The trap of being a curious note-taker | Obsidian
I usually like taking notes while reading a book, listening to a podcast or watching a lecture. It feels good to muddle through new concepts, think about new insights and figure out how everything might be connected.
But it is not always that great.
Being a curious note-taker and learner holds a trap.
the trap
There are a lot of interesting topics to learn and to take notes about. And we constantly get exposed to more and more topics while trying to finish the previous one. Even a little side note inside the book or the video might spark your next curiosity.
Which is not bad at all. We should definitely foster and nurture our curiosity. But at the wrong time, it can throw you off.
We might get distracted by a new curiosity and lose focus on what we wanted to learn in the first place. Instead of building a meaningful skill, we start jumping around from topic to topic, from one area to another area. We never spend enough time on one topic to deepen our understanding. We are constantly just scratching the surface here and there.
By the time we want to go back to the old topic, we’ve forgotten everything. And now, there is a new barrier to familiarizing yourself again with the old information.
This happened to me. I became a busy note-taker and a busy learner.
It is the same as with productivity. Being busy is not being productive. And regarding taking notes and learning: Being busy is not being smart.
So don’t become a busy note-taker. Be an intentional note-taker. Avoid the trap of getting distracted by everything that seems interesting.
curiosity constraints
One way to do it is by creating curiosity constraints for yourself. To create them, we can make use of the Bullet Journal Method and its two main questions.
First, you make a list. A list of topics, areas, and interests. Things you should learn, have to learn, want to learn, and might want to learn. Everything that comes to mind.
Now go through the list and ask the two questions:
> Does it matter? Do I want to learn this?
> Is it vital? Do I have to learn this?
If the answer is yes, keep the item. If it is no, drop it.
Now, this list resembles your curiosity constraints. You will focus on the items in this list. You will take time to consume materials regarding these topics. You will only take notes about these areas. If something sparks your curiosity, you pull out the list and check if it is part or subpart of any item. If yes, keep and follow your curiosity. If not, drop it; it will only get you distracted.
Use the bullet journal questions to become intentional about what you want to learn and have to learn. So that you can spend your time and energy wisely.
Of course, your curiosity constraints can change from time to time. But at least this time, you have a concrete list to adjust and tailor to your personal liking.
curiosity constraints in Obsidian
To be aware of your curiosity constraints, you can also implement them into your Obsidian system. There are a couple of ways to do it. You might want to write them down on a single note, name it “C U R I O S I T Y “ and save it in the root directory of your Obsidian setup.
Or you can create a MOC, create single notes for all your curiosities and save them inside the MOC.
Or you can create folders for each curiosity and save all relevant notes inside the respective curiosity folder. This is the method I’m currently using and enjoying.
Or you can do whatever suits your personal note-taking style and Obsidian setup. It doesn’t have to be a certain way. It just has to be right for you.
