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| title | description | date | lastmod |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zettelkasten shouldn't be complicated, but it is. | Following the principles of Zettelkasten, there exists a simpler solution to using Zettelkasten. | 2022-04-20 | 2022-04-22 |
Zettelkasten is Complicated
There are a lot of things I like about notes/Zettelkasten, but one thing I don't like is how complicated it is to set up. According to the building blocks of Zettelkasten blog post, a typical Zettelkasten system consists of an inbox, an archive, and a reference database.
- Inbox: the gateway into your knowledge system (e.g. Google Notes, Email, Apple Notes, etc.)
- Archive: the one, trusted place to look for information (e.g. Obsidian, Roam Research, etc.)
- Reference Database: interface to the outside world (e.g. Raindrop, Zotero, etc.)
On top of a complicated setup, this tri-system approach adds limitations and friction when using Zettelkasten. For example, transferring notes from the inbox to the archive. This process is a requirement, notes/the illusion of choice. In other words, we'll need to regularly transfer items from my inbox to the archive. For some, this additional step is a deal-breaker. On the flip side, the option of writing directly to the note archive (skipping the inbox) typically posts/writing-quick-notes-in-obsidian.
Finding a better solution
At its core, Zettelkasten can be distilled into notes/two principles of zettelkasten
- Principle of Atomicity: Limit notes to a single topic for notes/interoperable components are efficient
- Principle of Connectivity: notes/connecting ideas is powerful
As long as these two principles are maintained, our workflows can still be Zettelkasten. My approach to this problem is to create one system that combines the inbox, the archive, and the reference database into one system. Given that notes/connecting ideas is powerful are what make Zettelkasten powerful, having a single notes/use the right tool for the job interconnected system is better than having three specialized systems (inbox, archive, reference database).
This single system needs to have certain criteria in order to perform well:
- Has the ability to take quick notes anywhere (inbox)
- Can easily reference the source of the material (reference database)
- Support backlinks and links with a search feature (the archive + principles)
This is why I created an application to simplify the typical Zettelkasten system. The goal of this application is to lower the barrier of entry for Zettelkasten and to help more people to be productive. If you're interested, read my blog post about my posts/manage-notes-with-a-simple-workflow.