I’ve been reading this book since 2019, and over the years I’ve regularly revisited my notes on how to make note-taking truly work for me. Since organizing most of my agenda items in Emacs Org Mode, I’ve become more attentive to how I take and structure my notes. This book has been the most valuable resource I’ve found for understanding what note-taking actually does for me and how I can stay connected to my existing notes.
The most crucial principle I’ve learned is that notes should reflect my thinking for the future, not merely record what happened in the past. The author describes a system that begins with recording what happens, then questioning why it happened that way, followed by reflecting on how I think about it, and finally envisioning what I want to become as a result. This process encourages me to turn each note into a seed for future growth — not just a record of events, but a tool for deliberate change and continuous learning.