Great video Dave! Finally someone giving examples of how they actually implement this system. I feel like I love the idea of the Zettlekasten but the implementation is daunting to say the least. I also like that you are doing yours manually; it forces you to slow down and think a little more about what you are writing and why (you can’t just hit backspace and fix a bad thought) which is kind of the point of the whole thing. Thanks for such a practical example and please keep them coming.
Hi, thanks, it is pretty daunting to start, took me about 4 odd months of reading and talking to a mate who already had one before I felt ready to have a crack at doing it myself. Once you start it does get easier and I really enjoy the process now! I have increasingly found handwriting to be be better for learning and thinking.
lol im just a highschooler learning this method and when you started mentioning bible stuff i was surprised! i have a bible right next to my laptop right now. I am excited to try out this Zettelkasten method!
Sir ... You have my appreciation and Thanks. I have just learned of this method as well, and through all the blogs, comments, and websites, you are the first to give me an actual demonstration of your techniques and how I can use what you have brilliantly done and create my own system. I have a better understanding. Thank You!!!!
Thank you! Finally a video actually showing what these cards look like and how that ACTUALLY work in a real life situation! So much vague theory out there and so precious little practical application! 🙏
I've just learned about this method and want to implement it into my own life and learning strategies but most of my reading refers to digital Zettelkastens! I really appreciate you showing and explaining your physical one as it really cleared a lot up for me. thanks!
Thanks, I too found it pretty frustrating the lack of paper-based examples out there, so I figured I fill that space! Hope setting up you're own Zettelkasten goes well!
Education and cognitive science research shows that you learn more from writing your notes by hand, as opposed to using electronic platforms. It is so important to find a source that teaches how to use Zetttelkasten in real space. Georgia, you will learn better and learn more by using a nondigital note-taking form. Dave, I'm so glad you've made your note-taking directions available on RUclips. Thanks!
I never make comments on RUclips, but I have to say: THANK YOU for this. This is the most helpful zettelkasten video I have found to date. Thanks for your generosity in laying out your process with clarity, brevity, and practicality.
Thank you for actually showing your cards and your process! I’ve just started learning about and using a Zettlekasten and since it’s such a different way of working with knowledge, it’s been a bit of mind twist figuring it out. This has been one of the most helpful videos about the method because you actually showed your work. I’m also a visual learner and have been craving getting into the weeds and details of it so I can really understand what I’m doing going forward. This is much appreciated and I’d love to see you do more.
Glad I could help! I made this video because its the kind of video I wish I could've watched when I was working it all out. What kind of things would you like to see more video's on?
Awesome. I started out doing analog, but switched to digital. I think about going back every once in a while. Watching yours makes me think about going analog again.
One of the big drawbacks to the analog was creating commentary notes on a book. Would you just sort those into topical and link the notes on the book of Galatians via tags? Or how else would you link all your notes a book so that you can grab them again? Thanks for sharing.
@@bibleculture Hi, I would just write notes as they come up and then link. This means that you would link to other notes on Galatians but also the theology or ministry practice you might be reading. Then once your reading is done or you've got a few cards write an outline card. You could then even write an outline of the outline cards if you really wanted. This synthesises the info further. It would be the outline cards you'd pull out when you wanted the info. Then deep dive into other cards or the source if needed. 'Linking cards' as in cards that explain why the link is important could also be helpful.
@@patschloss3342 Hi, "sort of" sub points. Each note should be autonomous all on its own, so not strictly a sub point. It is related, so often I'll have written a card, say card 113, and then cards 113 and 86 need a linking card... that would mean the linking card could be 113.1 or 86.1 Or I'll have written card 113.1 and then moved on to cards 114, 115, 116, but then I'll think of a way that card 113 can be applied in a real world situation and I feel its worthy of making permanent, so I'd write card 113.2 Then card 113.2 has a serious link to say card 67, so I could write a linking card that could be either card 113.2.1 or card 67.1 Which number you link the card to will depend on which way the link flows. Proximity in the Zettelkasten is important becasue when you find a number, you are also easily able to look at the cards surrounding it. I hope makes sense?
Thanks for this! I was just looking for some actual example of how this works - and although I will be doing a digital version, this cleared up a lot of questions I had about how to actually do the notes. Much appreciated!
Thanks Dave. I’m mightily impressed that you’re sticking to a paper-based archive! I do enjoy notebooks and pen for jotting down ideas and thinking, but in a rather more orthodox digital manner I then transfer these into whatever app I am using as an archive/slip box. Though seeing some of your zettelkasten laid out on the table did give me the idea of printing out some of my outlines too and seeing what I might pick up by working with these offline. Looking forward to seeing some more of your videos and thoughts later. Take care.
Thanks, I have found the physical nature of moving the cards around and ordering useful for seeing connections and getting my head around the whole sweep of an idea. Are there things that you would like to see demonstrated with my Zettlekasten?
Finally found it! God bless this man for sharing his analog #zettlekasten process with us! Deeply appreciate you taking the time to walk us through a step-by-step process 👏👏👏
I used to write professionally for many years. A lot. I was helped a lot when i discovered the perfect fineliner. You use the same one: uni ball. Excellent choice.
I think I can summarize this video as follow: 1. We write the interesting idea on a card and why the idea is important. 2. Link this card with other relevan idea 3. Make index for the entry based on topic, book, or what ever we want to make as an entry 4. When we want to write essay or paper, then take all the cards that relevan with the topic and organize them to become an outline 5. Then just write the paper or essay However, I think it is important to write down why the link that you write is important. So that, you don't waste your time to check the number of the link if it is not interest you. I think I got it, Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your Zettelkasten. Amongst all the tutorials out there, it’s rare to see one in actual use and it seems close to Luhmann’s method. The “linking card” is a great idea!
IIt's been a while since I've been learning about the Zettelkasten method and I've read and seen a lot of theories, but never much practice. So, I really appreciate you demonstrating it. It allows me to have a picture rather than a lot of words. Thanks!
Thank you, pastor. I think demonstration is the only way to communicate how this works for a person. It's a type of rumination, I think. (For your subject area, lectio divino.) I'm still building my own. You have confirmed for me my suspicion that regular walks through the slip-box are going to be necessary. This is a feature and not a bug. Paper seems to be the only way for me, for all of the usual reasons. Like you, I suppose this is different from person to person.
I agree, I think rumination is a pretty vital part of learning and leadership. It has been a joy to read through old cards and rediscover things I'd thought of or been struck by in the past
I read a lot of books and watch lots of RUclips lectures. I start realising that I need to write down and interconnect all the interesting ideas from the books and the lectures. I don't like the e-zettelkasten and prefer paper 📜 Thanks for the video.
Thank you for making a wonderful video. It’s great to see a paper based zettelkasten system working, rather than electronic. Although I would love to have a paper based system as I like the idea of ‘holding’ ideas in my hand so I can see and feel them, it seems that an electronic system is easier to maintain and develop. Maybe there is a way of having both paper and electronic system?!
Hi, thanks for the feedback. I guess when deciding which platform to use, either electronic or paper, you need to ask yourself what's going to facilitate thinking/learning + output better? For me that's paper, for others electronic works best.
