing
26. Gel Rollerball • Rugged • Cheap(ish) • Thinner Ink • Faster Writing
27. Fountain Pen • Makes a statement • Refillable • Slow • Expensive
28. Use a Gel Roller Ball
29. Pen Addict http://penaddict.com/ http://5by5.tv/penaddict https://twitter.com/Pen_Addict
30. Paper
31. Three Main Types of Note Paper • Notebooks • Notepads • Index cards
32. Note Books Pros Cons Lie Flat Ring Bound Cheap Archivable Long or short form Book bound Expensive Can’t be re-ordered
33. Note Pads Pros Cons Loose Leaf Can be re-ordered Very Cheap Long or short form Disposable Requires binders for archiving More suited to long form
34. Index Cards Pros Cons Cheap(ish) Can be re-ordered Disposable Harder to archive Not good for long form notes Easier to lose and misplace
35. Make sure the page is thick enough to stop your chosen ink bleeding through
36. Make sure the texture of the page won’t cause your ink to run
37. Blank Paper Pros Cons Flexibility Freedom Usually purpose specific No structure
38. Ruled Paper Pros Cons Good for text Lots of styles Designed for pen Limited Flexibility
39. Squared (Graph) Paper Pros Cons Good for text Good for technical drawing Monospaced Can look busy
40. Dotted Paper Pros Cons Good for text Good for technical drawing Monospaced Not as structured as squared or ruled
41. Use a notebook day to day Use squared or dotted paper 80 gsm is good for most inks
42. TECHNIQUES
43. Linear Linear notes are all about long form. You just write in paragraphs and sentences. It’s the simplest form of note-taking It will probably be familiar to you already But also the hardest to navigate
44. Lists • List are fairly obvious • Everyone should be familiar with them • Could be lists of relevant points • Lists of things to do you can check off • Very Simple • To the point • Represent complex ideas succinctly
45. Outline Method 1. First level topic/idea A. Each level relates to parent • Add indents to increase specificity 2. Can use bullets/numbers/whatever 3. Uses organisational pattern • Based on space indentation 4. Pros • Good for related content 5. Cons • Requires more thought up-front
46. Mindmap Visual outline Related hierarchies Start at centre Build around keywords Pros Grows organically Free flowing Thought process Cons Short form only
47. Minutes 08 November 2013 Names of people present Go clockwise around the table Start at your immediate left Helps you learn/remember names ! Topics go on the hard left • Notes and decisions are bullets ! Person Specific • (Preface) points with a name
48. Fill in afterwards ! Short ! Jogs memory ! Summarises notes to right Write as you go ! Long form notes go on the right-hand side ! Full Details ! • Write in sentences • add bullet points • or use full paragraphs ! Pro - Good for learning or memorising ! Con - Convoluted, specific to learning The Cornell Method
49. Columns and headings Reduces writing Hard to learn Facts and relationships Headings topics to be covered Relevant information Need topics upfront Notes go under each topic Easy review The Charting Method How Pros Cons When
50. Box Method • Take your notes as normal • Keep track of important points • Quickly see key output • Keep Post-It on current page • Move back to first when finished Decisions, actions, outcomes go on the Post-It
51. Dash Plus (a type of list) Action Item (Not Done) Action Item (Done) Waiting (i.e. for another action) Delegated Data Point Moved to another list http://bit.ly/1czpkpE
52. Action Item (Not Done) Action Item (Done) Waiting (i.e. for another action) Delegated Data Point Moved to another list http://bit.ly/1czpkpE Dash Plus (a type of list)
53. Dash Plus (a type of list) Action Item (Not Done) Action Item (Done) Waiting (i.e. for another action) Delegated Data Point Moved to another list http://bit.ly/1czpkpE
54. Sketchnotes 1 CREATE A TITLE 2 HAVE A FLOW Could use numbers (like this) or maybe swimlanes… ADD ICONS OR DRAWINGS 3 HAVE FUN WITH FONTS 4 v /-. 5 5 PROS Cons 6 FLUID ENGAGING FUN SCARY NEEDS PRACTICE I CAN’T DRAW! CHAOTIC TAKES TIME
