How To Take Smart Notes (3 methods no one's talking about)

Join the Discord Community: / discord
Join 15 Frameworks in 15 Days: tinyurl.com/15frameworksin15
How do you take notes that are actually effective? How to remember what you read? Let's talk about how to take SMART notes, inspired by Sonke Ahrens' book "How to take smart notes".
We'll cover the 3 things that make smart notes smart, and techniques like Q/E/C and the compass of Zettelkasten Thinking to get you started today!
⚡️More Note-Taking & Obsidian videos⚡️
» Zettelkasten for beginners: • Zettelkasten Method Ex...
» Beginner's Guide to Obsidian: • Obsidian Note Taking T...
» 7 days taking notes in Obsidian: • 7 Days Trying Obsidian...
» Digitizing Your Notes: • Digitize your notes: S...
» Mind Maps 101: • HOW TO CREATE A MIND M...
⚡️Check out Fei's post on the Compass of Zettelkasten Thinking: feeei.substack.com/p/the-esse...
⏱ TIME STAMPS ⏱
0:00 Are your notes smart?
01:23 1/ active smart notes
03:14 2/ atomic smart notes
04:37 3/ connected smart notes
05:04 Compass of Zettelkasten Thinking
#notetaking #zettelkasten #smartnotes #atomicnotes
⁣_____
» Connect with me
⁣⁣🟡 Discord Community: / discord
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣🟡 Twitter: / beeamp_vicky
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣🟡 Newsletter: substack.com/intersectionalth...
🟡 Linkedin: / vicky-beeamp

[@alexei.domorev]

Vicky, thank you for another insightful video - I wish your channel existed 15 years ago when I was doing my MBA. Thansk to your hard work, anyone who watches your channel is able to significantly improve their thinking, decision making and performance. Brilliant work!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

This means so much Alexei! Thank you for saying so and for the support 🙏🎉 see you around the channel!!

[@alexei.domorev]

@@VickyZhaoBEEAMP keep up your great work! And if you could publish a PDF version of the slides you use during the videos for your supporters, it would be a great bonus for us. Looking forward to learning more from your channel!

[@creativeyogi8851]

Well explained. Most people only ever explain a system from an overview perspective, but fail to provide simple examples to walk the listener's mind through the actual process. Thanks for do the little bit extra!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Glad you liked the video!! Haha I agree, I always enjoy a quick example so good to know I should continue adding them to my videos 🙏😄

[@philippebruno8039]

You are right. I think it is because not all the people promoting atomic notes and smart notes are actually using them for real. It is evident that Vicky has been using this approach for a while.

[@zeldomaine]

Also when taking notes what I find helps is to reword the content. So if Atomic Habits says "You don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems," I would put that in my notes as "The real limitation to reaching your goals is the systems you employ and not the ambition of the goals themselves"

[@babyclam]

really not easy haha

[@ysowerw]

To that in my own words I would say. "In order to achieve something, worry about how to achieve it, don't worry about why you want to achieve it."

[@coconutqiqi-dq8ui]

I think that’s the point. It’s challenging for our brain and it's what make us actually learn

[@blaiseutube]

Everything about this video is exemplary: The audio The photography The transitions The structure The content The description, with links and timestamps.

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Wow appreciate your kind words and more to come!! ❤

[@MarcusCactus]

And don't forget to say it: the charming hostess.

[@misterpogos]

@@MarcusCactus I was looking for this

[@harriet_louise]

I'm a visual thinker and can therefore really struggle with learning quickly because of my ADHD short-term memory preventing me from being able to organise new information in my head before I forget it, so these tips are a godsend. Also, the way this video is visually formatted actually really helps to get my head around ideas like this - I bet Vicky is also a visual thinker

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Hehe you bet right - visual thinker through and through 🎉 so glad this helps! Many other with ADHD have shared the same so I'm really grateful my content can support 💪

[@labsanta]

