Have you ever encountered the term 'Zettelkasten'?
If you have an interest in productivity, it is a concept that you may have come across at least once.
I personally became familiar with 'Zettelkasten' three years ago while exploring various methods to enhance my productivity.
For those who may not yet be acquainted with Zettelkasten and are beginning to consider ways to improve their productivity, let us delve into what Zettelkasten is, the process of creating one, and how it can facilitate increased productivity.
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1. What is Zettelkasten?
To put it concisely, the Zettelkasten is a note-taking method used by the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann.
The term "Zettelkasten" is derived from the German words "zettel," which translates to "note," and "kasten," meaning "box."
In other words, we can simply say 'memo box'.
In Germany, it is common for individuals to develop the practice of taking notes from an early age..
It is a common practice to document words and new information acquired from classes or discussions with others on small cards, such as Post-it notes.
Subsequently, I frequently compose essays based on these notes to articulate my comprehension of the material. Zettelkasten is a note-taking method created by Niklas Luhmann to utilize this approach more productively.
2. How to organize a Zettelkasten
As previously explained, the Zettelkasten note-taking method is a unique system for knowledge management and creative thinking created by Professor Niklas Luhmann.
In fact, Professor Luhmann used this system to create over 90,000 index cards.
The cards created in this way are used like a personal wiki, and each index card is structured to be connected with other cards.
The method of organizing such a Zettelkasten is as follows:.
Fleeting Notes
- Please take a moment to record your ideas or thoughts as they arise in your daily life.
- The written notes function as foundational resources that can be revisited subsequently to formulate more detailed documentation.
Literature Notes
- I document information that I deem significant from the materials I review or analyze.
- At this time, summarize in your own words and specify the original source..
Permanent Notes
- Organizing ideas or information that are worth preserving permanently based on temporary notes and literature notes.
- This memo is written in complete sentences and is linked to other memos related to the topic.
Memo connection
- Place notes with similar content close to each other, and when adding a new note, connect it to the most relevant existing note.
- Through this process, a network of knowledge is formed.
As mentioned above, Professor Luhmann's Zettelkasten is structured around four main principles.
Among these, the most crucial elements are taking notes in one's own language and establishing connections with existing notes.
The reason it's important to write in your own language is that the notes you create can serve as your personal wiki and also be used as a tool for enhancing productivity.
If it was not written in one's own language at that time, one would fall into the contradiction of having to relearn it in order to use it, whether it be a wiki or a tool for productivity enhancement.
The connection with Professor Luhmann's notes can be seen as an implementation of a concept similar to hyperlinks, which are widely used in today's digital age, during the analog era.
3. How can a Zettelkasten help with productivity?
The Zettelkasten note-taking method can help enhance productivity in various ways.
This method systematically manages information and connects ideas to gain new insights.
Then let me explain specifically how it can help with productivity.
Management and Utilization of Information
- By storing information through notes, the hassle of having to look for needed information later is eliminated.
- In other words, information that has been acquired can be easily found whenever needed.
Enhancing Creativity
- You can connect different ideas to create new ones.
- You can reconnect created ideas with existing ideas to generate new ideas again.
- You can share ideas created in this way and form a network of knowledge.
Knowledge accumulation
- Through the connections between various notes, not just simple memos, sufficient knowledge in various fields is accumulated.
- Additionally, the accumulated knowledge can be managed effectively.
There are several ways to enhance productivity, including time management, task management, and data management.
One of the note-taking methods, the Zettelkasten, can also be included in this.
In fact, my life has changed significantly before and after I learned about Zettelkasten.
Will this be helpful?
You might think like this, right?
I can speak confidently.
Yes!
First of all, take out a piece of memo paper right now after reading this text and write down what thoughts come to your mind.
There may be many changes in life ahead.