Ever read a ton of books and articles only to forget most of it? I was in the same boat until I discovered Personal Knowledge Management.

In this post, I’ll walk you through my straightforward method of using knowledge to up my game professionally.

I break my notes down into three categories.

First up are fleeting notes. These are quick jottings I make when an intriguing idea pops into my head. They capture powerful beliefs from others, or facts that shift my perspective on a subject.

Next, we have literature notes. I jot these down while consuming any form of content—be it books, articles, or podcasts. I’m on the lookout for engaging ideas, insights, and concepts. Sometimes I paraphrase them, and sometimes I highlight them, quoting them directly.

Last but not least, there are my permanent notes, which serve as my second brain. These notes cover topics ranging from ‘How to Plan Product Roadmaps’ to ‘The Impact of Meditation on My Life,’ each focusing on a single concept.

What makes permanent notes special is that they’re constantly updated with insights from both fleeting and literature notes. I refine these notes by adding information that either corrects, contradicts, or supports what’s already there.

This system has been incredibly useful for deep dives into subjects that affect my understanding of the world, my professional life, and even myself.

An added benefit of having access to a second brain like that, is that helps you retrieve the information you need to make decisions, argue for your cause.

For this method, I rely on tools like Obsidian.md, Readwise, and Snipd. Stay tuned for a future post where I’ll delve into how I use these tools. Feel free to leave a comment if you’d like to know more.