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I have another problem as I do take notes to help me focus and remember things. The problem I noticed is that I never really have time to go back to my notes un

I have another problem as I do take notes to help me focus and remember things. The problem I noticed is that I never really have time to go back to my notes unless I am searching for something specifically. Linear notes with a date usually help me locate the info I am looking for. So I'm wondering, how do people review their notes? When? Are they using a strategy for this? Also I'm not really looking to commit to memory my notes.

maxs 6y ago
I had the same problem which is why I made an app called MindPalace (https://github.com/msipos/mind-palace https://github.com/msipos/mind-palace) It's a note app where every note has a repetition schedule. The schedule can be dynamic (growing-shrinking) or fixed. For example, my diary entries repeat every 365 days so I enjoy reading what my diary entries/thoughts were a year (or 2, or 3) years ago.
not_knuth 6y ago
Interesting you point that out, because I also used to feel that way. But as I started typing more notes, I realised that just the act of typing out my thoughts and putting them into prose goes a long way to understanding something [0]. Nowadays, if I don't understand something, I head to the keyboard and start explaing it in text and it pretty much always works. I rarely revisit notes, mostly to link them together and very seldomly to revise them. If I have the time to organize the notes, that's great, if not, that's fine too. I don't know know if this will work for you though. Learning is highly personal and imo just trying to find new ways to learn things can help a lot too. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_effect
jpeloquin 6y ago
> The problem I noticed is that I never really have time to go back to my notes unless I am searching for something specifically. If you find what you need when you need it, is never doing a nonspecific review really a problem? Notes are just a tool to support you in achieving your goals. If you don't need to recall information instantaneously, skipping review-as-memorization is just fine. If important items aren't being inadvertently neglected and falling through the cracks, skipping review-as-reflection is ok too.
- tartoran 6y ago
  You are absolutely right and that’s how I use my notes. But I was wondering how others deal with this as Im sure smarter and more organized people, people who are obsessed with building good habits have systems that are way better than mine. Just looking at mindmaps I get excited a bit but could never really get down to it. I always felt I was missing on how to get started writing smarter notes but if it’s something too tedious it beats the purpose for me, I already use notetaking as a tool which pretty much works out okayish

maxs 6y ago

I had the same problem which is why I made an app called MindPalace (https://github.com/msipos/mind-palace https://github.com/msipos/mind-palace) It's a note app where every note has a repetition schedule. The schedule can be dynamic (growing-shrinking) or fixed. For example, my diary entries repeat every 365 days so I enjoy reading what my diary entries/thoughts were a year (or 2, or 3) years ago.

not_knuth 6y ago

Interesting you point that out, because I also used to feel that way. But as I started typing more notes, I realised that just the act of typing out my thoughts and putting them into prose goes a long way to understanding something [0]. Nowadays, if I don't understand something, I head to the keyboard and start explaing it in text and it pretty much always works. I rarely revisit notes, mostly to link them together and very seldomly to revise them. If I have the time to organize the notes, that's great, if not, that's fine too. I don't know know if this will work for you though. Learning is highly personal and imo just trying to find new ways to learn things can help a lot too. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_effect

jpeloquin 6y ago

> The problem I noticed is that I never really have time to go back to my notes unless I am searching for something specifically. If you find what you need when you need it, is never doing a nonspecific review really a problem? Notes are just a tool to support you in achieving your goals. If you don't need to recall information instantaneously, skipping review-as-memorization is just fine. If important items aren't being inadvertently neglected and falling through the cracks, skipping review-as-reflection is ok too.

tartoran 6y ago
You are absolutely right and that’s how I use my notes. But I was wondering how others deal with this as Im sure smarter and more organized people, people who are obsessed with building good habits have systems that are way better than mine. Just looking at mindmaps I get excited a bit but could never really get down to it. I always felt I was missing on how to get started writing smarter notes but if it’s something too tedious it beats the purpose for me, I already use notetaking as a tool which pretty much works out okayish