Hi there! Thanks for your time in creating this and other videos. I’m curious about your numbering method. I follow what you describe here - you number your cards sequentially and then create outline cards. Other Zettelkasten aficionados suggest numbering cards differently. They suggest adding new information into a ZK by searching for the most closely related existing note and adding the new note by it - using a branching numbering sequence. You handle this with your outline cards. My question is what was it that made you decide to number your cards sequentially rather than find a related place for them and use a branching sequence? I am about 150 cards into my ZK and have adopted Scott Scheper’s academic sequence with branches. I am also in the field of theology - a spiritual director. Most of my cards are deep into spiritual practices and prayer and a bit into psychology. I’m also interested in health and wellness so I have a growing section on nutrition and movement. May God continue to bless your journey!
Hi, Thanks for the encouragement :-) I use the sequential numbering system with outline cards for a couple of reasons: 1. It just makes more sense to me 2. When I started my ZK I couldn't find anywhere that talked about the branch structure that Scheper teaches. He either wasn't posting then, or my 'many' searches didn't find anything 3. I've now read and watched 'a lot' of Scheper's stuff and I've wrestled with whether or not to restart, but I've decided to stick with what I'm doing because the reality for me is that all my reading is really theological and therefore 'humanities'... even If I did read 'formal science' like on AI or biology for example, it's usually with a theological critique or lense anyway, so the academic disciplines setup wouldn't work very well for me Thus, I don't install a card as the next number until it has at least one link to something else. That way it'll be discovered again one day. The links grow over time and when a card ends up with lots of links on it, it is obviously important and thus gets an outline card. So now (which I'm hoping to show in a video someday) I'm working on a robust index (inspired by Scheper) and outline cards for topics. I also mainly use my ZK for thinking and reflection, rather than producing output, so its geared towards linking ideas because of that. Hope that helps? I'm happy to keep answering questions here!
@@dave_hayes thanks for your reply. What you say makes sense especially holding off to add cards until linked. I like the idea that ZK is flexible and we can adapt to ourselves and how our own minds work. Keep “zetteling!”
Thanks very much for this, Dave. You've really filled gap with your videos on a the analog approach, which appeals to me. I am still a little unclear how one knows which cards in the ZK to link a new card to, especially as it grows and there are potentially thousands of cards. Is that the reason for your yellow sticky note, for categorization? Thanks again.
Thanks, I did start these videos because I would've really liked them when I was working out how to start a Zettelkasten! Linking is something that starts to develop over time. When you only have sub 10 cards there's not much to link to. However, it does get easier and links begin to become more apparent. For example you might write 20 odd notes when you are reading one book. There will be many links between these as they are from the same ideas as the book. Then you might read a journal article by a different author on the same topic as the book and thus more links will present themselves. Or you might read a different author who holds a different position and so there will be negative links as it were, or links to cards that explain which position you agree with and why. Or once you have a larger number of cards 100+ say, you might read through some cards or pull out a number of others and then a memory will be triggered or you'll read a number of cards and a link will noticed. The trick then is to write 'linking' notes which explain why that link is important to you or what you learned from it. I hoping to make a video on this in the next week or so. The yellow cards (I've now changed them to tabs) are not 'pure' Zettelkasten. I put those in so that I could easily find where particular topics started. So in that sense it does make linking a little bit easier if you know the topic links but can't remember specific cards. This is where the magic happens as you start reading the cards to find a link, discoveries and new learning happen here.
I'm also a pastor that uses a notecard system! I tried to start a true Zettlekasten but found it too complex so instead I modeled my system after Ryan Holiday's notecard system. This video really makes me think about going back to a true Zettlekasten though. I'd love to see more videos with tips about how to use your paper based Zettlekasten as there are so few paper based videos! Great content!
Hi, I looked at the Holiday system before starting, the clincher for going to a Zettelkasten was the linking. I couldn't see any reason to not just leave my notes in a notebook for the Holiday system, there didn't seem to be an extra advantage to writing things on a card apart from more time to do it? Linking the information was the kind of thing I was doing mentally anyway and did regularly when teaching. Having a mechanism to show why a note linked and what was important about the link (i.e. in a linking card) is very beneficial for leaning and teaching. What kind of things would you like to see videos on?
Dave, thanks .. that's what i was looking for. But I still fear having various index cards and spreading them out to review. Ceiling fan is the biggest enemy which i fear! :)
Thank you, mate. Very useful. The How To Take Smart Notes book is not a practical book, and it is not designed for someone who wants to use an analog Zettelkasten. You gave me some insights into how to do it properly.
I have reading (and note taking) as a part of my morning routine and so occasionally I'll swap reading for writing Zettels. I also will often dedicate a day or a half day to writing Zettels and going back over what I've already written to write linking notes or outline cards. This is pretty random though, depends on how busy I am.
Thank you very much for providing a practical example! I hope that this method will help the orators on our speech & debate team. The videos that I recorded on my RUclips channel last summer only help them with the delivery of their thoughts. With your help, they will see for themselves that thinking evolves over time.
Very nice and useful video, thanks! Especially your explanation and showcase of outline and linking cards is very enlightening. I just recently started my own zettelkasten and I'm still often unsure whether a note is really atomistic or whether I should spread the info over several cards. How you you decide whether a zettle is atomistic?
A great question. Sometimes it is easy, as in one quote = one idea and therefore atomistic. For other types of cards I tend to think about each card like a paragraph in a simple essay. If I need to start a new paragraph then I'm more likely to have started a new idea and therefore need a new card. Of course a new paragraph could just be giving an example or illustration of the concept and as such is still atomistic. I guess the other thing to keep in mind that even though we call them 'permanent notes' when they go in a box, they aren't really. There's no reason why you can't go back and change something or write other cards explaining why you've changed your mind and a card is really two or more ideas rather than just one. If anything that's a good thing because it demonstrates learning, which is the point of the whole thing anyway :-) At other times, I've tried to imagine each card like a real grammar nerd. You have a main clause and subordinate clauses. If I need to use another main verb, then its more likely to be a new idea or imagine writing your card in dot points and if the dot points look like they are stand alone ideas then they need new cards.
@@dave_hayes The easiest are quotes, I agree... or definitions. But difficulties already start with examples. It might be just a small illustration and best be added to the same zettel (I tend to do this for definitions, for instance), or the example can be interpreted in different ways or might be used to support more than one idea - in this case I would separate the two. Unfortunately, it's often hard to judge which category the example falls into. It's always useful to see how other people deal with this problem.
Great video for someone like me who prefers paper-shuffling to screen work. The books I've read so far on the Zettelkasten are far too abstract for my use and left me with many unanswered questions. I want the ZK method to work for my own personal use and I'm very excited about its potential, but I need to master the principles first. Thanks for clarifying the 'paper' method.
