My note-taking setup might be convoluted (and overkill), but I finally made it work, and I've never been more creative and productive.
Over the years, I've probably tested nearly every note-taking tool out there. If someone made it, I've tried it.
However, most tools left me unsatisfied. One or more issues always kept me from going all in.
Recently, with me testing all these e-ink devices (my reMarkable Paper Pro review went live yesterday), and spending the last few weeks rethinking why I even want to take notes in the first place, I seem to have found a system that so far has been holding up.
Why I take notes
But first, let's discuss why I take notes in the first place.
I basically have three jobs at the same time: I work at a newspaper as Content Performance Lead, helping journalists get more reach on their articles. I co-run and write content for overkill, and recently, I started to regularly post essays on my personal blog.
To make sense of all these different situations, I write down a lot. Be it during reading (though that part is automated, more below), while talking to people, observing the world or my mind, consuming (good, non-brainrot) content, or while being bored (you know, shower thoughts).
There are several reasons for my avid note-taking:
- Note-taking helps me remember. I write things down, so I don't forget.
- I use it to offload. Since I have a few things going on, I prefer having things written down and not occupying RAM in my memory.
- I use it to learn.
- By going through my notes regularly, I brainstorm new ideas.
- And finally, the fact of writing something down in my own words helps me better understand what I'm working on.
How I take notes
The system I came up with probably looks very convoluted from the outside. Some might say it's, ehem, overkill (pun intended).
It relies on four things: an e-ink device, paper notebooks, the note-taking app Obsidian, and Telegram. Yes, the messaging app.
First, let me explain why I combine an e-ink device (currently the reMarkable Paper Pro) and paper notebooks.
For one, I prefer writing things down by hand instead of typing them. There have been enough studies showing that writing things down by hand improves learning, and I've experienced this on my own. I also just like the physical act of writing by hand, without interruptions, not looking at a monitor. I spend enough time in front of my computer or on my phone.
But in theory, using an e-ink device and a paper notebook is redundant. One is supposed to replace the other. And I agree, but I am a sucker for stationary, and I really love using inks, pens, pencils, and different type of paper. I also recently decided to pick up sketching and drawing, and there are some cool pens out there!
If you decide to replicate this workflow, you probably don't need both. I just like paper too much. But since paper is not that practical in a day-to-day use, I also use e-ink for its syncing capabilities, easier file management, and some nifty features like automatic text recognition.
But let's get to the nitty gritty. My workflow looks like this: I capture notes in two different systems, paper and Telegram, then file them in Obsidian, and complement the whole thing with e-ink (and some other tools). Here's how: