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30 lines
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30 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: The simplest way to use Zettelkasten for note management
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description: Everywhere I look, I find complicated Zettelkasten workflows that require a multi-step setup process. On top of the setup, notes must be regularly reviewed and categorized. For some, this workflow may be a godsend, but for most, it's overkill. I'm here to unveil my method of using Zettelkasten. It may be unconventional, so beware.
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date: 2022-05-29
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lastmod: 2022-05-29
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---
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Everywhere I look, I find [[posts/zettelkasten-shouldnt-be-complicated-but-it-is|complicated]] Zettelkasten workflows that require a multi-step setup process. On top of the setup, notes must be regularly reviewed and categorized. For some, this workflow may be a godsend, but for most, it's overkill. I'm here to unveil my method of using Zettelkasten. It may be unconventional, so beware.
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## Zettelkasten Concepts
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[[notes/Zettelkasten|Zettelkasten]] can be distilled into [[notes/two principles of zettelkasten|two principles]]: take atomic notes and make connections. What this means is to take notes that are **limited to a specific topic** and make connections between these topics. Without these two principles, there is no Zettelkasten. So it's super important to fully understand this!
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In my workflow, there are two types of notes:
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- **Fleeting Notes:** Notes that *aren't* specific to a topic
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- **Atomic Notes:** Notes that *are* specific to a topic
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Fleeting Notes are similar to any note we normally take. They can be random thoughts in our brains or quick notes from a meeting. What's important to understand is that Fleeting Notes *are not* atomic notes. Atomic Notes are specific to one topic and what makes them powerful is that they're [[notes/interoperable components are efficient|interoperable]]. One pitfall many fall into when creating atomic notes is that they [[notes/To create useful links, we need to connect, not group|create groups and not connections]].
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## The simplest workflow
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Now that we understand the basic concepts let's get into my workflow! So what I do is I take fleeting notes like I normally do and add connections to atomic notes if I want the note to potentially resurface in the future. Finally, if I have the time and energy, I will traverse into the atomic note and expand on the topic. And that's it! I know some of you like lists so I'll make one below:
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1. Take fleeting notes like I normally do
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2. If I feel it's important, add links to atomic notes
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3. If I have the time and energy, expand upon my atomic note.
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No regular review, no complicated setup procedure, and no need for categorization. This is a simple yet powerful way to take notes.
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## What note-taking app?
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I love Obsidian and it's my note-taking application of choice, but it isn't [[posts/writing-quick-notes-in-obsidian|great for taking quick notes]]. This is why I created [Fleeting Notes](https://fleetingnotes.app/) a scratchpad for taking quick and connected notes. With this app, I can seamlessly create new notes and build/traverse connections.
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