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🔬Discovery 🔖 Zettelkasten 👍
A database for unstructured information
Annette K turned me on a method called Zettelkasten, a way to create a database for unstructured information, such as the notes from articles and books. Once entered, It allows you to quickly search and assemble those notes into valuable content (for example, an email, paper, or other content). This database can be in a physical form with notecards, but I am building my database using a program called Roam Research. [Obsidian is a popular alternative to Roam Research, but I don’t think it matters much which program you use.]
This Youtube video explains the basics.
The long-term benefits of building up a “second brain” seem well worth the time and effort. For me, adapting my thinking to the Zettelkasten method was not easy, and I found that Roam had a steep learning curve since I am used to databases that are obvious in terms of structure (think rows and columns). It took me about two months to really “get it.” I love it now and have used it to produce several pieces of content, including a letter published in the…
