(By that I mean stuff about dealing with parents, relationships, etc. This site directs people to Amazon and is an Amazon Associate member. And a Review for cut/paste into amazon or goodreads. The German sociologist Niklas Luhmann published some 50 books and 550 articles in various publications. That reminded me of something I once heard Nick Thompson talk about. How do you know what to write down? Hes got all this aphorisms and these thoughts, its just like entering a rats maze. The hourglass takes nothing in. Its interesting because, wow, Ill think, this experience couldnt exist in this way if I hadnt made that notecard. I could use this in several ways. []robertgreene The colors represent categories, you are correct. Each one of Ryans books is comprised of thousands of notecards. But thats just a little thing. Your thoughts are downstream from your inputs. I saw a post about a similar system a while back, I believe it was from you Ryan! -Someone also asked him about it in his Reddit AMA. Its responsible for helping me publishthree books in three years, (along with other books Ive had the privilege of contributing to), write countless articles published in newspapers and websites,send out my reading recommendations every month, and make all sorts of other work and personal successes possible. For example, in the book The Secret Wisdom of Nature, I liked the idea that trees that have to struggle for sunlight grow stronger and live longer than trees that are free from that struggle: A month or two after reading this, I made a notecard. The Book Notes themselves. Its a really easy way to bring it all with me and to never feel like I have to wait to record an idea. but I do miss the physical notes in a book. After a week or two, when I have a block of time, I grab the book and a stack of 46 notecards. Heaven sent. You were able to show how to manipulate the current media to get what you want in a step-by-step process. Schopenhauer once said there are two types of writer: those who write because they have something they have to say and those who write for the sake of writing. Your post was a good reminder to order your two books. Then throughout the day, I try to take any opportunity to read even just a page or two. The note card should be able to communicate a complete thought or idea or story or lesson that an ignorant audience (me) can understand, learn from, or be surprised by. Lets not even put writing a book on the same page, because its orders of magnitude more difficult. So he had no problem moving on from a book after the first page, the first chapter, the first halfwhenever he caught his attention fading. That way, if I want to fold both sides of the same page, I can. Its very important that you mark quotes properly so you never risk forgetting to attribute. Take the pains to write things out. How to Take Notes While Reading a Book - Unmistakable Creative -Heres Robert explaining his system inan interview with Andrew Warner at Mixergy(he shows one of his boxes on camera if you feel like looking): I read a book and I take, as Im reading it, I underline it and put notes on the side and then I go back and put them on notecards. So I started to use my skills as a filmmaker. And sameI cannot remember the notecards Ive made, but I like knowing they are both somewhere in my consciousness and somewhere in my box. Jan 30, 2022 -- Image by the author on Canva. If a card can fit in multiple categories, just make a duplicate card. Some examples: Dont be the slave of circumstance. (intro), We know objectively that we learn from failure, yet we spend all our time trying to avoid it. Kismet. The Notecard System how I capture stories, ideas, and research I come across when I read books and articles, listen to podcasts, and watch documentaries and YouTube videos. Log in, The Edge, Two Lessons & 12 Rules from Mark Cuban, On Google's Culture: A Letter from the Founders, Outwork Book Club: The Millionaire Fastlane. Reddit - Dive into anything Just finished Trust Me, Im Lying, great read! Physical books, physical notecards, thats the best in my opinion. There are three simple steps to using the system: How you should read: read physical books, highlight them, and take down notes. Im interested in knowing whether this process has you arched over a desk, or sitting relaxed in your favorite chair. But it's still be hugely helpful to me and I think I'm in a unique position to explain this method to people. Each box holds ~1500 46 notecards. If you spend a lot of time with genius, your mind will end up bigger and broader than if you [dont]., The famous line from Emerson is, I cannot remember the books Ive read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.. You can also download the free PDF 12 Essential Writing Routines To Help You To Craft Your Own.. Nov 6, 2017 -- 11 After the response to this recent LifeHacker piece, I thought I would explain the system I use to take notes, research books and keep track of anecdotes, stories. I fill in the gaps of the crossword at any spot I happen to choose. -Get in the habit. Using his notecard system, he stacks thousands of note cards into various piles that ultimately . So those are the kinds of quotes I grab for one particular topic. And then by chance I came across this post! I've opted to use 3x5 notecards as my commonplacing system. The only thing new to report here are some tools. You are correct