What if it could be easy? Imagining a frictionless note taking system
Over-thinking is a common human tendency
It’s a common human tendency to make things hard. To overcomplicate matters. To overthink things. To stretch and strain. To tie ourselves in knots. We feel like the simple answer can’t be the right one– there must be more.
In our day to day lives, this tendency can look like:
- Over-delivering
- Over-thinking
- Perfectionism
- Procrastination
- Working to the point of diminishing returns
What happens when we over-think in our personal knowledge management systems
And we bring this type of overthinking and overcomplication to our personal knowledge management systems, as well. In our note taking systems, this overoptimization can look like:
- Endless searching for the “perfect” note taking app
- Constant rehauling of our organization systems
- Scattering our ideas across multiple apps then abandoning them
- Focusing so much on the structure of our note taking system that we neglect the underlying purpose and goals of our PKM system
What would this look like if it were easy?
I’ve been reading a few different books and articles around the theme of simplicity and ease lately. This particular question has come up in a few different spots— as far as I can tell, it was originally raised as a phrase by Tim Ferris in his Tribe of Mentors book:
❓What would this look like if it were easy?
Imagining an easy note taking system
In this case, I want you to ask yourself…
- What could it look like if your note taking system felt easy? Frictionless? Light? Simple?
- Does your current note taking system simplify your life, or complicate it? Does it make you feel bogged down or buoyed up? Does it feel like a trusted support, or a drain on your resources?
- What might an easy note taking system look like for you? And what difference would that make in your life?
