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54 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
54 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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draft: true
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title: "Notes as tools: A mental model"
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aliases: ["Notes as tools: A mental model"]
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series: []
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date: "2024-04-24"
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author: "Nick Dumas"
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cover: ""
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keywords: ["", ""]
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description: "Note-taking and the tools we use to do it can present an overwhelming abundance of possibility. Explicitly modelling your notes as tools can grant clarity when creating and organizing your knowledge."
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showFullContent: false
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tags:
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- obsidian
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- note-taking
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---
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## Outline
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- What I assume you know
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- Why take notes
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- Tools and you
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- Tools with purpose
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- Tools without
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- Conclusion
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{{< lead >}}
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Tools are all around you.
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{{ </ lead > }}
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## What I assume you know
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Nothing in particular, this article isn't specifically any singular note-taking methodology or discipline.
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## Why take notes?
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It's a question worth really thinking about. *Why* are you taking notes? Do you enjoy writing? Does it help you remember? Is it part of a grade? Your answer might be one or more or none of these. There **is** no *wrong* answer.
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My central thesis is that while there's no wrong end-goal for notes, at a fundamental level, **notes are tools** and deliberately conceptualizing them as such can be a helpful way to make decisions.
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## What is a tool?
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Tools are objects or processes that people create or alter in order to make some part of their life easier or better. Some very obvious examples of tools are things like knives, guns, and cars. Tools can be more complex, though. Factories are tools, eyeglasses and smartphones are tools.
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Tools are not constrained to physical space either. Mnemonic devices we use to memorize how to tie our shoes or our bank passwords are tools as well, existing completely in mental space and active cognitive processes. It's not all bank accounts and hardware stores, of course. Meditation is a tool for altering your mental state, just like positive ( and negative ) self-talk, exercise, comfort-tv, and the sort of things people do just because it makes them happy.
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Tools are all around you. It is worth putting some thought into precisely what those tools are useful for, to what degree they benefit you and at what cost. Knives are used for separating objects into smaller objects, which is great, but under the wrong circumstances that object might not be something you want made into smaller pieces so that's something you have to take into account while using, organizing, and storing your knife.
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Not all tools are anywhere near as dangerous as knives, but I want to center the idea that understanding the knife's purpose, cutting, informs how you should store it. Think carefully about how you're planning on using this note. Where will you be sitting or standing? What time of day will it be? What are the first words that come to mind when you think about the problem this note solves?
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Do you have at least one clear answer for this kind of question? If not, you may not have a clear idea of what this note is supposed to do to make your life easier or better.
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## Conclusion
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So, your notes are tools. Now what?
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In practice, what I try to focus on is **names**.
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> A note with a clear purpose will be easy to name. A note with a good name is easy to find because it expresses everything a note is useful for.
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