PKM

A PKM is a tool (like this one!) to help manage your nodes and knowledge.

• storing AND processing; just storing is just PIM not PKM
• PKM = PIM (personal info management) + GTD + knowledge management
• goal: narrowing “flood” and focus on useful areas
• move from passive => active consumption
• create, not just regurgitate

PKM and Context

• store info based on context

Strategy

• What are you trying to organize
• what are the inputs?
  • email? lectures?:
    • “reference” type emails
    • lecture notes
    • tasks?
• what are you trying to make?
  • test? essays?
    • a time blocking schedule
    • studying for tests (i.e. for linear, etc.)
• what does your process look like?
  • mishmash of topic based notes and content based notes
• what parts of it would you like to improve?
  • article capture workflow: how to process random readings topic wise?
  • knowledge capture: how to come across new content and capture them somewhere?
  • todo/notes integration: task management and note taking currently lives separately, how to unify them?

zettlekasten

• how to take smart notes: arens

progressive summarization

progressive summarization is a technique in note taking that Tiago Forte developed to summarize text:

• layer 0: reading
• layer 1: copy/pasted parts from the reading
• layer 2: bold relevant parts
• layer 3: highlight bold parts to get crux of ideas
• layer 4: mini summary
• layer 5: remix (add links, etc.)

capture

• read
• rewrite and summarize
• engage by adding questions, thoughts, opinions, etc.
• connect old and new ideas
• think about the context of usage, not the topic

how to think better

• reduce cognitive overload
• “offload info”—put it on paper
• test yourself often: listening and understanding are not the same
• keep things simple: one task at a time
• keep an open mind + “collective” new perspectives and mental models

new cycle

• capture
• curate
• cultivate
• connect
• create