that some of what I found interesting on the first readthrough was not as remarkable on the second pass. Thank you for the great article. Which later made it into a piece about a race to the South Pole and ice ages: On the back of the notecard, I put the title of the podcast and a timestamp. By the end of the research period (300-400 books later), he has accumulated 3000-4000 cards, on average. Because, he would point out, by the time he came to a card a couple days/weeks/months later, he would be someone else. A common saying states that before dying, you need to write a book, raise a kid and plant a tree. I have a box and ~1/4 full of cards. What Ryan is doing is pretty much straight out of the tradition of classical rhetoric. The lovely thing about this method is that you can adapt it to suit your writing and research style . It has been a lifesaver, and really helped save my sanity. Its not an exaggeration: Nearly every dollar Ive made in my adult life was earned first on the back or front (or both) of an index card. The comedian George Carlin said his system started when: I had a boss in radio when I was 18 years old, and my boss told me to write down every idea I get even if I cant use it at the time, and then file it away and have a system for filing it awaybecause a good idea is of no use to you unless you can find it, A lot of this, Carlin said, is discovery. Thank you for modeling stoicism for us all. He was asked, whats that done for you? If I need to, Ill search the various places online I might have used the contents of a notecard. Someone on reddit just told me to google you to read about the system. Fix them! Another third of the energy is invested in rearranging and connecting ideas in a way that makes sense and leads the reader towards the comprehension you want him to create. Whatever I want! When Im taking notes, when Im scrawling with my fountain pen on a cardIm thinking more deeply than when typing on a computerThe handwriting process links closer and faster to the way my brain worksThen, having a box of two thousand cards that I can sift through with my fingers and that I can move around with incredible speedI cant do that on a computer. Its memory. Gladwell then analogizes James exacting memory to Simons. He adopted the system from his mentor and fellow writer Robert Greene, who no-doubt adopted . Ive read probably about 150 books since then and maybe 120 were on the Kindle. Yes. Like with the podcast process, every so often, when Ive got a block of time, I open Instapaper and look at what Ive read and the notes I took. Geniuses (which Id classify you as) are able to take something complex and make it simple. It's an amazing way to ensure our reading is not quickly forgotten, but it can be used for far more than non-fiction. With the passage of some time, you find most things that you underline dont hold up. Or Im researching something for work and stumble on an irrelevant but potentially interesting article. Your passion for organization is one of the (many) things that makes your work so incredibly fun to read and reference. the powerful books of the strategist Robert Greene. In the review process, youre making those insights available for your mind to act on.. HOW I WRITE MY BOOKS: Robert Greene Reveals His Research - YouTube According to his biographer, Michael Keene, General Patton used to use a similar system: He read every treatise on warfare ever written. At least once a week, I sift through all my notecards before I write my Sunday newsletter. When I am looking for material in my writing, I use them. The book talks a lot about his writing and the use of classification slips to cover the depth of material, especially for The Story of Civilization series they did. who adapted his from bestselling author Robert Greene. I can already tell that this notecard system is not for you. Such as reading, writing is a magical process that, in a way, connects us with our human nature. Thats something Ive realized through the following bizarre and interesting experience. I am actually thinking of usingTaskRabbitto have someone create a digital backup. Jason Tatum took the ball out, threw it to Marcus Smart in the short corner, he made a three. Now to be clear, this is not my notecard system. As you read, underline, dog-ear, sticky-note any quotes or ideas that you want to remember or use for your next writing project. Like any system, the notecard system needs inputs. The Obstacle Is The Way: My New Book & A Bunch of Reading List Bonuses, 8 Simple Rules To Live By From The Worlds Greatest Deep Sea Diver, 2018 copyright Ryan Holiday // All rights reserved // Privacy Policy. I will show you those various methods, starting with books. The more I heard about the system, the more I became obsessed with it. He lives in Austin, Texas. For every good idea that comes out of you, you need ten good ideas coming into you. If its the right-hand page, I fold the top corner. A Glimpse Into Mastery. Robert Greene's work on Mastery is a | by Tony The discerning will readonly the authentic utterances of the oracleall the rest he rejects.. Reagan took out his notecards. -Its not totally dissimilar to the Dewey Decimal system and old library card catalogs. For many reasons I find this an incredible way to shape a book. You get something from itfrom this osmotic imitationthat will only take place if you lodge it in your consciousness., David