Takeaways: At time: 00:00 The illusion of competence occurs when we highlight, underline, and take notes without actually learning new information. Smart notes are active and involve restructuring other people's thoughts into our own structure. The Q/E/C method (Question, Evidence, Conclusion) is a great structure to use when taking smart notes. Smart notes should be atomic, meaning the size and ideas on them matter. Organizing notes in one giant document limits our ability to think, and creating atomic notes can help us become more powerful thinkers. 03:28 Using atomic ideas instead of a giant document allows for 3D thinking and easier recollection of ideas. Making each question, evidence, and conclusion its own atomic note is crucial for rearranging and connecting ideas. Connecting new ideas to existing ones helps combat the illusion of competence. The compass of the Zettelkasten thinking can be used to connect new ideas to existing ones in four different directions. Focusing on systems rather than goals is important for forming good habits and breaking bad ones. 06:57 Thinking in multiple directions can help generate solutions for climate change and diversity issues. Connecting ideas is important for problem-solving. The speaker suggests checking out their Zettelkasten guide for taking smart notes to the next level. The speaker concludes the transcript by saying goodbye. No information is provided on who the speaker is or where the transcript comes from.

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you for sharing the summarization with the fam!! ❤

[@x1expert1x]

@@VickyZhaoBEEAMP That's a bot bro. Look at the last line, "No information is provided on who the speaker is", it's a ChatGPT auto-generated response, lol.

[@ranaprash]

@@x1expert1x You're correct. It's still pretty helpful though!

[@DATRATMANZ]

I have recently noticed in my notes in college I wasn’t actually absorbing the material. During lectures I would try to write down every little thing. Now I just wrote down the most important pieces, go home and piece everything together adding in more details and connecting the whole picture. One limitation was the medium I was using. I cannot use paper to connect these vast ideas because I only have so much space, but with Microsoft one-note I have a large amount of sosvd and freedom to put things wherever. I add in visuals, explain concepts then give myself and example then a visual of the example. For complex ideas in physics where particles and many forces and charges are at play this comes in handy.

[@one.darkstar]

Yesss! OneNote is awesome!

[@garyhughes1664]

This is probably the best video on note taking I've come across. Succinct and to the point, with some great ideas for linking notes and making them memorable.

[@hn29723]

I love that you explain and talk about the idea behind, the system and not as a lot of other focus on features of a tool. Very much appreciated!

[@cabinfever1431]

This is great advice. I've been using the QEC method since I read Cal Newport's book. I was still confused by the method after reading it but you just made it much clearer. Bravo, you have earned a sub🙌

[@chelseywithers4008]

I cannot fully express how grateful i am for you sharing this for free in the way that you do. Ive spent my whole life suffering from mental illness that held my mind hostage. Im 27 and finally getting the help i need to heal and my brain is on FIRE (in a good way). Ive felt so overwhelmed by all of my thoughts and ideas that can finally come through. Ive watched 5 of your videos so far and now i have hope that my thoughts and ideas can be put to use and wont just plague me. I cant wait to start putting things together and creating with my ideas. Thank you thank you thank you

[@trynagetby181]

This is concise and brilliant! Super high quality and well researched, thanks so much : )

[@kqi32]

This is just a pure gold, combining it with the "Feynman Technique" you can almost learn anything you want.

[@zedsmelee]

This video is a gift which I have looked for all day. Didn't waste my time on those 15 other videos because I found my way here. Thank you so much.

[@0shawhat]

I have never heard of the compass thinking but the way you broke it down and used examples from the book was mind opening!! Very, very great video :)

[@bill_jennings]

Compass thinking is a new concept to me as well, but I’m giving it a try.

[@aidahanwar7311]

on point, quick, detailed with the right amount of information, excellent visuals in terms of editing and brand. instantly subscribed! i'm gonna be sticking to this channel as long as i can

[@nakamuragames]

Great video! The idea of breaking down QEC into atomic notes is genius. I write atomic notes. But adding the idea of QEC definitely helps to identify valuable ideas from the readings. I will try to apply it. Thanks a lot for the sharing!

[@TapanDesai2992]

I really appreciate this video! Thank you. It randomly popped up on my recommended page. I have a ZettelKasten but never broke it down by Q/E/C. I did write the notes in my own words. Also, the ZettelKasten Compass was a great idea. I did put opposing ideas next to my notes but this was great, especially with the examples.

