BE MORE PRODUCTIVE BY
TAKING BETTER NOTES
Codeconnex Maastricht - November 2013
Adam Brett
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How can you be more productive
by taking better notes
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No content
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Your app makes me fat
http://bit.ly/16svn7q
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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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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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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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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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This is known as Ego Depletion
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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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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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This is the same single limited pool as used by
cognitive processing
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No content
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How can we avoid depleting our cognitive
resources?
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No content
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Writing things down means we don’t have to use
our limited resources remembering them.
Three Main Types of Note Paper
• Notebooks
• Notepads
• Index cards
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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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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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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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Make sure the page is thick enough to stop your
chosen ink bleeding through
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Make sure the texture of the page won’t cause
your ink to run
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Blank Paper
Pros Cons
Flexibility
Freedom
Usually purpose
specific
No structure
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Ruled Paper
Pros Cons
Good for text
Lots of styles
Designed for pen
Limited Flexibility
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Squared (Graph) Paper
Pros Cons
Good for text
Good for technical
drawing
Monospaced
Can look busy
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Dotted Paper
Pros Cons
Good for text
Good for technical
drawing
Monospaced
Not as structured
as squared or ruled
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Use a notebook day to day
Use squared or dotted paper
80 gsm is good for most inks
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TECHNIQUES
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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ORGANISATION
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Key To Everything
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You shouldn’t have to think about how you
organise your notes
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You shouldn’t have to spend any time organising
or arranging your notes
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Existing Systems
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GTD
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Bullet Journal
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Rapid Logging
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Anything you write down is an “Entry”.
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Group “Entries” into “Topics” when you get a
collection that are related.
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If an entry doesn’t have a topic yet, just write
todays date and group unrelated items there.
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More complexity = more effort.
Make everything a bullet point.
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Square bullets for actions
Circle bullets for events (meetings)
Solid bullets for notes
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Tick it when you’re done
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Solid dot bullets are non-actionable entries
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Add signifiers to entries to give additional context.
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Write page numbers in the bottom left
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If you run out of space, turn to the next two page
spread.
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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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My System
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Mishmash of other people’s systems
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Note = Discrete piece of information
Entry = Collection of notes
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Rapid Logging
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Use whatever technique best suits the notes
you’re taking
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Most of the time, that’s lists
(I like the bullet journal style bullets/circles/squares)
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Every page should have a margin
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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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Indexing is critical
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Number every two page spread
Entry Title
08 November 2013
An Event Note
A Task Note
A Task Note
19
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Divide each page into 4 sections
A
B
C
D
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This is a fictitious line
(Don’t actually draw it)
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You can now reference notes by section
17A
17B
17C
17D
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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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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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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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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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Add Post-It Tabs to mark your
monthly calendar, weekly
planner, and next blank page
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Task Migration
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Don’t - It’s a waste of time
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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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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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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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Store spare Post-It Notes, Tabs, and Page
Markers in the back of your notebook.
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Key Tips
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Write your contact details on the inside front cover