Learn · A free series
Learn to think with your notes
14 short posts by Martin Adams on taking notes that build on each other. Each one teaches an idea you can use today.
14 parts, 4 stages, about 50 minutes to read the series
Stage 1 Parts 01–03
Why
The problem, and why it is worth solving.
- 013 min read
Why You Forget Almost Everything You Read (And the Simple Fix)
I hated reading in school. My mind would drift as my eyes moved across the words. I was a slow reader, and doing something you hate slowly only makes it…
By Read Part 1 - 023 min read
Knowledge Workers Never Practise Knowledge Work. Here's Your Edge.
Here's something I find fascinating. If you work with information for a living—you research, analyse, write, advise, teach, plan—you're a knowledge…
By Read Part 2 - 033 min read
The 5 Types of Note-Taking (And the Only One That Helps You Think)
Cornell. Outline. Mind maps. Bullet journal. Feynman. Sentence method. SQ3R. If you've ever Googled "best note-taking method", you'll know it's a rabbit…
By Read Part 3
Stage 2 Parts 04–05
What
The idea behind the method: the slip box and the atomic note.
- 043 min read
How One Man Wrote 70 Books with a Box of Index Cards
Imagine you're living before computers. You're fascinated by everything from economics to love. You want to find the secrets those subjects hold, and you…
By Read Part 4 - 053 min read
Really? Only One Idea Per Note?
Atomic notes are at the heart of the Zettelkasten. The rule sounds almost too simple: each note should contain one single idea.
By Read Part 5
Stage 3 Parts 06–10
How
The method in practice, from fleeting notes to links.
- 064 min read
Stop Highlighting Everything: How to Take Notes That Talk Back
When I speak to people who are new to taking notes from books, articles or videos, the same thing comes up. They highlight almost everything. Or they…
By Read Part 6 - 074 min read
Harry Potter vs Lord of the Rings: The Note-Taking Trap That Biases Your Thinking
Let's say you want to study wizardry. (Stay with me.) You start with Harry Potter. You try to understand the magical system, what wizards can do, and the…
By Read Part 7 - 084 min read
3 Questions to Ask Before Any Note Becomes Permanent
Your slip box is the place where your permanent notes live. It's your most current understanding of everything you've studied, and the notes inside are…
By Read Part 8 - 094 min read
Why Folders Fail for Notes (And What to Use Instead)
When people start collecting notes, the first instinct is to organise them into folders. It feels responsible. "Mindset" in one, "Business" in another…
By Read Part 9 - 104 min read
When Should You Link Notes? (And When You Definitely Shouldn't)
Linking is what turns a folder of notes into a network of ideas. It's the bit people get most excited about, usually after seeing a graph view of dots…
By Read Part 10
Stage 4 Parts 11–14
Advanced
Questions, writing, flow, and where AI fits.
- 114 min read
How to Ask Your Notes Questions (Yes, Really)
One thing I talk about a lot with the Zettelkasten is being able to ask it questions. I know how that sounds. It's a bunch of text files. It won't answer…
By Read Part 11 - 124 min read
How to Write a Blog Post (or Paper) Without Ever Facing a Blank Page
Writer's block is a funny thing. It usually isn't a writing problem. It's a thinking problem. You sit down to write before you've done the thinking, and…
By Read Part 12 - 133 min read
Why Your Note-Taking System Stalls (and How to Get It Moving Again)
Here's a pattern I see all the time, and I've done it myself. You get excited about note-taking. You read, highlight, clip articles and save things. Your…
By Read Part 13 - 144 min read
AI Can Take Your Notes. It Can't Do Your Thinking.
AI has exploded onto the scene. It can write, summarise, translate, generate images and fix code. Note-taking apps are adding AI features at speed.
By Read Part 14
More to read
Guides
Zettelkasten
Learn all about taking atomic notes to level up your knowledge management
By Read the guideStoring quotes in your Zettelkasten
Learn how to capture quotes in your atomic notes
By Read the guideAtomic Experience Design
Upcoming book and course to teach you User Experience Design
By Read the guide
Atomic Note-Taking
Go deeper with Atomic Note-Taking
The complete workflow, from the first highlight to ideas you've never had before, with real examples at every stage.
From $9.99
30-day refund — email us within 30 days and we'll refund you.