This gave me a lot of ideas. But I have one question. I heard that you could link the cards and write 7/a/1/b and you wrote only one number. Why did you decide to do it that way? Did I understand it correctly that you did the linking with extra cards? Sry if you said it in the video. I try to understand the analog system and it's pretty complicated. And not speaking English as a first language doesn't really help either xD
Hi, I chose to order my cards using numbers i.e 1, 2, 3, 3.1, 3.1.1, 4, 4.1 etc because that made more sense to me. It felt like it would be easier to see where the card shoud be placed in the box. You coud label your cards 1, 2, 3a, 3a1, 4 etc if you wanted. There is no one right way. Yes, I put linking notes on seperate cards. However, the link numbers are at the bottom of each card. Please keep asking questions if you need for information, I'm happy to help :-)
Thanks. This was helpful. Can u make a video showing how you build notes around a specific topic of choice? For eg, if you want to build notes for writing biographies of apostles... thanks again...
Hi, thanks the suggestion, I’ll add it to my list of ideas. In short, what you’d need to do for your idea is to start writing notes from your reading and then write outline cards to gather the ideas together.
Thank you for the video. I needed to see a paper example in order to understand how a computer program zettelkasten would work. Make notes "atomistic" is the key point I was missing. I wonder if "elementary" would be a more accurate term, but I suppose the alliteration of "atomistic and autonomous" make it easier to remember.
In one sense, I'm not sure it matters what you call it... atomistic or elementary, the point is that each note contains a single idea. Glad I could help!
This video was so extremely helpful to me! Thank you for showing the way you implemented the system. I'm trying to start up a good system for my notes and that's not easy really. 1. I'm a student of Psychology so lots of literature notes from those sources. 2. I'm a writer, so lots of notes on how to write (or how not to write). 3. I'm also a missionary (in the process of becoming) which means that all I gather should travel with me. Next year my wife and I will move to Brazil and help in an organisation that is aimed at helping addicts get back their humanity. Behind the addiction there is a human being, loved by God! 4. As a missionary I also do preach, which means notes like yours! Thanks again for your video, since I also preach I do get your notes on the subjects you write notes on. That makes it so much more interesting also. I understand why you keep your video accessible for everybody (keeping Christian slang out), however I would love an in-depth look at your zettelkasten! :) Blessings!
Hi, thanks, I'm really glad it was helpful. It took me a fair while to get my head around how to implement the system so I made these videos to show what I wish I could've seen! It sounds like you might need a digital system if you're going to be heading off as a missionary. I can imagine in time my paper based Zettelkasten getting quite large! In my situation, I'm a pastor of a church, Lord willing I'll be able to serve here for a long time, the size of it doesn't matter so much. I like the idea of a deep dive into the content. I'll think about that, initially I just wanted to help people work out how to start a Zettelkasten of their own.
@@dave_hayes I'm sure you did help a lot of people already with this video. I know it helps me! I've started building a bit in a program, app, web based service, called notion. It's all digital so very good to take everywhere (and reflect on from everywhere). But it misses the visual and tangible aspects of actual cards. I'll see what I can do to get my system build up and thought out some more. I'm sure I'll get further with the examples from your video.
I’ve been working on a digital zettelkasten since it’s more practical to carry the knowledge with me at all times, but seeing your analog one makes me feel so happy. It’s just, so aesthetically pleasing, and there’s nothing quite like writing by hand. Congrats on your zettelkasten, mate!
David, this is great. Thank you for this. If you incorporate this into your workflow, I hope you find the time to show us what your literature review note taking is like. Or do you not have a literature Zettelkasten separate from your main one? Again, thanks for this! Are you doing postgraduate work?
Thanks, I don't have a seperate literature Zettelkasten. I take notes in a series of what I call common place books, but really they are just notebooks! These are what the Zettelkasten method would call 'literature notes' or 'fleeting notes'. They are then made permanent when I write a card. I'm not doing postgraduate work at the moment. My reading (and thus Zettels) are for my own benefit and professional development.
Hi, the yellow cards are broad areas that I have been reading in. I'm a pastor and so tend to read a fair bit of theology and topics related to my work. The topics I have at the moment are: covenant, image of God, epistemology, Bowen systems theory, incarnation, complementarianism, preaching, leadership. I also have specific topics related to books of the bible.
"The Heart is the Target" was a huge influence on my preaching, as was Denny Prutow's "So Pastor, What's Your Point?". Nice to find a fellow Zettelkaster! I hope it exercises a powerful influence under God on your preaching.
Wow, thanks so much for the video. I read the book on smart notes and was shocked to see it talking about Zettelkasten without a process flow or an image of the card. Your video really helped me understand the book. Thanks once again. Maybe make a video on how Zettelkasten.
Thanks, yep still working really well, I had hoped to do some more videos, but I'm working at home a bit lately, so its too hard to film while the kids are around as well atm
Thanks for sharing Dave. Do you just ID your notes in chronological order or do you also branch off your IDs to group related notes together? Say you create a new note that continues a thought on #23, do you file it behind #23 (eg. 23.1) or just continue your chronological numbering and then link them? Seems tricky to keep related notes together for convenience while not locking your notes in a particular category or hierarchy...
Hi, mostly I’ll start a new number and then link... however if I write a linking card, or a new atomistic but closely related note I’ll make it subordinate as u suggested i.e 23.1... in addition to this if I start a new topic or book or subject area, I’ll put a divider in noting the subject so that it’s easier to find, this is my addition to the method... hope that makes sense? Happy to answer any other questions :-)
the thing i find difficult with zettelkasten is when for example i read an article and have multiple notes on it. then i would isolate all notes from its context and put them on seperate zettels that are maybe linked to each other because they have the same topic. isn't that bad? or does one have to keep in mind while working with zettels that these are "bulletpoints" and if one were to use them for writing a paper/book/etc. one should go back to the original source, so that the isolation wouldnt be a problem?
Hi, these are great questions. You can add contextual information to a card if it helps you. Or add in subordinate cards with this information (e.g. card 23 has the point you want to make and cards 23.1, 23.2 etc have other additional info). I record the source on the back of the card so that if I ever need to I can go back and dig deeper. Notes on the one article would also be linked by proximity (as in they are next to each other) in the Zettlekasten, so when you are searching for something it would make sense to check the cards either side of the one you find. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have :-) I'm keen for the video and discussion here to be a resources for people.
@@dave_hayes Thanks for your response! Subordinate cards would be a great idea for the problem I saw, thanks. Now I have another question. Why are the cards next to each other (check the cards on either side)? I thought the cards would be categorized by topic, not from first to last in sequence. Thank you. :)
@@zeeschelp Hi, the zettlekasten is design to hold sequencial notes that are linked by number not topic. I don't have a video like this, but there are lots out there that deal with the basic overview of what a zettlekasten is. All the best :-)
I'm new to the idea of Zettelkasten and very interested in learning more. I really appreciate this non-digital demonstration. Like so many here, I believe the tactile experience of writing and the slowing of one's thoughts in the process is valuable. I can imaging myself hiring someone to digitize the Zettelkasten for convenience, but probably never doing it. ;-) Thanks again!
Thanks a lot, Rev. Hayes. This enlightens much of the things I read in Ahrens' How to take smart notes. Just like you, I am using old-fashioned index cards, instead of the fancy Obsidian / Roam / Notion stuff. Nothing beats pen and paper.
