Something I wish I had started doing much earlier in my career was writing about the things I was learning and building. I wasn't always big into b...
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Do you have any examples of things you've written down? One of the biggest barriers to doing this sort of thing is "perfect is the enemy of done", so are you just taking rough notes, or do you rework your notes for publication?
@shawinnes I personally use a digital version of the Zettelkasten method for my note taking.
At first, I take short, fleeting notes about something (a piece of information, an idea, etc.). These fleeting notes are short, very rough, and wouldn't be useful for most anyone else if they were to read them. They contain just enough information for me not to forget that thing for a few hours.
Then later (every night before I go to bed) I review my slips, and rewrite them into permanent notes. I write these permanent notes as though I'm sharing the information with someone else, adding additional context and explanation to support that 1 thought, idea or piece of information. Sometimes that means the permanent note is only a couple sentences. Other times, I end up writing a page or two. These permanent notes get stored in my "slip-box".
Everyday (at least for a few minutes over breakfast) I pull random notes from my slip-box and review them. This helps to jog my memory of stuff I've learned in the past, and also to help me make connections to other thoughts, ideas, or pieces of information. I then link those notes together (hyperlinks). Over time, I find chains of connecting notes that all relate to each other. From there, it's just a matter of stitching them together and posting it somewhere to share with others (usually in a blog post).
This method has been working for me for a few years now, and if you're interested in learning more about it, How to Take Smart Notes is a fantastic book I highly encourage people to check out!
I hope this answers your question, but please let me know if it doesn't and I'd be happy to share more.
Wow, thanks for the detailed explanation - I've read about the Zettelkasten method but haven't applied it. Sounds like it's worth a try as I already do the first step of taking short notes each day in obsidian, so I just need to add a bit of house keeping to that to make them more useful.
Thanks so much!
Basically, the second brain approach?
yep, exactly 😁
Very good point! Writing is my favorite way of learning. I've been blogging for almost as long as blogs exists, and now I'm writing a book on clean code for frontenders. I've learned a lot because of that. Also, it gave me a lot of language and writing practice, which is very helpful at work since English isn't my native language.
yup, I agree
I am writing for past 2/3 years online and now I've created this simple online writing platform like google doc for me the simple writing app as I've expecting for myself to write everyday whatever I want to write.
Give it shot - karyam.vercel.app/
Most of the things I understand best are the things I took the time to try and publicly explain.
Great reflection, Jake! I'm a CS beginner student and since I started to write about what I'm learning and even doing tutorials about Frontend Mentor projects I have done I feel a difference in my learning curve. Also, I love to stay at Welcome Thread encouraging all members from different levels to write about their experiences and learning journeys.
I would go a step further and physically write it down - either on real paper, or a tablet/whatever. I've always considered this a better way to get stuff to stick in your head... and it appears to be backed up by science:
Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning | Scientific American
Engaging the fine motor system to produce letters by hand has positive effects on learning and memory
Start writing now—capture what you learn, solve, and teach. Sharing knowledge not only benefits others but also solidifies your own understanding and prepares you for future career demands. It's a valuable investment in yourself and the community around you.
I totally agree. I just started blogging last year. I could have started much earlier as I started learning development. But I guess it's never too late to start writing..
Fully agree! Writing down and teaching others help you gain more and more understanding.
100% agree 😄
If there's one thing I'll do, its write things down haha. Great article!
Very true