New Perspectives on Note-taking#
These past few days, I have finally been able to comfortably use the core of the card note-taking method.
- The card note-taking method requires two types of cards: the first type is for taking notes, and the second type is used as an index for the first type of cards.
- A note-taking system is the embodiment of a personal knowledge system. All categories are important, and the number of categories should be kept to a minimum. The more categories there are, the harder it is to remember. Make sure your categories can encompass the entire knowledge system. For example, the first-level categories can be "work," "study," and "life," and the second-level categories can be adjusted according to personal preferences.
- Folder directories need to be categorized (blocks in Notion can also be understood as folders), and tags also need to be categorized.
- The format should be consistent and not changed frequently. Write down your categories on a mind map.
It is now December 16, 2023, and today I opened VScode again, wanting to write something.
Regarding the record from December 3rd, I won't make any changes, but I'll leave a comment: the new method mentioned above still cannot meet the requirements and is negated. Let's not tinker with it for now. Pay attention to keeping the categories and tags as minimal as possible. Design all small systems (folders and tags) based on the "Excerpt-Inspiration-Output" closed loop. Classify folders based on themes or projects. Collect information with the purpose of input, read information with the purpose of solving current problems, and integrate information with the purpose of output. This is currently the best solution I believe for knowledge management.
The above is a textual description, and it may be better to demonstrate it step by step or record a video to avoid forgetting in the future.
The Significance of Personal Hobbies#
The day before yesterday, I was chatting with my mom at noon and she mentioned the karaoke group she joined. She talked about the difficulties she encountered in life and how the friends in the group would comfort her, with strangers from all over the place even sending her red envelopes. I won't go into the specifics.
I know she has been in this group for many years, and I also know that there is a middle-aged man named Lao Cai in the group who is a big boss but never reveals his personal information.
He is a busy big boss who chats with a group of middle-aged women about trivial matters every day (without revealing personal information), purely for entertainment. As a young person who has not yet achieved financial freedom, I am constantly being held hostage by the future and doing things in a very utilitarian way, which results in frequent anxiety and self-doubt.
My mom told me about Lao Cai. He joined the group for entertainment and relaxation, cultivating personal hobbies in his spare time. This gave me some inspiration.
So, it's important for people to have their own hobbies and interact with friends who are not driven by personal interests. Otherwise, every word we say is about growth, making money. Isn't it exhausting? Just listening to others talk about these things is tiring enough.
Blogging is a Good Hobby#
Thinking back, I have also joined some hobby circles in the past, such as the Don't Starve Together QQ group, a purely public welfare reading group, and a blogging group. Although I hardly participated actively, I enjoyed lurking and it was indeed a personal hobby.
Later, influenced by growth-oriented books, I thought that "paying attention to these things is a waste of time and doesn't bring any so-called value," so I left the gaming circle. But the result was not good. I lacked a handle to grasp the tail of life, and such a life was devoid of fun.
Now I have joined some so-called valuable circles (money-making, personal growth), but I feel anxious. People inside these circles are either trying to stimulate you to make money through various activities or finding various examples to prove their own growth. I haven't felt like paying attention to these groups for over half a month.
I'm not saying they are doing something wrong, but the atmosphere is unnatural, with too many people intervening. You can't speak freely, and the evaluation of value is in the hands of the group owner, not a collective evaluation by all group members.
Today, I browsed the blog of a peer who is studying human resources management. His life seems simple: looking for a job, part-time work, spending time with his girlfriend, studying blogs, and taking notes. I don't see any anxiety.
With a part-time job that earns around 2000 per month, he can support himself. He doesn't think about whether doing something is meaningful or not. He does what he likes: blogging, photography, writing, thinking, and so on. Then he calmly looks for a job. I envy this kind of life state.
Perhaps the existence of Lao Cai and blogs is to tell me that people should cultivate their own hobbies and not invest all their thoughts in utilitarian matters.
I suddenly realized that blogs are really great places. You can write what you want to write and say what you want to say.
I still have more than half a year left for my domain name, so this is the last time I can use it for free. In the future, if I want to use it, I'll have to pay a few dozen bucks. I will continue to record my experiences in the future.