My MOM starts her knowledge management journey!

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In this video I teach my mom how to use the zettelkasten technique on paper. We discuss why she wants a knowledge management system, why she doesn't want to store it on her computer, and we make her first three notes.
✨TIMESTAMPS✨
0:00 - Intro
0:53 - why zettelkasten?
6:18 - why a PHYSICAL zettelkasten?
7:57 - steps to build zettelkasten
8:55 - first steps
12:02 - consistency in note format
13:30 - don't prioritize aesthetics
15:29 - it's ok to leave some blanks
15:55 - what to put on bibliographic notes
17:17 - book synopsis example
17:33 - permanent notes from books
22:22 - naming your note
29:11 - hub notes
29:27 - embrace the mess
#zettelkasten #KnowledgeManagement #notetaking

[@MaxCuberful]

This is probably the best, non-judgemental or holier-than-thou video on how to start a paper Zettelkasten. Morgan, thank you for what you are doing on your channel!

[@morganeua]

Aw, that is such a nice compliment, thank you! I hope I didn't scare my mom away from the process; it was my first time coaching someone on zettelkasten one-on-one!

[@johnm3066]

Least sanctimonious 😂

[@ChrisAldrich1]

23:08, on labeling the first card - I'm reminded of the Umberto Eco quote (Foucault's Pendulum): "No piece of information is superior to any other. Power lies in have them all on file and then finding the connections; you have only to want to find them."

[@morganeua]

Yes!!!! I often think about quotes from How to Write a Thesis by Eco. He talks about "academic humility," the idea that we must humble ourselves to accepting any potential source of knowledge because we can learn something from everyone/everything.

[@ladyflimflam]

7:14 a cardinal tenant for managment of all stuff with ADHD is that if we don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. This is why we have piles. Physical systems tend to work better for ADHD minds. Or digital systems that present the information (like using reminders that present the steps to a routine). Additionally, we need to optimize for easy entry. If we want to retrieve something we will dig to get it out, but “putting it away” needs to be very low barriier or it just won’t happen.

[@morganeua]

That's good to know. The more comments I read from people with ADHD, the more I think that ADHD-friendly systems are just better systems in general! I definitely need to do more research into supporting ADHD minds

[@powerpuff4ever]

If this sticks for her, I’d love to see how she adapts it to herself as a system! I know that this system isn’t traditionally used for journaling or spur of the moment, throwaway thoughts but I feel like it very easily _can_ and if she’d like to pursue it that way, I’d love to see how it evolves. I have ADHD too and my obsidian is filled with notes that are just fully random thoughts as phrases and I go back to fill them with back links. It’s like MOCs but somehow more and less structured at the same time. I’ve loved being able to implement something in my life that is chaotic by nature but still inherently structured so I really hope your mom is able to find that kind of joy

[@morganeua]

I will let her know! I'm sure that will be freeing for her

[@julianowak4798]

It's funny how your mom mentioned that her ADHD mind finds having a digital system a barrier because her laptop might be in a different part of the house but her cue cards are right there. I find that true for my ADHD in the totally opposite way. Since my phone is always on me, when I have a fleeting thought I just put it in my daily note in Obsidian there at that exact moment. If I had to find a pen and paper every time I wanted to record I thought, I would never do it. I guess it's, as she says, a generational thing.

[@Jose10Rafael10]

Congratulations on a very well presented and creative video. This is original and valuable! Thanks for sharing

[@marcoslli4211]

This video is absolutely gold. I've been watching note-taking content for years (although I haven't delved deep enough to read books on Zettelkasten) but this video made me understand the system immediately and easily. Watching you teach your mother from scratch has been a very enriching experience and I think that for people like me who don't know the system perfectly, this video is the perfect example. Hopefully more videos with your mother showing how her system evolves. And I hope this video goes viral because it really deserves to be seen by a lot of people. Congratulations and thank you.

[@morganeua]

I will let her know! I also hope she sticks with it and we can do a follow up video!

[@lajourdanne]

This video is fantastic. It’s reminding me of a professional organizer or consultant. Great back up career might be helping people create Zettlekastens 😊

[@morganeua]

Haha, that would be so fun! I would really need to double-down on my zettelkasten knowledge... I've thought about it though. Maybe after my PhD I'll become a zettelkasten coach 😝

[@Tewahedo]

That couch seems really comfy!

[@effortlesszone]

Hurray for late-diagnosed ADD moms!

[@flowingblaze]

Nice video morgan! I enjoyed watching

[@Narja23]

That was so cool! I faced the exact same issue than your mother after discovering your videos : i am a purely on-paper note taking because of a sight disability, and obsidian was just too hard on my eye for long periods of note taking (which is needed as i just finished my phd and am working on post doctorate projects and applications). Thanks a lot, i'll give it a try on the paper format!