[@nompoo3115]

I'm only on the 2nd point and I already know this video is the best Ive seen on note taking. Concise and strong methods. The most important I've seen. So insightful. Thanks for this!

[@ramirooosting9798]

This was so good. Instant subscribe. Damn, you've got skill with explaining things in a structured and engaging way!

[@cr1ptideo]

Smart notes about smart notes Always opt to write actively, not passively, try to summarize the author's idea in your own way. QEC Method Q - question ( use ? to mark the questions ) E - evidence ( use - to mark the evidences ) C - conclusion ( use . to mark the conclusion ) Atomic smart notes Only working with isolated facts is very tricky and can lead you to forgetfulness in your learning journey. However, if you consider the facts and subjects interconnected with one another in an holistic way, it gets easier to connect the dots. Try to resume and interconnect everything together, rearrange them with the compass of Zettelkasten. You get the primary idea and you put it in the middle, north is where the idea comes from, the origins, on west you'll put all that's similiar to the primary idea, east is what competes and opposes and south can be to where the idea leads you.

[@y.a3624]

Thanks for sumerizing

[@PantingCat]

I always get so excited to see new uploads from you; I'm really interested in the way that you think and I love that you share your learning with us all and try to explain it in a way that takes the heaviness out of the concepts. I have ADHD so these tips are especially helpful for me in managing the issues that come with that, especially as I ramp up to the next phase of my career. I'm about to order some index cards and try this out. What's interesting is that I'm also taking a data visualization class and I could see how all of this connects together.. we're trying to understand what is going on in our own brains and helping it along when the proper connections aren't made.

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

I love that you're taking data visualization! That's exactly what I thought too - helping our brains see the connections that are easily missed. I love the field and have been playing with some of the concepts (and thought about doing a video later on haha). Thank you so much for watching my videos and sharing your thoughts ❤🙏 it means the world to know the things I've gone through and have helped me can be beneficial to you too! Excited for your next phase of career :) what are you getting into?

[@kristopherleslie8343]

I agree she is super dope and helpful

[@Dispatern]

Where are you taking the data visualization class? Is it on udemy? It might be helpful for me too. Also good luck and success with your next career phase!! 💖

[@alifacamilia1996]

This is actually very enlightening, as I'll head to my next conference in a few months and I need something to improve my train of thought (which is often a jungle to explore) and eventually, do the deed (writing). Thanks, Vicky! Will go check the next video immediately!

[@realpapamorty]

The idea of the compass was awesome! Great info. Thank you.

[@amarnaik2083]

Excellent Video on how to take smart notes and not just filling pages. Thank you for making this video!

[@thecuriouseducator]

This video is exceptional and very helpful 🥰 it got me to change how I take notes, AND in taking notes this way, I could see the brilliance in how you’ve structured the information to be engaging. Well done!

[@carolinamunoz4355]

Vicky, thank you for this video! You have a knack for making complex concepts very clear and easy to understand! I’ll be implementing these ideas soon. P.S.: I love the aesthetic of your channel/videos!! Most YT channels nowadays are visually loud, whereas your old computer vibe/pixelated fonts are crisp and soothing, while still fun👌🏼😊

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you Carolina for watching and for saying so! Let me know how the implementation goes!! And really glad you like the aesthetic 🙏 it means a lot

[@creativecat7278]

Wow QEC and the compass of Zettelkasten thinking are amazing tips! Also love the editing 🤩 thank you for making this video!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Glad you liked these techniques creative cat! Thank you for watching!!

[@MrJLouisS]

I never heard about QEC and zettlekasten before. I like learning and studying new things, and finding this video felt like a giant breakthrough. Thank you

[@niomiconsten2877]

Thanks Vicky, I'm watching all your videos and learning so much.

[@Alice3456able]

Thank you for this video! You explain the methods so well

[@junoismad]

so thanks to this video i learned why do i actually retain the informations i learn so well! its amazing seeing my learning proccess being broken down and explained like that, its a really well made video!

