I used to have a very simplistic view of notes, treating all of them the same way regardless of their purpose or intended use. I would jot down information haphazardly without giving much thought to categorising or organising my notes in any particular way. This meant that I was oblivious to the fact that there are actually different types of notes that serve distinct functions.

Then I came across Sönke Ahrens’ book, How to take smart notes, which fundamentally changed my thinking around note-taking and the range of different types of notes we use. I realised that my ad hoc approach to note-taking wasn’t serving my needs as a knowledge worker and so started thinking about note-taking as a first-class citizen in academic work.

Every intellectual endeavour starts with a note.

Sönke Ahrens (2017). How to take smart notes.

In this video I briefly cover four different types of notes that I use and how I structure each of them; admin notes (daily, weekly, and monthly reviews), temporary notes, literature notes, and permanent notes. Rather than doing a deep dive into specific apps or tools, this video aims to cover the overarching principles and mindset behind maintaining these different categories of notes. The goal is to provide a conceptual framework that you can then apply using whichever note-taking apps and methods you prefer.

Adopting a more structured, purposeful approach to note-taking has made me dramatically more effective at processing information, connecting ideas, and transforming raw notes into developed knowledge over time. I hope this video inspires you to rethink your own note-taking habits and utilise the full potential of notes as a powerful information management system.