Brooks talks about what he calls the theory of maximum taste. Its similar to what Murphy is saying. If anyone has examples, send away! 998 subscribers in the PersonalKnowledgeMgmt community. It can work, he said, but in his experience, its rare that a synthetic startup works. They rebounded it. This Unique Notecard System Will Help You Remember, Organize I went with a smaller box because it appears to fill up faster and that is satisfying. Other People Who You Use The Notecard System, Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, a piece about a race to the South Pole and ice ages, 10,000 Hours with Reid Hoffman: What I Learned, this short article by biographer Andrew Roberts, the ability to be in uncertainties and doubts without getting too stressed/anxious, his interview on the Knowledge Project podcast, Niklas Luhmanns Card Index: Thinking Tool, Communication Partner, Publication Machine, George Carlin said his system started when. Writing them down by hand forces me to take my time and to go over everything again (taking notes on a Kindle is too easy and thats the problem). After fiddling around with the data view plugin, I think I've finally figured out a more visually pleasing way to recreate Ryan Holiday and Robert Greene's notecard system in Obsidian. And you should be set. Ive tried using underlining in the e-text, but I just cant remember which book has the good stuff in it. We always decide whether we continue or not. (Will), Ulysses S. Grantincident at Mathew Bradys studio where glass fell on him and he didnt move. Im checking email and some newsletter links to some article. If anything, I use a perverted version of a system taught to me by the genius Robert Greene , when I was his research assistant. Greene's Process Step 1: Read Books and Take Margin Notes Step 2: Put Important Notes on Cards Step 3: Group Cards into Categories Step 4: Review and Write A Modern Approach A Cautionary Note Similar Articles As I said above and as some of the people below talk about, one of the joys of the system is when you surprise yourself, when you rediscover, when you find the perfect card while you were looking for something else. The research analyst and developer Dr. Snke Ahrens wrote a short book loosely based on Luhmanns methods titled How To Take Smart Notes. A few weeks later I return to the book, and transfer my scribbles on to note cards each card representing an important theme in the book. Ryan Holiday & Robert Greene's Notecard System -- now with Cards from the Minimal Theme! This process is a process of discovering new knowledge, from combinations of existing knowledge. Here are the 5 lessons that made Robert Greene one of the most influential authors of our times. Waiting helps you separate the wheat from the chaff. You dont want to know everything about it, but with this there now, if Ive done all that work and I sit down to write, I have at my fingertips, all of this. No. Or email me and Ill make sure you get added to the list. Unless you've already lived a truly, spectacular life, the thing youll write about is third-party knowledge. The Notecard System: Keep and Organize Everything - Robert Moszczynski Itd be like if you stored everything you underline in a book you read. So I make every note card with the assumption that I will later have forgotten just about everything about the book/article/paper/interview from which the note card comes from. I write the information on the card, and the theme/category on the top right corner. I wouldnt. A lot of people ask Ryan how he produces so much output. Thank you for sharing this system with us, I really appreciate you attention to detail and your no-nonsense step by step explanation of the method. As much as technology advances our species, somethings are better left to tradition. How to Design a High-Performance Life (Style) And a Johannes F.K. Theres something intrinsically human in the desire of telling histories, of sharing a little of our knowledge, of our lives with other human beings. Make your own way. When the book hes reading is good, it can generate 20~30 cards. Robert Greene's Notorious Notecard System - Outwork, LLC Mine is more of a mess. This is an awesome post, but for those of us that are visually orientated why dont you create a video of the process and how you use this to create and write books. How I Use Robert Greene's Notecard System | by Tony U - Medium -Helpful tip: If you end up using the back of the card (I do it fairly often), put an arrow on the front side. So, right now, Im in a research period, when Im reading voraciously books about human nature, psychology, etc. Because I have zero complains about 46 cards after several years of using them? See: Simpsons bio (Nerve). If you dont currently create or have plans to create blog posts or books or songs or sneakers or etc., I thought I might argue, a note-taking process is a waste of time. The interesting information, you realize, actually isnt that interesting. But when you write something on a notecard, I have found, you are essentially saying, mind, you dont have to remember this.. For example, I recently read this idea of matching your selling techniques to peoples buying habits. If someone recommends a book or if I see a book referenced in another book or if Im listening to a podcast and a book gets mentioned or etc., I will download the kindle sample. He first wrote about his system