[@MrRagamuffin13]

Your video is Clear, concise and useful just like an atomic note. Q.E.C plus the cardinal points method is such a great idea Thanks for your work!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you Daniel for watching and sharing the words of encouragement 🙏 so glad you liked this and let me know if there’s anything you’re curious about!

[@alicepetal5766]

second one was kinda helpful but the third was incredible. It's strange to think I was already kind of doing this back in high school (mainly just for literature and GPR tho, cuz those required you to analyse texts), but your system really showed me how I could apply it to other subjects and areas of my life. I really liked this video :)) thanks!

[@commonchild3054]

Woah! Engaging and insightful. I've seen a lot of videos on this topic, and yours is the best. Thank you.

[@carlosbrambila5950]

Thanks for the helpful video. I am new to your channel and enjoy your editing and presentation style. I look forward to learning from the rest of your videos.

[@paolawillis2633]

I´m learning so much from you! thank you so much, for sharing your work I´ll keep on following your content.. the more I watch the more I love it!

[@haydenarchwoll9234]

This video was fantastic, thank you I have watched a lot of videos on note taking and none of them summed it up as beautifully as you have. Please keep doing more content.

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you Hayden!! I really appreciate it :) will do more in the coming months and please suggest any topics you’re particularly interested! See you around :D

[@haydenarchwoll9234]

Hi Vicky, im a long time Obsidian user too, it would be great to understand your process in obsidian with using QEC and I would also be interested on how you could attach mental models to the QEC process in obsidian to visualise what questions and problems use what mental models 🙏

[@Cvralla]

Thank you Vicky!! One of the best channel🎉

[@deserthorsedude]

Excellent video on how to structure one's thinking and note taking around the concept of smart notes. I would add that Obsidian (with Extended Mindmap and Kanban plugins) can be used as an excellent smart note taking tool to execute this strategy. Thanks for very concise, clear and well thought out presentation (on this very atomic topic, pun intended).

[@Da29.Hi45]

just realized I already done most of this so that's why my notes are so short and looks unorganized but is actually meaningful and memorable. this is the definition of work smarter not harder.

[@sasha_nivar]

This was great! Definitely a helpful structure in this new way of thinking and break out of the illusion of competency. thank you

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you Sasha for watching and sharing this with me! When I realized note taking actually shape how we think it blew my mind. Wish I took better notes in high school haha

[@sasha_nivar]

@@VickyZhaoBEEAMP I wish I took better notes too! In college, I was a hired note-taker for students who needed extra assistance and I wish I had this skill back then for both me and them. I enjoy using my brain to process analyze and strategize how to approach things as well as how to creatively solve a problem or spread a message and I believe that taking smarter notes will help support me in that way.

[@xletix69]

Incredible video! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I will try everything you said

[@Bhdp7406shd-yr2ji]

Watching you speak so passionately about this made me smile throughout the video. I really appreciate you sharing this and it was so cool to hear that you used this through law school as well! 😊

[@softwarearchitecturematter4482]

Very concise, clear and nicely paced. Cheers.

[@TheBasicBarista]

Love this, very insightful and keen to try this method! Great work :)

[@Gabby-qh5co]

I think this is one of the best videos I've ever seen on youtube. thank you for this awesome explanation, as a college student this will be very useful to me :)

[@murdockdisraeli3015]

Vicky, I love, love, LOVE this video! This is the epiphany I was looking for when you used the Compass of Zettelkasten. I did not know that the compass questions (ah ha...I'm linking...lol) were mentioned in a recent video from Linking Your Thinking called "Stop Note Taking. Start Note Making." I like the compass questions better. Thank you! 😍

[@thutruong1193]

Woah, your method so easy and helpful to do it. I'm struggling with remembering my major lesson and suddenly I see your video, it helps me a lot. Thanks for your hard work, I hope to see more video from you in the future.

[@RasigaPriya-iy9wk]

the intro was really relatable ! btw the video is really of good quality ! thanks

[@philippebruno8039]

Exactly the video I have been looking for. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. I will subscribe to your channel, so keep making more great videos!