Thanks, I have found Ahren's book quite interesting. He is fairly positive about handwriting. I can see the advantages of a computer based solution if producing academic content is your main game. If you write good notes you could copy and paste them into an article draft etc. My main focus is learning and random blog posts, so paper works well for me! and I enjoy the handwriting process itself.
i have a question which is about productivity. i noticed whenever there's an external deadline it forces me to be productive. but if i have one assignment and an entire day to do something, it takes me the entire day to do it. i tried creating my own deadlines for myself so i could be more consistent with studying, but it doesn't seem to work that well as external deadlines. i find im often times very distracted and things can take way more longer than they need to take, but if i have a short deadline i'm extremely focused. so if you have any advice on this i would very much appreciate it. thanks and have a nice day
I remember watching this video long time ago and just watch you without even thinking about taking any notes of your explanation. Now, years later, I actually looking for this specific video because I want to learn how to make zettelkasten for myself. Thank you for making this video!
Hi Dave, in the outline ( blue card) you are collecting notes only which are previously linked with numbers or you are compiling notes from different places which you feel goes together ? Can you please explain a bit? Thanks for your time.
Hi, the blue outline card only has notes that have already been added to the Zettelkasten. They are a summary of a topic up until that point. I usually write an outline card after I have finished reading a particular book or area of study. If the process of writing an outline card leads to new information this would be put on a new card and then either added to the outline or linked to it.
Thank you for the video. What kind of notebooks do you use and where could I find them? Interested in the larger grid notebook that was open in your desk.
I use a variety of notebooks for different purposes. The one you mentioned is from Office Works. It used to cost 80c now a real bargain at 50c! www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/keji-a4-55gsm-10mm-grid-book-96-page-gdbka496
Hi, I guess it would depend on the topic the blog is being written on. If it takes one or two pieces of information then it would only need one or two cards. I guess for a blog you wouldn't want more than 5 or so ideas. An essay or paper would cope with more. The other factor is that an 'atomistic' thought on a card (particularly a handwritten one!) is relatively small, so if I was then turning that into a blog I might add further explanation, an example, an illustration, that kind of thing. Of course, these could extra bits could also be seperate cards, but they don't have to be. Some people talk about having 'writer's block' and then their solution is to stop and write more cards until they don't need to worry about not having something to say. In this situation I'd go back to the Zettelkasten and keep writing 'linking notes' which I hope to demonstrate in a video in the next couple of weeks. Hope that helps, please feel free to keep asking questions :-)
Hi, thanks for the question! Racism is treating a person unkindly (often its pretty bad) merely because of the people group they are a part of. Image Bearing is a key idea in the bible. We are all created in the Image of God and so that means that everyone is equally valuable. Therefore, for people who follow Jesus there is no room for racism in any form. Of course, Christians in the past of failed terribly at this. However, this is a travesty rather than a part of true Christianity... Feel free to shoot through any other questions :-)
Hi, if I am going to make a subordinate card, or nested card or whatever people call those things :-) I sequence like this: 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2, 1.3 etc. I have found this to make more sense to me than using letters (i.e. 1a, 1b, 1b1 etc) However, I generally try and avoid doing this as much as possible and have primary numbers. This is because if you are genuinely writing an atomistic and autonomous note then it can stand alone without other explanation. That said, there are plenty of times when ideas are genuinely subordinate and so the proximity link is helpful. Subordinate notes are also very helpful for explaining 'why' a link is important.
@@dave_hayes As I've read and studied the concepts behind zettelkasten and the numbering one of the issues I've seen written about a couple of times is the numbering issue. One attributed the alternating number-letter-number etc to Luhmann as a means to avoid mis-filing cards. The pure number and dot approach will be very easy to mess up in long sequences. From pictures I've seen of Luhmann's cards, he has some very long sequences. Since these are what links reference, if you get one wrong it will be out of place and you will be unable to "find" it at sometime in the future.
@@dennisruth7082 I can see how a long number sequence could lead to 'losing' a card. Losing information is a risk in any system of storing knowledge, I would argue perhaps less likely in a Zettelkasten? However, in a sense it depends on how often you review your Zettelkasten. I have about 140odd primary numbers at the moment, with many having subordinate cards. I am in the process of pulling out sequences and checking if I've written helpful cards or not. Some I have added linking cards if the link isn't well written. This process would throw up any misplaced cards. They could also be re-found when searching through cards for links or to gather together information for producing a piece of writing or other content from your knowledge.
Dave I have to thank you for this concise explanation and practical demonstration, this gives me more confidence because many people love to complicate a simple system as a gimmicky way to artificially advertise that they know more and you must be dependent on them not that they help you to become independently walking on this path of understanding. Possibly walking with them not helplessly riding on their shoulders, how would that be successful teaching? Simply successful sabotage of growth by word juggling and intended overwhelming complication to cause confusion. God and the man of God never creates confusion and you displayed that rightly @dave_hayes.
Great video Dave! Finally someone giving examples of how they actually implement this system. I feel like I love the idea of the Zettlekasten but the implementation is daunting to say the least. I also like that you are doing yours manually; it forces you to slow down and think a little more about what you are writing and why (you can’t just hit backspace and fix a bad thought) which is kind of the point of the whole thing. Thanks for such a practical example and please keep them coming.
Hi, thanks, it is pretty daunting to start, took me about 4 odd months of reading and talking to a mate who already had one before I felt ready to have a crack at doing it myself. Once you start it does get easier and I really enjoy the process now! I have increasingly found handwriting to be be better for learning and thinking.
lol im just a highschooler learning this method and when you started mentioning bible stuff i was surprised! i have a bible right next to my laptop right now. I am excited to try out this Zettelkasten method!
Sir ... You have my appreciation and Thanks. I have just learned of this method as well, and through all the blogs, comments, and websites, you are the first to give me an actual demonstration of your techniques and how I can use what you have brilliantly done and create my own system. I have a better understanding. Thank You!!!!
Thank you! Finally a video actually showing what these cards look like and how that ACTUALLY work in a real life situation! So much vague theory out there and so precious little practical application! 🙏
Hi, I'm really gald I could help!
I've just learned about this method and want to implement it into my own life and learning strategies but most of my reading refers to digital Zettelkastens! I really appreciate you showing and explaining your physical one as it really cleared a lot up for me. thanks!
Thanks, I too found it pretty frustrating the lack of paper-based examples out there, so I figured I fill that space! Hope setting up you're own Zettelkasten goes well!
Education and cognitive science research shows that you learn more from writing your notes by hand, as opposed to using electronic platforms. It is so important to find a source that teaches how to use Zetttelkasten in real space. Georgia, you will learn better and learn more by using a nondigital note-taking form. Dave, I'm so glad you've made your note-taking directions available on RUclips. Thanks!
I never make comments on RUclips, but I have to say: THANK YOU for this. This is the most helpful zettelkasten video I have found to date. Thanks for your generosity in laying out your process with clarity, brevity, and practicality.
Thanks! I'm really glad to have helped :-)
Dave, tons of thanks for a great picture of how you manage your zettelkasten process!
God bless you. I appreciate your information and explanation. Super helpful. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for actually showing your cards and your process! I’ve just started learning about and using a Zettlekasten and since it’s such a different way of working with knowledge, it’s been a bit of mind twist figuring it out. This has been one of the most helpful videos about the method because you actually showed your work. I’m also a visual learner and have been craving getting into the weeds and details of it so I can really understand what I’m doing going forward. This is much appreciated and I’d love to see you do more.