[@morganeua]

I hope it works out for you! I'm glad I can offer some alternative methods!

[@tomstern9498]

So great in different ways, and very inspiring cause I just started my next attempt of building a Zettelkasten. On the one hand I love the physical thing. Perhaps it's a generation thing, but my experience ist that things I wrote by hand become much clearer and stuck more in my memory. On the other hand I don't want to do my Zettelkasten without the digital advantages. So I decided do go hybrid: I have a bunch of notecards in my pocket and whenever something comes into my mind I do my physical notes (according to my gernal standards) But the intention is to type them later in my Obsidian and get linked them to existing notes. On the other hand: when I do some online reserches, or working on my desk it fits me better do go straight into Obsidian. So there is no "either or" but something that depends on the situation.

[@SamuelWebster]

It's so sweet how your Mum was so curious about your approach, and interested in adapting her own zettelkasten system! Great! (btw, I used to have a Zoom H4n, if you turn it 90 degrees in this scenario, you can split the audio into two mono tracks (left and right of the stereo pair) and it's like one mic per person)

[@morganeua]

Aw, thanks!! I never know how to handle this thing. It came into my life unexpectedly and then I never properly learned how to use it 😂

[@SamuelWebster]

@@morganeua they're fantastic. I didn't treat mine super well but it still lasted 10 years before I accidentally snapped one of the top microphones off.

[@morganeua]

@@SamuelWebster Woah, hardcore 😂

[@Alvin1967]

Gracias,es como tomar un clase particular de como ir organizando la cabeza para aprovechar mejor los inputs diarios, 🙏🏼 saludos desde Montevideo Uruguay 🇺🇾

[@sandymakesplans]

the last line was perhaps the only reason i'm not giving up on this unstructured overly complicated so-called system. it IS a mess because i am a mess. i just hope that it doesn't stay a mess or create more because i'm gonna feel like a fool for trying something new.

[@kedrickadamsmusic]

This video is wonderful! I've been trying to work in a digital Zettelkasten and even though I work on my computer all the time, I struggle with the same lack of spatial satisfaction a physical one could bring. What is a world idea? Could you explain it in a future video? Thank you and I love your work!

[@azmrl]

about your mom's second sentence in, i thought "late ADHD diagnosis" because i was diagnosed at 53 (female). i absolutely love my unlined commonplace book/s and blank notecard card system. will see if i can up my game learning about the kettlekasten take on it.

[@ila9063]

As someone with adhd, this helped me understand the zettelkasten. I might actually try the digital version now. edit: could you do a video on how to make efficient fleeting notes eg how to decide what to write down, how to structure then etc? I find myself writing too much when I’m reading and it’s overwhelming.

[@morganeua]

Oh that's a great idea, I'll make a note of it, thanks!

[@Jacqueslemal]

Excellent introduction.

[@traderdick703]

covers all the bases with grace. Really appreciate both of you.

[@shelby5725]

This video is helping me interact with my digital Zettlekasten with refreshed eyes. Plus, your mom has wonderful insights about womanhood and family, so it was nice working with her through those ideas. Your Zettlekasten series is some of my comfort content, btw.

[@morganeua]

Aw, that is wonderful that we can take something potentially overwhelming, like the accumulation of knowledge, and make it comfy 🙂🥰

[@4my4blessings]

How is your mum doing with her system now after a couple months?

[@2ngel2v]

❤❤❤

[@eabach16]

Is your mom still using the analogue system? I’d love to see her progress!

[@morganeua]

She's actually now considering moving to a digital system, so we might do a follow up video!

[@Oliver-zy8sq]

If I create a note b that refers to another a do i also create a back-reference like a backlink in Obsidian?

[@morganeua]

So, note "B" refers to note "A," and you're wondering if you should also pull out note "A" and link it to "B" as well? I think you should do that if when you are looking at note "A" you might want to remember that note "B" exists, yes. Because otherwise, when you're looking at note "A," you might never arrive at note "B"!

[@morganeua]

Alternatively, if the link from A to B isn't totally integral to A, then you could instead create a "hub" note that starts to collect all the notes on a certain topic and put both A and B on it (like a tag).

[@Oliver-zy8sq]

@@morganeua Yes, the idea of hub notes also came to me. I find it so interesting how a zettelkasten is easily adaptable to changes because it grows from the botom up.

[@robbynswiscoski3964]

Sounds very complicated and it does not have to be

[@ChrisAldrich1]

A good two card start! Key question: Where is the index portion so that 10,000 cards in she'll know where to start searching? 🤪🗃

[@morganeua]

For me the index portion comes later, AFTER there's a bunch of notes. Otherwise, you're trying to guess what notes you'll make. So I create indexes to navigate what's already accumulated, instead of trying to predict it!

[@upsydaysy3042]

Great question and great answer, thank you both!