[@pt7391]

everything is so well executed, I'm subscribing

[@PatHaskell]

Excellent presentation, thank you for posting!

[@rowdyleon318]

This is incredibly helpful. Thank you for sharing.

[@AM-dn4lk]

Wow. This was so insightful. Thank you for sharing.

[@stephanieyagn9213]

I spent so much time to figure out how to know whether a note is atomic enough, and your video answered my question clearly! Amazing!🥰

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thanks so good to hear!! Glad this helped!

[@marcopallado4657]

this is the video i was looking for. thanks!

[@Dennnny60]

i am glad that i have found your video, would´ve been nice to learn that when i was young and still in school. I also got very motivated right now from watching that, thank you ^^

[@Lexazy]

I have seen a lot of videos on KZbin that talk about note taking and I have never watched a video as well as there your thank you very much

[@Kwangsta]

Love your content, very insightul and helpful!

[@Bouncy_penguin]

One of the best videos I’ve seen on this topic. Well done!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you for the vote of confidence Helen 🙏 let me know if there’s anything else you want to see on the channel!

[@dazzlesreadthrough7440]

Excellent content! Well done! Thank you!

[@character42]

This is amazing. one thing ive found is that when i research something i enjoy; take rome for example, i end up relaying the information in my head by pretending im explaining it to someone. dont even realize i do it half the time and it helps me to remember alot lol

[@julliettecarignan8563]

This is SO helpful! I changed profession to one that's very broad and deep (data anlaytics) so I have so much to learn. I read and read but then struggle to recall, so I'm always wondering if there could be a more effective way to learn more deeply and creatively, which means in a more combinatorial way. What you're teaching here is just what I need! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!

[@hexane8]

You are shockingly easy to pay attention to. Your communication is crisp and fairly perfect. The slight differences don't detract from what you are saying but add humanness so you're not off putting, boring, robotic. You don't use too many or too few words. Even the info/books you reference are interesting and high quality. I was mildly irritated the other day from listening to someone with a thousand ums and ahs and it contrasted the difference. All of this is enormously respectful to your viewer/listener. Possibly due to the ADHD I have no problem thinking laterally and in 3d but communicating the simplest ideas feels like disassembling a ship inside a bottle and laying it out in a way that the other person will know how to reconstruct it, all while lacking executive functioning and difficulty with anything linear or requiring steps. Everything is a big messy pile in 3 dimensions (time usually represented by space). Subscribed. Thank you!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you for the support and it means the world to know the style helps!! We've got lots of ADHD viewers here hehe, welcome!

[@itellyouforfree7238]

I think this video perfectly exemplifies the "illusion of competence"

[@Yagoba_]

i just saw this video and this is already my fav youtube channel

[@user-tn3to9dx4m]

Very helpful video, I think I'm going to try this!!

[@ceafva]

Vicky, I was excited when I first watched this video, days later I watched again. Then again a week later. Working on the understanding. I decided to research the Q/E/C method and learned this structure has many limitations which you didn't mention in your video. After this I returned to watch your video again to see if I could straighten out some misunderstanding (so I thought I had). The Q/E/C is a limited note-taking method usually with subjects that require argumenting. Definitely non-technical. Great for philosophy as I read some examples. I can't see it as related to Zettlesten's method as you kind of danced around. I can see though how looking if other directions could help, more directions than simply north, east, west, north and south. If you would talk further on this maybe I can connect this further. I feel there's something missing or maybe its just something I'm not smart enough to get and taking your type of "smart" isn't my thing. I do want you to know I am big follower thus far.

[@DebugBany]

great video, not too long not too short. love it

[@atomasz]

Amazing, shared with huge, positive energy, short but powerfull, well documented (in description) video material. :)

[@trra7785]

Straight to the point, very informative i love it

[@LeonOrmes]

Brilliant, thank you! As others have already said, but I wanted to back them up, there are millions of videos and blogs on note-taking, but they all just repeat each other, and just resay what Sonke Ahrens already said. This video brings something new to the discussion. I am going to use these ideas today!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you Leon!! This means the world 🙏 if you ever have anything you want me to cover on the channel, please drop me a comment!!