Glad I could help! I made this video because its the kind of video I wish I could've watched when I was working it all out. What kind of things would you like to see more video's on?
This was fabulous! Thank you so much for the different card examples and how to synthesize cards.
Hi, I'm really glad I could be helpful! The learning curve is steep, but once you've got your head around it, a Zettelkasten is cool :-)
Awesome. I started out doing analog, but switched to digital.
I think about going back every once in a while. Watching yours makes me think about going analog again.
One of the big drawbacks to the analog was creating commentary notes on a book. Would you just sort those into topical and link the notes on the book of Galatians via tags? Or how else would you link all your notes a book so that you can grab them again?
Thanks for sharing.
@@bibleculture Hi, I would just write notes as they come up and then link. This means that you would link to other notes on Galatians but also the theology or ministry practice you might be reading. Then once your reading is done or you've got a few cards write an outline card. You could then even write an outline of the outline cards if you really wanted. This synthesises the info further. It would be the outline cards you'd pull out when you wanted the info. Then deep dive into other cards or the source if needed. 'Linking cards' as in cards that explain why the link is important could also be helpful.
Thanks for the concrete examples of how you use the system!
Happy to help out :-)
@@dave_hayes One thing that I'm still not totally clear on is what the decimal numbers mean. Is that kind of like sub-points of the bigger point?
@@patschloss3342 Hi, "sort of" sub points. Each note should be autonomous all on its own, so not strictly a sub point.
It is related, so often I'll have written a card, say card 113, and then cards 113 and 86 need a linking card... that would mean the linking card could be 113.1 or 86.1
Or I'll have written card 113.1 and then moved on to cards 114, 115, 116, but then I'll think of a way that card 113 can be applied in a real world situation and I feel its worthy of making permanent, so I'd write card 113.2
Then card 113.2 has a serious link to say card 67, so I could write a linking card that could be either card 113.2.1 or card 67.1
Which number you link the card to will depend on which way the link flows. Proximity in the Zettelkasten is important becasue when you find a number, you are also easily able to look at the cards surrounding it.
I hope makes sense?
Thanks for this! I was just looking for some actual example of how this works - and although I will be doing a digital version, this cleared up a lot of questions I had about how to actually do the notes. Much appreciated!
I'm really glad I could be helpful!
Thanks Dave. I’m mightily impressed that you’re sticking to a paper-based archive! I do enjoy notebooks and pen for jotting down ideas and thinking, but in a rather more orthodox digital manner I then transfer these into whatever app I am using as an archive/slip box. Though seeing some of your zettelkasten laid out on the table did give me the idea of printing out some of my outlines too and seeing what I might pick up by working with these offline. Looking forward to seeing some more of your videos and thoughts later. Take care.
Thanks, I have found the physical nature of moving the cards around and ordering useful for seeing connections and getting my head around the whole sweep of an idea. Are there things that you would like to see demonstrated with my Zettlekasten?
@@dave_hayes please do read through your notes on zettel and tell which effect it does on you. Do video about that. Like a conversation with zettel)))
Great example and recap of valuable things to keep in mind.
Finally found it! God bless this man for sharing his analog #zettlekasten process with us! Deeply appreciate you taking the time to walk us through a step-by-step process 👏👏👏
Thanks! I am really glad it was helpful :-)
great to see someone who is actually using this system to create final written works in real life
I used to write professionally for many years. A lot. I was helped a lot when i discovered the perfect fineliner. You use the same one: uni ball. Excellent choice.
Well spotted! Its a good pen :-)
Your explanation is the easiest to understand so far. Aussies. We’re straight to the point 😆
happy to help :-)
I think I can summarize this video as follow:
1. We write the interesting idea on a card and why the idea is important.
2. Link this card with other relevan idea
3. Make index for the entry based on topic, book, or what ever we want to make as an entry
4. When we want to write essay or paper, then take all the cards that relevan with the topic and organize them to become an outline
5. Then just write the paper or essay
However, I think it is important to write down why the link that you write is important. So that, you don't waste your time to check the number of the link if it is not interest you.
I think I got it, Thanks!
Sounds like a good summary to me!
Thank you for sharing your Zettelkasten. Amongst all the tutorials out there, it’s rare to see one in actual use and it seems close to Luhmann’s method. The “linking card” is a great idea!
Have you found any others? I'm trying to watch the best vids on analog zattlkasten, so would be great to know!
This made a lot of sense! Thanks 😊
I'll be watching this video a number of times. Referencing back to it again and again, as I work on my zettlekasten system.
Thank you for this demonstration. This video is now part of my reference notes :)
I'm really glad it was helpful :-)
Thankyou Dave
IIt's been a while since I've been learning about the Zettelkasten method and I've read and seen a lot of theories, but never much practice. So, I really appreciate you demonstrating it. It allows me to have a picture rather than a lot of words. Thanks!
Glad I can helpful :-)
Very helpful video!! Subscribed to your channel!! 😀😀
Thank you, pastor. I think demonstration is the only way to communicate how this works for a person. It's a type of rumination, I think. (For your subject area, lectio divino.) I'm still building my own. You have confirmed for me my suspicion that regular walks through the slip-box are going to be necessary. This is a feature and not a bug. Paper seems to be the only way for me, for all of the usual reasons. Like you, I suppose this is different from person to person.
I agree, I think rumination is a pretty vital part of learning and leadership. It has been a joy to read through old cards and rediscover things I'd thought of or been struck by in the past
I read a lot of books and watch lots of RUclips lectures.
I start realising that I need to write down and interconnect all the interesting ideas from the books and the lectures.
I don't like the e-zettelkasten and prefer paper 📜
Thanks for the video.
I'm really glad I was able to help!
Very helpful
Thank you for making a wonderful video. It’s great to see a paper based zettelkasten system working, rather than electronic. Although I would love to have a paper based system as I like the idea of ‘holding’ ideas in my hand so I can see and feel them, it seems that an electronic system is easier to maintain and develop. Maybe there is a way of having both paper and electronic system?!
Hi, thanks for the feedback. I guess when deciding which platform to use, either electronic or paper, you need to ask yourself what's going to facilitate thinking/learning + output better? For me that's paper, for others electronic works best.
Hi there! Thanks for your time in creating this and other videos. I’m curious about your numbering method. I follow what you describe here - you number your cards sequentially and then create outline cards. Other Zettelkasten aficionados suggest numbering cards differently. They suggest adding new information into a ZK by searching for the most closely related existing note and adding the new note by it - using a branching numbering sequence. You handle this with your outline cards. My question is what was it that made you decide to number your cards sequentially rather than find a related place for them and use a branching sequence? I am about 150 cards into my ZK and have adopted Scott Scheper’s academic sequence with branches.
I am also in the field of theology - a spiritual director. Most of my cards are deep into spiritual practices and prayer and a bit into psychology. I’m also interested in health and wellness so I have a growing section on nutrition and movement.
May God continue to bless your journey!
