About this Video

• Video Title: How To Take Smart Notes (3 methods no one's talking about)
• Channel: Vicky Zhao [BEEAMP]
• Speakers: Vicky Zhao
• Duration: 00:07:14

Introduction

This video explains how to take "smart notes," a method for effectively processing and retaining information from books and other sources. The video contrasts passive highlighting with three active note-taking methods, emphasizing the importance of active restructuring, atomic notes, and connecting new ideas to existing knowledge.

Key Takeaways

• Active Smart Notes (Q/E/C): This method involves identifying Questions, Evidence, and Conclusions within the source material and restructuring them into your own notes. The speaker uses the example of Atomic Habits and suggests using dots for conclusions and dashes for evidence.
• Atomic Smart Notes: This approach advocates for breaking down notes into individual, independent units ("atoms") rather than lengthy, interconnected documents. This promotes multi-dimensional thinking and facilitates connections between seemingly disparate ideas.
• Connected Smart Notes (Zettelkasten Compass): This technique builds upon the previous two by connecting new atomic notes to existing ones, combatting the "illusion of competence" and enhancing knowledge retention. The "Zettelkasten Compass" is introduced as a framework to organize connections (North: origin, West: similarities, East: competing ideas, South: future connections).

The Q/E/C method stands for Question, Evidence, and Conclusion. It's a method for actively restructuring information from a source. While reading, you identify:

• Questions: The central questions the author is trying to answer.
• Evidence: Supporting evidence, examples, or anecdotes used to support claims.
• Conclusions: The main conclusions or key takeaways from the material.

Symbols for Identification:

• Conclusions/Ideas: Marked with a dot (.) next to them in the source material.
• Evidence/Examples: Marked with a dash (-) next to them in the source material.

Note Structure:

After identifying these elements within the text, you restructure them in your notes as follows: Start with the Question, then provide the Evidence that supports it, and finally state the Conclusion. Each Q, E, and C can be a separate atomic note.

The Zettelkasten Compass is a method for connecting a central idea to related concepts in four directions:

• North: Where does this idea come from? (Its origins, sources, or prior knowledge)
• West: What is similar to this idea? (Analogies, related concepts, parallels)
• East: What competes with this idea? (Opposing viewpoints, counterarguments, alternative perspectives)
• South: Where can this idea lead? (Future implications, connections to other ideas, potential applications)

Example using Atomic Habits:

Let's take the central idea from Atomic Habits: "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

• North (Origin): This idea originates from a critique of goal-oriented thinking. The argument is that while winners and losers may share similar goals, their success depends on their systems, not just goals.

• West (Similarities): This connects to the broader concept of systems thinking. The speaker mentions that systems thinking emphasizes troubleshooting and optimizing systems to achieve goals, similar to how one manages a large organization.

• East (Competing Ideas): The opposing viewpoint would be that goal setting is crucial. It provides direction; however, if goals are misaligned, even a good system won't lead to the desired outcome. Goal-setting is essential before focusing on systems.

• South (Future Connections): This idea leads to the discussion of not only forming good habits but also breaking bad habits. It can expand into applying the principles of systems thinking to broader areas like organizational improvement, addressing diversity issues, or tackling environmental problems.