Note Taking Techniques

Tom Goodheart

Ah! Sheet!

Or

Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659-1719) author of Hagakure

“According to Master Ittei, even a poor penman will become substantial in the art of calligraphy if he studies by imitating a good model and puts forth effort...Today, however, there are no models of good retainers. In light of this it would be good to make a model and learn from that. To do this, one should look at many people and choose from each person his best point only….”

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”

“Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.”

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill

Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

The 6 P’s and Swiss Cheese

1.Don’t just take notes, Read them.2.Is paper Obsolete to you? Necessary?3.Be Obsessive Compulsive About Them4.Draw Pictures, Read, Record, Listen.5.Take Breaks. Reward successes

*Ontological Argument, Bare Minimums, Path of Least Resistence

The Rules- Make, Fake, or Break It

The Nitty Gritty: Cornell Style Notes

Divide the Paper into 3 Key Areas: (1) Key Points and Themes, or Drawings. (2) A space for Notes

-They Should be paraphrases -Main Ideas and summations

(3) Summary and Follow Ups-Within 24 hours -add follow up questions/ Assignments-references to scholarly articles

Thre are > 50 recognized version of shrtd wrtng tchnqs, not including Txt Msg (SMS) Shorthand.

-Create a system that works for you using symbols you have attached a value to.

-Combine mathematical and vernacular lingos

Symbols and Short hand

-Most resemble Cartesian Coordinates -Can be similar to Cornell style-Used by Bill Gates to take his meeting notes.-Page is divided up into relevant categories based on the event. I.E. lecture, business meeting, etc.-Each quadrant has it’s own purpose.

Quadrants

1. Create an Indexing System. Pg # in bottom left corner, complete pages get indexed. Reverse side writing is annotated “pg#.5”2.Proper Pad for the Job-He stresses follow up sections as well

Alpha Geek Style: Tim Ferris Method

Mind Maps

We are what we repeatedly do

Important of Repetition

Pomodoro Technique-Created by Francesco Cirilleo in the 90s-use of alternating periods of work with dedicated rest breaks-all you need is an egg timer set to periods of 25 minutes work 5 rest (this is one pomodoro) after 4 you get a longer pomodoro (typically 15-30 minutes)

Productivity Techniques

David Allen: creator/Author of “Getting Things Done”“Stress free productivity is a Martial Art.”-idea of moving planned tasks and projects out of the mind by recording them externally and then breaking them into actionable work items. This allows one to focus attention on taking action on tasks, instead of on recalling them-focus of lists of tasks, priority precedence, and getting everything into a medium to see it visually.

Getting Things Done

The 1-3-5 Method

(1) Create a list of Rules to Live by, TRACK THEM(2)Rework and fine tune your schedule to embrace a routine(3)Turn Enemies into Friends

Ben Franklin’s Methods

How’d I Do?

Mixture of Ben Franklin, Inazo Nitobe’s Bushido, and JJDIDTIEBUCKLE from the USMC.

-DO NOT PIGEON HOLE

-43 Folders => References for PDA and GTD with it.-Limited only by your imagination and binder clip. -downloadable templates available online for schedules, calendars, astrology.

Hipster PDA

Frontloading => Packing your week with things in the first 3-4 days.Backloading => Packing your week with tasks the last half of the week.Sandwiching =>Specifically packing Monday and Friday with large tasks.

Frontloading, Backloading, Sandwiching

(1) My day’s full of stuff, I must be productive => Sticking Feathers in your butt doesn’t make you a chicken, Use a “Done List”(2) I can Multitask like the best of them => scientifically, you can’t. Practice “single focus”(3) All flow, no schedule? => Use a rhythm calendar instead of a to do list.(4) Do it tomorrow? => Find an accountability buddy

Procrastination lies and how to Fix Them

(1) Pegging(2) Chunking,Linking(3)Palaces

Memory Techniques

Pegging or Story Telling

-Create meaningful resonating images or words from a series of items or numbers.-used by/taught to police forces to memorize plates-Pattern Recognition to improve memory retentionExamples: FLOAT=> Fruit, lettuce, Olives, Anchovies, and tomatoes. 64seconds, 64s, 20s, 86s, 40s. Sprinting Times to remember phone number

Chunking

-Techniques of assigning memories techniques to certain positions in a familiar location to the individua on a specific path.-Use familiar locations, memorable people doing memorable things.-Discussed in Rhetorrica Ad herenium by Cicero.-Simonides and the Banquet Hall

Memory Palaces- LOCI method

(1) Drive(2) Evernote(3) Keep(4)OneNote

They are only tools, they should not replace innate abilities.

Digital Storage Methods- Clouds

Appropriately Engage the Moment. Be Water“There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.”

“It is bad when one thing becomes two. One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. It is the same for anything that is called a Way. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all ways and be more and more in accord with his own.”

David Allen,Yamamoto Tsunetomo and Bruce Lee Went to A Bar