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Be more productive by taking better notes

Adam Brett
November 08, 2013

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.

Adam Brett

November 08, 2013
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  1. BE MORE PRODUCTIVE BY
    TAKING BETTER NOTES
    Codeconnex Maastricht - November 2013
    Adam Brett

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  2. How can you be more productive
    by taking better notes

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  4. Your app makes me fat
    http://bit.ly/16svn7q

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  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)

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  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?

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  7. Group A Group B
    Memorize these 2
    numbers...
    !
    6, 4
    Memorize these 7
    numbers...
    !
    1, 6, 5, 8, 9, 2, 1

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  8. The participants who memorised the seven-digit number
    were nearly 50% more likely than the other group to choose
    cake over fruit.

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  9. This is known as Ego Depletion

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  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

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  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

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  12. This is the same single limited pool as used by
    cognitive processing

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  14. How can we avoid depleting our cognitive
    resources?

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  15. View Slide

  16. Writing things down means we don’t have to use
    our limited resources remembering them.

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  17. This means you can get more done with less

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  18. How do you take better notes?

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  19. Three Components
    • Tools
    (pens, paper, etc)
    !
    • Technique
    (lists, mind-maps, wireframes, etc)
    !
    • Organisation
    (how you find stuff)

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  20. TOOLS

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  21. Three main types of pens
    • Ballpoint
    • Rollerball
    • Fountain Pen

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  22. Pens work by friction

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  23. Dragging a pen across the page deposits ink

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  24. More friction = slower writing
    Less friction = faster note taking

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  25. Ballpoint
    • Rugged
    • Cheap
    • Thick Ink
    • Disposable
    • Can be stressing

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  26. Gel Rollerball
    • Rugged
    • Cheap(ish)
    • Thinner Ink
    • Faster Writing

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  27. Fountain Pen
    • Makes a statement
    • Refillable
    • Slow
    • Expensive

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  28. Use a Gel Roller Ball

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  29. Pen Addict
    http://penaddict.com/
    http://5by5.tv/penaddict
    https://twitter.com/Pen_Addict

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  30. Paper

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  31. Three Main Types of Note Paper
    • Notebooks
    • Notepads
    • Index cards

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  32. Note Books
    Pros Cons
    Lie Flat
    Ring Bound
    Cheap
    Archivable
    Long or short form
    Book bound
    Expensive
    Can’t be re-ordered

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  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

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  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

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  35. Make sure the page is thick enough to stop your
    chosen ink bleeding through

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  36. Make sure the texture of the page won’t cause
    your ink to run

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  37. Blank Paper
    Pros Cons
    Flexibility
    Freedom
    Usually purpose
    specific
    No structure

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  38. Ruled Paper
    Pros Cons
    Good for text
    Lots of styles
    Designed for pen
    Limited Flexibility

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  39. Squared (Graph) Paper
    Pros Cons
    Good for text
    Good for technical
    drawing
    Monospaced
    Can look busy

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  40. Dotted Paper
    Pros Cons
    Good for text
    Good for technical
    drawing
    Monospaced
    Not as structured
    as squared or ruled

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  41. Use a notebook day to day
    Use squared or dotted paper
    80 gsm is good for most inks

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  42. TECHNIQUES

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  46. Mindmap
    Visual outline
    Related hierarchies
    Start at centre
    Build around
    keywords
    Pros Grows
    organically
    Free
    flowing
    Thought
    process
    Cons
    Short form only

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  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)

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  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

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  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

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  55. ORGANISATION

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  56. Key To Everything

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  57. You shouldn’t have to think about how you
    organise your notes

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  58. You shouldn’t have to spend any time organising
    or arranging your notes

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  59. Existing Systems

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  60. GTD

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  61. Bullet Journal

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  62. Rapid Logging

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  63. Anything you write down is an “Entry”.

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  64. Group “Entries” into “Topics” when you get a
    collection that are related.

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  65. If an entry doesn’t have a topic yet, just write
    todays date and group unrelated items there.

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  66. More complexity = more effort.
    Make everything a bullet point.

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  67. Square bullets for actions
    Circle bullets for events (meetings)
    Solid bullets for notes

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  68. Tick it when you’re done

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  69. Solid dot bullets are non-actionable entries

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  70. Add signifiers to entries to give additional context.

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  71. Write page numbers in the bottom left

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  72. If you run out of space, turn to the next two page
    spread.

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  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

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  74. My System

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  75. Mishmash of other people’s systems

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  76. Note = Discrete piece of information
    Entry = Collection of notes

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  77. Rapid Logging

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  78. Use whatever technique best suits the notes
    you’re taking

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  79. Most of the time, that’s lists

    (I like the bullet journal style bullets/circles/squares)

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  80. Every page should have a margin

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  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

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  82. Indexing is critical

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  83. Number every two page spread
    Entry Title
    08 November 2013
    An Event Note
    A Task Note
    A Task Note
    19

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  84. Divide each page into 4 sections
    A
    B
    C
    D

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  85. This is a fictitious line
    (Don’t actually draw it)

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  86. You can now reference notes by section
    17A
    17B
    17C
    17D

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  91. Add Post-It Tabs to mark your
    monthly calendar, weekly
    planner, and next blank page

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  92. Task Migration

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  93. Don’t - It’s a waste of time

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  97. Store spare Post-It Notes, Tabs, and Page
    Markers in the back of your notebook.

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  98. Key Tips

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  99. Write your contact details on the inside front cover

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  100. Go for a medium size notebook

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  101. Start a new book every January

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  102. Write the date the book starts on the side

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  103. Experiment and find what works for you

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  104. Questions?
    https://joind.in/9609
    @sixdaysad
    http://adamcod.es

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