Hi,
Thanks for the encouragement :-)
I use the sequential numbering system with outline cards for a couple of reasons:
1. It just makes more sense to me
2. When I started my ZK I couldn't find anywhere that talked about the branch structure that Scheper teaches. He either wasn't posting then, or my 'many' searches didn't find anything
3. I've now read and watched 'a lot' of Scheper's stuff and I've wrestled with whether or not to restart, but I've decided to stick with what I'm doing because the reality for me is that all my reading is really theological and therefore 'humanities'... even If I did read 'formal science' like on AI or biology for example, it's usually with a theological critique or lense anyway, so the academic disciplines setup wouldn't work very well for me
Thus, I don't install a card as the next number until it has at least one link to something else. That way it'll be discovered again one day. The links grow over time and when a card ends up with lots of links on it, it is obviously important and thus gets an outline card.
So now (which I'm hoping to show in a video someday) I'm working on a robust index (inspired by Scheper) and outline cards for topics.
I also mainly use my ZK for thinking and reflection, rather than producing output, so its geared towards linking ideas because of that.
Hope that helps? I'm happy to keep answering questions here!
@@dave_hayes thanks for your reply. What you say makes sense especially holding off to add cards until linked.
I like the idea that ZK is flexible and we can adapt to ourselves and how our own minds work.
Keep “zetteling!”
Thanks very much for this, Dave. You've really filled gap with your videos on a the analog approach, which appeals to me. I am still a little unclear how one knows which cards in the ZK to link a new card to, especially as it grows and there are potentially thousands of cards. Is that the reason for your yellow sticky note, for categorization? Thanks again.
Thanks, I did start these videos because I would've really liked them when I was working out how to start a Zettelkasten!
Linking is something that starts to develop over time. When you only have sub 10 cards there's not much to link to. However, it does get easier and links begin to become more apparent.
For example you might write 20 odd notes when you are reading one book. There will be many links between these as they are from the same ideas as the book. Then you might read a journal article by a different author on the same topic as the book and thus more links will present themselves. Or you might read a different author who holds a different position and so there will be negative links as it were, or links to cards that explain which position you agree with and why.
Or once you have a larger number of cards 100+ say, you might read through some cards or pull out a number of others and then a memory will be triggered or you'll read a number of cards and a link will noticed.
The trick then is to write 'linking' notes which explain why that link is important to you or what you learned from it. I hoping to make a video on this in the next week or so.
The yellow cards (I've now changed them to tabs) are not 'pure' Zettelkasten. I put those in so that I could easily find where particular topics started. So in that sense it does make linking a little bit easier if you know the topic links but can't remember specific cards.
This is where the magic happens as you start reading the cards to find a link, discoveries and new learning happen here.
Very helpful to see it ”in action”, thanks! I am leaning towards paperbased.
Glad to help, I'm happy to answer questions or make other videos :-)
Awesomeness
I'm also a pastor that uses a notecard system! I tried to start a true Zettlekasten but found it too complex so instead I modeled my system after Ryan Holiday's notecard system. This video really makes me think about going back to a true Zettlekasten though. I'd love to see more videos with tips about how to use your paper based Zettlekasten as there are so few paper based videos! Great content!
Hi, I looked at the Holiday system before starting, the clincher for going to a Zettelkasten was the linking. I couldn't see any reason to not just leave my notes in a notebook for the Holiday system, there didn't seem to be an extra advantage to writing things on a card apart from more time to do it?
Linking the information was the kind of thing I was doing mentally anyway and did regularly when teaching. Having a mechanism to show why a note linked and what was important about the link (i.e. in a linking card) is very beneficial for leaning and teaching.
What kind of things would you like to see videos on?
Dave, thanks .. that's what i was looking for. But I still fear having various index cards and spreading them out to review. Ceiling fan is the biggest enemy which i fear! :)
lol, yeah a ceiling fan could be your undoing!
Thank you for showing your process! I’m a visual learner and this was nice to see.
Thank you, mate. Very useful. The How To Take Smart Notes book is not a practical book, and it is not designed for someone who wants to use an analog Zettelkasten. You gave me some insights into how to do it properly.
Loved your video. Thank you for the great insight into the technique. It was very helpful.
Thank you!
This was excellent sir , thank you for your diligence.
thank you very much
Do you have a dedicated time set aside in the day to work through this process?
I have reading (and note taking) as a part of my morning routine and so occasionally I'll swap reading for writing Zettels. I also will often dedicate a day or a half day to writing Zettels and going back over what I've already written to write linking notes or outline cards. This is pretty random though, depends on how busy I am.
Interesting
dude thanks for the best demo on the subject , plus you have a very peacefull face
Thank you, Dave. I have just come to this method and I commend you for the myth-busting explanation. I look forward to adopting the same going forward
Thank you very much for providing a practical example! I hope that this method will help the orators on our speech & debate team. The videos that I recorded on my RUclips channel last summer only help them with the delivery of their thoughts. With your help, they will see for themselves that thinking evolves over time.
I'm really glad to help! In this situation that you describe, linking cards and outline cards are going to be really important
Very good
Very nice and useful video, thanks! Especially your explanation and showcase of outline and linking cards is very enlightening. I just recently started my own zettelkasten and I'm still often unsure whether a note is really atomistic or whether I should spread the info over several cards. How you you decide whether a zettle is atomistic?
A great question. Sometimes it is easy, as in one quote = one idea and therefore atomistic.
For other types of cards I tend to think about each card like a paragraph in a simple essay. If I need to start a new paragraph then I'm more likely to have started a new idea and therefore need a new card. Of course a new paragraph could just be giving an example or illustration of the concept and as such is still atomistic.
I guess the other thing to keep in mind that even though we call them 'permanent notes' when they go in a box, they aren't really. There's no reason why you can't go back and change something or write other cards explaining why you've changed your mind and a card is really two or more ideas rather than just one. If anything that's a good thing because it demonstrates learning, which is the point of the whole thing anyway :-)
At other times, I've tried to imagine each card like a real grammar nerd. You have a main clause and subordinate clauses. If I need to use another main verb, then its more likely to be a new idea
or imagine writing your card in dot points and if the dot points look like they are stand alone ideas then they need new cards.
@@dave_hayes The easiest are quotes, I agree... or definitions. But difficulties already start with examples. It might be just a small illustration and best be added to the same zettel (I tend to do this for definitions, for instance), or the example can be interpreted in different ways or might be used to support more than one idea - in this case I would separate the two. Unfortunately, it's often hard to judge which category the example falls into.
It's always useful to see how other people deal with this problem.
👌👏👏✊
This is so helpful!!!! Thank youuu
Glad I could help!
Very helpful video. Thank you. Subbing as well
This is super helpful. Thank you. Keep it up.
Great video for someone like me who prefers paper-shuffling to screen work. The books I've read so far on the Zettelkasten are far too abstract for my use and left me with many unanswered questions. I want the ZK method to work for my own personal use and I'm very excited about its potential, but I need to master the principles first. Thanks for clarifying the 'paper' method.
Glad I could be of assistance :-)
This has been very helpful. Very concise and to the point, and the actual examples were perfect for your application. Many thanks and God bless.
Thanks! I'm super glad it was helpful :-)
This gave me a lot of ideas. But I have one question.
I heard that you could link the cards and write 7/a/1/b and you wrote only one number.