55. ORGANISATION
56. Key To Everything
57. You shouldn’t have to think about how you organise your notes
58. You shouldn’t have to spend any time organising or arranging your notes
59. Existing Systems
60. GTD
61. Bullet Journal
62. Rapid Logging
63. Anything you write down is an “Entry”.
64. Group “Entries” into “Topics” when you get a collection that are related.
65. If an entry doesn’t have a topic yet, just write todays date and group unrelated items there.
66. More complexity = more effort. Make everything a bullet point.
67. Square bullets for actions Circle bullets for events (meetings) Solid bullets for notes
68. Tick it when you’re done
69. Solid dot bullets are non-actionable entries
70. Add signifiers to entries to give additional context.
71. Write page numbers in the bottom left
72. If you run out of space, turn to the next two page spread.
73. Your index should be on the first page of your notebook. Index ! November 4
 Books to read 5, 21
 Renovations / Budget 10 - 14, 19 / Contractors 15 - 16 / Ideas 17 - 18
74. My System
75. Mishmash of other people’s systems
76. Note = Discrete piece of information Entry = Collection of notes
77. Rapid Logging
78. Use whatever technique best suits the notes you’re taking
79. Most of the time, that’s lists
 (I like the bullet journal style bullets/circles/squares)
80. Every page should have a margin
81. Entry Title 08 November 2013 An Event Note A Task Note A Task Note Something I want to remember Every new entry should be titled and dated
82. Indexing is critical
83. Number every two page spread Entry Title 08 November 2013 An Event Note A Task Note A Task Note 19
84. Divide each page into 4 sections A B C D
85. This is a fictitious line (Don’t actually draw it)
86. You can now reference notes by section 17A 17B 17C 17D
87. Index ! November 4A
 Books to read 5B, 21D
 Renovations / Budget 10C - 14A, 19A / Contractors 15D - 16C / Ideas 17A - 18B Leave room for an index on the first page ! Index by section as well as number
88. Entry Title 08 November 2013 An Event Note A Task Note A Task Note Something I want to remember Use arrows to link related notes <- 17A 22C -> 17A 22C
89. Week planner for time sensitive tasks November 2013 A Task Note 19 An Event Note Mon 04 Tue 05 Wed 06 Thur 07 Fri 08 Sat 09 Sun 10 8.20 Flight to CCNXX 11.40 My Talk 15.20 Flight Home CodeConnexx Today CodeConnexx 16.00 Work Hand-over A Task Note
90. November 2013 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 19 Month planner for the future 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 F
 M - 10.00 Weekly Meeting
 T
 W - 8.20 Flight for CCNXX
 T - 1.9 Live Release
 F
 M - 10.00 Weekly Meeting
 T
 W
 T - 12.00 Supplier Meeting
 F M - 10.00 Weekly Meeting
 T
 W
 T
 F - 1.10 Dev Freeze
 M - 10.00 Weekly Meeting
 T
 W - New Project Briefing
 T
 F
91. Add Post-It Tabs to mark your monthly calendar, weekly planner, and next blank page
92. Task Migration
93. Don’t - It’s a waste of time
94. If you turn away from a page with unfinished tasks, add a Post-It page marker. Entry Title 08 November 2013 An Event Note A Task Note A Task Note Something I want to remember 19
95. As you add more, proximity to the centre indicates the age of the task Entry Title 08 November 2013 An Event Note A Task Note A Task Note Something I want to remember 19
96. Remove markers as you complete the tasks on the page
 (they can be re-used) Entry Title 08 November 2013 An Event Note A Task Note A Task Note Something I want to remember 19
97. Store spare Post-It Notes, Tabs, and Page Markers in the back of your notebook.
98. Key Tips
99. Write your contact details on the inside front cover
100. Go for a medium size notebook
101. Start a new book every January
102. Write the date the book starts on the side
103. Experiment and find what works for you
104. Questions? https://joind.in/9609 @sixdaysad http://adamcod.es