[@LeonOrmes]

@@VickyZhaoBEEAMP Funny you should say that! What, I think, would be fascinating from you would be a video on taking ideas further than just one or two thoughts. Take us through finding an idea you like and applying your ways of thinking to generate new insights. Linking to your existing lines of thought and creating something new. Many of the examples I have seen online just rephrase an idea, which is not very interesting to read. Luhmann generated whole new spheres of thought, not just saying something someone else thinks. How do you challenge your biases and see through your mistakes to get to a better understanding? But I look forward to whatever you produce!

[@drewpark1]

This video is awesome! I’m addicted to your channel 😂

[@maricrafty]

I'm in the middle of the video yet, but want to say thank you. This will help me a lot. Thank you very very much.

[@prasadkumar6739]

Really great content, thank you so much, it is gonna help me now.

[@rodking7501]

Succinct material, extremely well delivered. Thanks for sharing, Vicky.

[@peterz.7355]

I am loving the idea! Thanks for sharing. Time for implementation!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you very much for watching and for sharing this with me 🙏 yessss keep me posted on implementation!

[@Satao254]

Finally I get it!!! Excellent teaching

[@qqlife]

Thanks a lot for this amazing video. Really well explain the ideas and how to use it, love it.

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Aww thank you QQ!! Really appreciate it

[@sukanyar8850]

Such an awesome video and soo well explained. Tough to believe you did law, you almost sound like a product manager, but then again your thinking frameworks are essential fundamentals to any profession, so makes sense :)

[@TsunamiKitten]

Completely awesome, thank you!

[@MM-bw1lo]

Pretty good info, definitely gonna try this out

[@fabianmacasjaramillo2842]

Very helpful information, thank you. Greetings from Ecuador.

[@kirky801]

As a creative person I often cut and rearrange my tasks or ideas, I didn’t know that this could form a system ! Thank you for making these great videos

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Love that it’s so intuitive for you! Please let me know if anything changes when you make it in a system!!

[@psyshanudasan]

This was great content. Thank you.

[@ResanChea]

This is a very good video. I see many videos about how to do zettlekasten, but never the reasons why it works so well. I questioned why should notes be so atomic and now it make sense. I hope this gets more views!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thank you very much for watching and for sharing this with me 🙏 glad the atomic note ideas is resonating!

[@Phuntsokdj]

Appreciate your work 👍

[@roxipuff]

This is exactly what I needed to take my skill mastery learning to the next level. Thank you so much for this!!

[@roxipuff]

Update: I tried this method for the first time today and after months of information overwhelm, I finally feel organised. The compass is a game changer 🙏

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

So amazing to hear!!!

[@caqol]

We used FIRAC - Facts, ID Issue, ID Rule applicable, Application of Rule to identified issue and facts and Conclusion. Thanks so much for this.

[@ohcrapitsmrG]

Very good video - appreciate the original content

[@AnjaLSL]

Thank you, so useful and interesting. 😮

[@ChrysJones]

Excellent video... Thanks so much!

[@drewwilkins9963]

I love this video so much I can't watch it all. It is too much wisdom for one sitting. I have to cap it like a great wine so as not to waste and watch more as I digest its great ideas. I just made a date with myself.

[@cherubmius]

Great content! Very insightful

[@joesweeney6262]

Great video and a technique I've used / modified since I was a teen. Also Luhman and Da Vinci are both in my pantheon of heroes. So good to hear Luhman being mentioned. The notion of connection is well recognised in education, and formally considered in Bloom's taxonomy.

[@FullMetalFan4life]

Nice pretentious reply

[@nannue]

Thank you for this information.

[@madeofcastiron]

huh, i never realised that i’ve been actually using these methods my whole life. i like to think of my knowledge and ideas as ingredients and that they can be combined together into recipes. it’s nice to finally have the names to these methods.

[@DinaLu]

This was so well explained! So interesting!

[@VickyZhaoBEEAMP]

Thanks for watching Dina! I really appreciate it 🙏

[@PseudoDope]

this actually helps, thanks