Why did you decide to do it that way? Did I understand it correctly that you did the linking with extra cards?
Sry if you said it in the video. I try to understand the analog system and it's pretty complicated. And not speaking English as a first language doesn't really help either xD
Hi, I chose to order my cards using numbers i.e 1, 2, 3, 3.1, 3.1.1, 4, 4.1 etc because that made more sense to me. It felt like it would be easier to see where the card shoud be placed in the box. You coud label your cards 1, 2, 3a, 3a1, 4 etc if you wanted. There is no one right way.
Yes, I put linking notes on seperate cards. However, the link numbers are at the bottom of each card.
Please keep asking questions if you need for information, I'm happy to help :-)
Awesome job Brother! May The Lord keep blessing you :)
Thanks. This was helpful. Can u make a video showing how you build notes around a specific topic of choice? For eg, if you want to build notes for writing biographies of apostles... thanks again...
Hi, thanks the suggestion, I’ll add it to my list of ideas. In short, what you’d need to do for your idea is to start writing notes from your reading and then write outline cards to gather the ideas together.
Thank you for the video. I needed to see a paper example in order to understand how a computer program zettelkasten would work. Make notes "atomistic" is the key point I was missing. I wonder if "elementary" would be a more accurate term, but I suppose the alliteration of "atomistic and autonomous" make it easier to remember.
In one sense, I'm not sure it matters what you call it... atomistic or elementary, the point is that each note contains a single idea. Glad I could help!
Demonstration with actual cards was nice.
Thank you so much for sharing your process hands-on!
Thank you, sir! I'm visual learning your content is helping a lot to connect do in more practical level. Again thanks a lot. I wish you all the best
Glad I could be helpful!
This video was so extremely helpful to me! Thank you for showing the way you implemented the system.
I'm trying to start up a good system for my notes and that's not easy really.
1. I'm a student of Psychology so lots of literature notes from those sources.
2. I'm a writer, so lots of notes on how to write (or how not to write).
3. I'm also a missionary (in the process of becoming) which means that all I gather should travel with me.
Next year my wife and I will move to Brazil and help in an organisation that is aimed at helping addicts get back their humanity. Behind the addiction there is a human being, loved by God!
4. As a missionary I also do preach, which means notes like yours!
Thanks again for your video, since I also preach I do get your notes on the subjects you write notes on. That makes it so much more interesting also. I understand why you keep your video accessible for everybody (keeping Christian slang out), however I would love an in-depth look at your zettelkasten! :)
Blessings!
Hi, thanks, I'm really glad it was helpful. It took me a fair while to get my head around how to implement the system so I made these videos to show what I wish I could've seen!
It sounds like you might need a digital system if you're going to be heading off as a missionary. I can imagine in time my paper based Zettelkasten getting quite large! In my situation, I'm a pastor of a church, Lord willing I'll be able to serve here for a long time, the size of it doesn't matter so much.
I like the idea of a deep dive into the content. I'll think about that, initially I just wanted to help people work out how to start a Zettelkasten of their own.
@@dave_hayes I'm sure you did help a lot of people already with this video. I know it helps me! I've started building a bit in a program, app, web based service, called notion. It's all digital so very good to take everywhere (and reflect on from everywhere). But it misses the visual and tangible aspects of actual cards.
I'll see what I can do to get my system build up and thought out some more. I'm sure I'll get further with the examples from your video.
I’ve been working on a digital zettelkasten since it’s more practical to carry the knowledge with me at all times, but seeing your analog one makes me feel so happy. It’s just, so aesthetically pleasing, and there’s nothing quite like writing by hand. Congrats on your zettelkasten, mate!
Thanks! It really is an enjoyable experience working with it
David, this is great. Thank you for this. If you incorporate this into your workflow, I hope you find the time to show us what your literature review note taking is like. Or do you not have a literature Zettelkasten separate from your main one? Again, thanks for this! Are you doing postgraduate work?
Thanks, I don't have a seperate literature Zettelkasten. I take notes in a series of what I call common place books, but really they are just notebooks! These are what the Zettelkasten method would call 'literature notes' or 'fleeting notes'. They are then made permanent when I write a card. I'm not doing postgraduate work at the moment. My reading (and thus Zettels) are for my own benefit and professional development.
Thanks, but it's much more thinking than my pee size brain can absorb presently.
There is a steep learning curve to get a system going, so waiting until you reckon you might be ready for it is not such a bad idea...
Thanks for making this video, mate.
May I know the topics of your cards? (the yellow cards). I find it interesting
Hi, the yellow cards are broad areas that I have been reading in. I'm a pastor and so tend to read a fair bit of theology and topics related to my work. The topics I have at the moment are: covenant, image of God, epistemology, Bowen systems theory, incarnation, complementarianism, preaching, leadership. I also have specific topics related to books of the bible.
Love this, preacher here as well.
Thank you for the video
This was more helpful than most!
Thanks :-)
very helpful
"The Heart is the Target" was a huge influence on my preaching, as was Denny Prutow's "So Pastor, What's Your Point?". Nice to find a fellow Zettelkaster! I hope it exercises a powerful influence under God on your preaching.
Hi, thanks, it has been a very helpful book :-)
Wow, thanks so much for the video. I read the book on smart notes and was shocked to see it talking about Zettelkasten without a process flow or an image of the card. Your video really helped me understand the book. Thanks once again. Maybe make a video on how Zettelkasten.
Thanks, I made this video because Its a video that I wanted to see when I was trying to work it all out! So I'm really glad it was helpful :-)
Great video! Thank you for showing a practical example. Hope it's still working for you 😁
Thanks, yep still working really well, I had hoped to do some more videos, but I'm working at home a bit lately, so its too hard to film while the kids are around as well atm
Thanks for sharing Dave. Do you just ID your notes in chronological order or do you also branch off your IDs to group related notes together? Say you create a new note that continues a thought on #23, do you file it behind #23 (eg. 23.1) or just continue your chronological numbering and then link them?
Seems tricky to keep related notes together for convenience while not locking your notes in a particular category or hierarchy...
Hi, mostly I’ll start a new number and then link... however if I write a linking card, or a new atomistic but closely related note I’ll make it subordinate as u suggested i.e 23.1... in addition to this if I start a new topic or book or subject area, I’ll put a divider in noting the subject so that it’s easier to find, this is my addition to the method... hope that makes sense? Happy to answer any other questions :-)
the thing i find difficult with zettelkasten is when for example i read an article and have multiple notes on it. then i would isolate all notes from its context and put them on seperate zettels that are maybe linked to each other because they have the same topic. isn't that bad? or does one have to keep in mind while working with zettels that these are "bulletpoints" and if one were to use them for writing a paper/book/etc. one should go back to the original source, so that the isolation wouldnt be a problem?
Hi, these are great questions. You can add contextual information to a card if it helps you. Or add in subordinate cards with this information (e.g. card 23 has the point you want to make and cards 23.1, 23.2 etc have other additional info).
I record the source on the back of the card so that if I ever need to I can go back and dig deeper.
Notes on the one article would also be linked by proximity (as in they are next to each other) in the Zettlekasten, so when you are searching for something it would make sense to check the cards either side of the one you find.