here and later, in this video, he explained his methods for reading, organizing what he reads, and using that information in his life and work. But its still be hugely helpful to me and I think Im in a unique position to explain this method to people. To make this extra clear, I always put a circle around the first quotation mark. (Quick aside: I hear from people who somehow have their Kindle app and their note-taking app synced up so that everything they underline goes straight into their note-taking app. He adheres his reflections into his famed notecard system. I havent had a chance to really dig into it yet, but it explores how Pattons personality and spiritual beliefs shaped his decisions, as opposed to just another recounting of his military exploits. Check out WritingRoutines.com. If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking. - Murakami. It pays off so its worth it. So originally I thought, I need a bunch of categories and themes first then Ill keep my eyes and ears out for things that fit into those topics and themes. It doesnt have to be all of them either. In the beginning, I picked six random notecards and essentially transcribed them into the email service provider. When he goes through that box, he finds themes and makes connections that later become the idea for a book or a chapter or an article or a daily email or a talk or a video or a product or etc. Now imagine if you were able to unshackle from the limits of the present moment, and draw on weeks, months, or even years of accumulated imagination.. It comes down to instilling habits,. Then, he went back and filled in the white space. What are the chances that the most creative, most innovative approaches will instantly be top of mind? Emerson liked to identify four classes of readers: the hourglass, the sponge, the jelly-bag, and the Golconda. If Id read 10% less books since 2011 but made better notes, I think that would have been a better time investment. Its not too complex. When I come across interesting information, I underline then write a corresponding question in the margin. After his death, Vladimir Nabokovs final novel, The Original of Laura: A Novel in Fragments, was published. The great anecdote, you realize, actually isnt worth the cognitive energy required to write it out in your own words. But it's still be hugely helpful to me and I think I'm in a unique position to explain this method to people. Extremely interesting system! Maybe for you but not for me. My article reading process is an adapted version of my book reading process. Robert Greene And Ryan Holidays' note-taking system in Obsidian I am curious as to why you dont make a customized note card. The importance of re-reading notebooks - Austin Kleon I think this is a terrible thing to do. Ryans production is a function of a similar process. When something still excites me, the notecard process here is the same: I write a title/header at the top of the notecard then try to make the contents of the notecard as if I might want to later transfer it directly into a piece of writing. The German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, who was famous for his slip box or zettelksten method, called his box of notecards his conversation partner. When you have to use your energy to put those words down, you are more apt to make them count.. If you cant talk yourself into using your energy to write or type something out, its probably not worth capturing. The question in the margin sparks a recollection of the corresponding information. Im not usually writing, because my books require so much research. in Philosophy. The guy is a non-fiction beast, author of The 48 Laws of Power, 33 Strategies of War, The Art of Seduction, The 50th Law and Mastery. Fold the bottom corner of the page where youve made a note or marked something (alternatively, use post-it flags). I read a lot more now that I have the Kindle (partly because of the portability and the ease of getting new books but also partly because I just make more time for reading than I used to) and I take a ton more notes than I used to (all digital). I actually finish the book and revisit in 2-3 weeks to take the notes. If a notecard could fit in multiple sections, I do this: So thats basically what Im doing when I read: Im looking for interesting information, Im on the hunt for stories, and Im trying to make connections. Then, he aggregates the cards inside each chapter again around the sections of the chapter. When I finish a book, I put it back on the shelf for a week or two. Even with a really good bookone where I fold over every other pageI might only make 5-10 notecards. Recently I started tweeting quotes that I had taken note of. I have hundreds that just have a ONE or TWO words on them. So Ive got a section in the front of my box of notecards that is the Waiting Room. What happens is, over time, Ill draw a connection between three or four cards and then move those to their own section with a card up front with a kind of index (more on this below). You have to routinely make those insights available to yourself., Wisdom is only wisdom if you can act on it, Randall says. And then, in about a year, Im gonna start writing and then I go on to a kind of a different routine when Im more craze and hard to be around.. A few weeks after making the notecard, I wrote about how the actor Jeff Daniels decides what jobs to take on.