Feel free to ask any other questions you might have :-) I'm keen for the video and discussion here to be a resources for people.
@@dave_hayes Thanks for your response! Subordinate cards would be a great idea for the problem I saw, thanks. Now I have another question. Why are the cards next to each other (check the cards on either side)? I thought the cards would be categorized by topic, not from first to last in sequence. Thank you. :)
@@zeeschelp Hi, the zettlekasten is design to hold sequencial notes that are linked by number not topic. I don't have a video like this, but there are lots out there that deal with the basic overview of what a zettlekasten is. All the best :-)
@@dave_hayes thank you!
I'm new to the idea of Zettelkasten and very interested in learning more. I really appreciate this non-digital demonstration. Like so many here, I believe the tactile experience of writing and the slowing of one's thoughts in the process is valuable. I can imaging myself hiring someone to digitize the Zettelkasten for convenience, but probably never doing it. ;-) Thanks again!
Hi, I agree, handwriting is a much better option, glad I could be helpful!
Thank you for posting this! This was extremely helpful in understanding the zettelkasten system!
Hi, thanks, I'm really glad I could be helpful :-)
Thanks a lot, Rev. Hayes.
This enlightens much of the things I read in Ahrens' How to take smart notes. Just like you, I am using old-fashioned index cards, instead of the fancy Obsidian / Roam / Notion stuff. Nothing beats pen and paper.
Thanks, I have found Ahren's book quite interesting. He is fairly positive about handwriting. I can see the advantages of a computer based solution if producing academic content is your main game. If you write good notes you could copy and paste them into an article draft etc. My main focus is learning and random blog posts, so paper works well for me! and I enjoy the handwriting process itself.
i have a question which is about productivity. i noticed whenever there's an external deadline it forces me to be productive. but if i have one assignment and an entire day to do something, it takes me the entire day to do it. i tried creating my own deadlines for myself so i could be more consistent with studying, but it doesn't seem to work that well as external deadlines. i find im often times very distracted and things can take way more longer than they need to take, but if i have a short deadline i'm extremely focused. so if you have any advice on this i would very much appreciate it. thanks and have a nice day
Hi, have you tried time blocking? i.e 2 hours study, 1 hour random stuff, 40 minutes study, lunch, 1 hour study, 1 hour random stuff
I remember watching this video long time ago and just watch you without even thinking about taking any notes of your explanation. Now, years later, I actually looking for this specific video because I want to learn how to make zettelkasten for myself. Thank you for making this video!
Hi, I'm really glad I can be helpful :-) I have plans for other videos, my Zettelkasten has grown a lot since these ones. I can't promise when though
@@dave_hayes That is great! You gain a sub for waiting for more zettelkasten videos from you 😊
Hi Dave, in the outline ( blue card) you are collecting notes only which are previously linked with numbers or you are compiling notes from different places which you feel goes together ? Can you please explain a bit? Thanks for your time.
Hi, the blue outline card only has notes that have already been added to the Zettelkasten. They are a summary of a topic up until that point. I usually write an outline card after I have finished reading a particular book or area of study. If the process of writing an outline card leads to new information this would be put on a new card and then either added to the outline or linked to it.
@@dave_hayes many thanks
Thank you for the video. What kind of notebooks do you use and where could I find them? Interested in the larger grid notebook that was open in your desk.
I use a variety of notebooks for different purposes. The one you mentioned is from Office Works. It used to cost 80c now a real bargain at 50c! www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/keji-a4-55gsm-10mm-grid-book-96-page-gdbka496
Great to see how you do it. If you come to write a blog post. Could you do it from just the top level or how many cards would you pull back?
Hi, I guess it would depend on the topic the blog is being written on. If it takes one or two pieces of information then it would only need one or two cards. I guess for a blog you wouldn't want more than 5 or so ideas. An essay or paper would cope with more. The other factor is that an 'atomistic' thought on a card (particularly a handwritten one!) is relatively small, so if I was then turning that into a blog I might add further explanation, an example, an illustration, that kind of thing. Of course, these could extra bits could also be seperate cards, but they don't have to be.
Some people talk about having 'writer's block' and then their solution is to stop and write more cards until they don't need to worry about not having something to say. In this situation I'd go back to the Zettelkasten and keep writing 'linking notes' which I hope to demonstrate in a video in the next couple of weeks. Hope that helps, please feel free to keep asking questions :-)
What's racism and image bearing ?
Hi, thanks for the question! Racism is treating a person unkindly (often its pretty bad) merely because of the people group they are a part of. Image Bearing is a key idea in the bible. We are all created in the Image of God and so that means that everyone is equally valuable. Therefore, for people who follow Jesus there is no room for racism in any form. Of course, Christians in the past of failed terribly at this. However, this is a travesty rather than a part of true Christianity... Feel free to shoot through any other questions :-)
Отличный пример работы с Zettelkasten. Часто бывает недостаёт наглядности. Спасибо.
Thanks, I found the lack of clarity in some videos quite frustrating when I was learning. I'm really glad this was helpful!
Wooow!
Thank you for the video! It is very helpful. What numbering scheme do you use for Folgezettel and how you decide in which category to put a new card?
Hi, if I am going to make a subordinate card, or nested card or whatever people call those things :-) I sequence like this: 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2, 1.3 etc. I have found this to make more sense to me than using letters (i.e. 1a, 1b, 1b1 etc) However, I generally try and avoid doing this as much as possible and have primary numbers. This is because if you are genuinely writing an atomistic and autonomous note then it can stand alone without other explanation. That said, there are plenty of times when ideas are genuinely subordinate and so the proximity link is helpful. Subordinate notes are also very helpful for explaining 'why' a link is important.
@@dave_hayes As I've read and studied the concepts behind zettelkasten and the numbering one of the issues I've seen written about a couple of times is the numbering issue. One attributed the alternating number-letter-number etc to Luhmann as a means to avoid mis-filing cards. The pure number and dot approach will be very easy to mess up in long sequences. From pictures I've seen of Luhmann's cards, he has some very long sequences. Since these are what links reference, if you get one wrong it will be out of place and you will be unable to "find" it at sometime in the future.
@@dennisruth7082 I can see how a long number sequence could lead to 'losing' a card. Losing information is a risk in any system of storing knowledge, I would argue perhaps less likely in a Zettelkasten?
However, in a sense it depends on how often you review your Zettelkasten. I have about 140odd primary numbers at the moment, with many having subordinate cards. I am in the process of pulling out sequences and checking if I've written helpful cards or not. Some I have added linking cards if the link isn't well written.
This process would throw up any misplaced cards. They could also be re-found when searching through cards for links or to gather together information for producing a piece of writing or other content from your knowledge.
Dave I have to thank you for this concise explanation and practical demonstration, this gives me more confidence because many people love to complicate a simple system as a gimmicky way to artificially advertise that they know more and you must be dependent on them not that they help you to become independently walking on this path of understanding. Possibly walking with them not helplessly riding on their shoulders, how would that be successful teaching? Simply successful sabotage of growth by word juggling and intended overwhelming complication to cause confusion. God and the man of God never creates confusion and you displayed that rightly @dave_hayes.